Musical Mathematics

Live Review//Brontide @ The Druid’s Arms, Brighton - 18.02.12

In a quick last minute swap around of the supports, Deer Ray is now the first to greet the dwellers of the ever cosy Druid’s Arms. The pub is a mix of the tipsy red faced regulars and, tonight, fans of the knockout jams of Brontide. The latter make up the first few attentive layers of the audience as the delicate opening act plays, whilst the former noisily harp on in the background, wandering what tonight’s all about. Slotting vocal harmonies beneath his voice, Deer Ray uses a few interesting pedals to enhance his melodies, along with the occasional attention grabbing crescendo to keep anyone from wandering.

The next instalment of music is a relatively new duo under the moniker of A Hundred Black Kites. They play a noisy brand of post-metal which sees their compositions bring out a handful of samples alongside the heavy distortion. This is the biggest crowd they’ve played to yet, and that fact does show a little with a tad of lingering nervousness creeping in at times. Lacking a bass guitar though, they do seem like they need that extra boom to really fill out their sound.

It’s almost exactly a year since Brontide played in this very same intimate setting, and almost exactly a year since their storming debut album Sans Souci was released. The view for them tonight is exactly the same – A room so packed that you think the floor is about to cave in. New single ‘Coloured Tongues’ sets things off followed by the b-side, ‘MFBT’

Anyone new to the band live soon realises how ridiculously good sticksman William Bowerman is, and even that is a massive understatement. You can safely say he is better than your drummer and there is nothing you can do about it. In the brief breaks between sections in their tracks he lets out explosive roars that could almost shake the room; No microphone needed here. Meanwhile, Bassist and new Rolo Tomassi recruit Nathan Fairweather sends a death stare to the back of the room as if the crowd were transparent ghosts, zoning on his part like an eagle on its prey. At the forefront, Tim Hancock’s wide array of pedals and intricate guitar trickery holds the gaze of everyone circled around him.

As a whole the band play a storming set as usual, but for some the cramped conditions of the venue let it down slightly, with a lot of gig-goers not being able to see much of what’s going on. Then again, for others, it just feels that little bit more intimate. Either way you can’t take it away from the band who’s three members manage to pull off live what double the amount of people can struggle to do.

Words by James Fox

Band Profile//Baskin’s Wish

Welcome to Musical Mathematics’ Band Profile, where each issue we introduce a brilliant band you might not have heard of before with some easy straight to the point information. This time we asked Newcastle’s Baskin’s Wish to fill in their profile so all of you can get to grips with their genius style of home-grown power-pop…

Name// Baskin’s Wish.

Hometown// Newcastle.

Members// Andy, Andrew and Craig.

Genre// Powerpop.

Similar Bands// We seem to get Weezer meets Brian Wilson a lot, so maybe them two.

Last Gig// Opening for Dad Rocks! And Shoes and Socks Off in Leeds.

Equipment & Setup// Vocals, guitar, reverb pedal, bass and drums.

Hobbies// Bicycles, Wes Anderson and NUFC.

Standout Track// One of the ones about girls and bicycles.

Favorite Band// Deerhoof.

Food// Houmous.

Drink// OKF Aloe Vera Mango Drink.

2012 Plans// Gonna keep on keeping on.

Download Link// baskinswish.bandcamp.com

Follow Baskin’s Wish @ www.facebook.com/baskinswish

Download their latest EP ‘Dailyfun’ for FREE @ www.baskinswish.bandcamp.com

Taken from MM Issue 6 - But it HERE

Words and Questions by Andy Crowder

News//Spring Offensive UK/EU Tour & New Video

Oxford’s Spring Offensive are about to embark on a mammoth 13 date tour across the UK and the EU. To celebrate the band’s biggest tour to date they’ve released a brand new video for ‘Carrier’ (the b-side to their upcoming single ‘Worry Fill My Heart’, which is released on the 17th of March). So check the dates below and make sure you see this truly enthralling live band. 

16.03 The End, Birmingham

29.03 Electricity Showrooms, London

30.03 The Green Door Store, Brighton

31.03 Secret Location, Oxford

01.04 The Castle Hotel, Manchester

02.04 SOYO, Sheffield

03.04 The Head of Steam, Newcastle

04.04 The Shipping Forecast, Liverpool

05.04 Gwdihw, Cardiff

10.04 Schon Schön, Mainz

11.04 MUZ, Nurnberg

12.04 Häll, Heidelberg

13.04 Parterre, Basel

EP Review//Wiltz/Facing Split.

Ladies and gentleman, I have done something incredibly premature. But don’t try to console me, as I’ve actually just penned this review a month in advance. Irish-bred Wiltz have kindly given Musical Mathematics an early sneak peek of their upcoming split with Facing: In essence it’s Christmas came early (or maybe Christmas come late, hmm…).

The four-piece from Wicklow have only been together since 2010, which is quite staggering seeing as they’ve already mastered the formula to produce quintessentially nifty songs with all too apparent ease. But before I get started on this I’d just like to stress my unfaltering admiration for the instrumental math band as a whole. Contrary to popular belief they aren’t inaccessible mutants (God knows what I’d give to silence many obnoxious frontmen), they are instead smart, precise and expressive; the Gromits of a Wallace based music world, but enough cheesy analogies… 

‘Cops!’ opens the split in immediate disequilibrium. Mirrored ripples of the high notes waltz in opposition with growling bass in a collaboration that’s set to stun. In all, it’s a tragic yet torrid affair between instruments that finishes by exploding into a tapestry of noise sure to blow speakers. This pace then vigorously follows on in ‘Doin’ a deh’ before, much like a maverick elephant, it catches you completely off guard and unexpectedly jumps. This switch flicks the band into overdrive as relentless fingerwork violates fretboards.

The real gem of the EP, however, comes explicitly in the form of the almost cinematic ‘Ice-Cream Cake’. It subconsciously drones into existence whilst sounding familiar and dream-like, until (in Inception-esque fashion) the dream collapses and everything you heard suddenly subverts. Each instrument translates what the other is saying into its own affluent language and the consequences are nothing short of genius.

Closing track ‘Justin Phillips’ then concludes what is in my opinion, a must-have split. The bass underpins fragile riffs with sheepdog authority as inexhaustive drum fills counterbalances wailing strings all the way to an abrupt end stop. Not bad. Not bad at all. 

The split will be available to download from March 10.

You can listen to their other stuff here at http://wiltz.bandcamp.com/

Words by Chris Rickett.

News//Michael Kiwanuka Spring Tour

Earlier this week Michael Kiwanuka announced details of a new UK & Ireland spring tour, including a headline show at London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire. Tickets for the spring tour went on-sale through www.gigsandtours.com this morning. 

13th May – Bournemouth, Old Fire Station

14th May – Wolverhampton, Wulfrun Hall

15th May – Manchester, HMV Ritz

17th May – Glasgow, ABC

19th May – Dublin, Academy

21st May – Sheffield, Leadmill

22nd May – Cambridge, Junction

23rd May – London, O2 Shepherds Bush Empire

News//Tera Melos UK/IRE Tour Dates

This coming May will see the return of the experimental champions Tera Melos to European shores. So make sure you check the dates below and put it in your diary..

fIREHOSE / TERA MELOS 

Apr 5, 2012 - Sacramento, CA (US) @ Harlow’s w/ fIREHOSE & Victims Family
Apr 6, 2012 - Portland, OR (US) @ Doug Fir Lounge 
Apr 7, 2012 - Seattle, WA (US) @ Neumos 
Apr 9, 2012 - Bellingham, WA (US) @ Wild Buffalo House of Music 
Apr 10, 2012 - Eugene, OR (US) @ WOW Hall 
Apr 11, 2012 - San Francisco, CA (US) @ Slim’s 

TERA MELOS - UK/IRELAND 
May 27, 2012 - Brighton,  (UK) @ The Green Door Store
May 28, 2012 - Leicester,  (UK) @ The Cookie Jar
May 29, 2012 - Liverpool,  (UK) @ The Shipping Forecast
May 30, 2012 - Dublin,  (IE) @ Button Factory
May 31, 2012 - Galway,  (IE) @ Roisin Dubh
Jun 01, 2012 - Limerick, LIM (IE) @ The Blind Pig
Jun 02, 2012 - Cornwall,  (UK) @ Live Club
Jun 03, 2012 - Nottingham,  (UK) @ Chameleon Arts Cafe
Jun 04, 2012 - Edinburgh, SL (UK) @ Sneaky Pete’s
Jun 05, 2012 - Leeds,  (UK) @ The Well
Jun 06, 2012 - London,  (UK) @ The Old Blue Last
Jun 07, 2012 - Bristol,  (UK) @ The Fleece
Jun 08, 2012 - Canterbury,  (UK) @ The Farmhouse

Tera Melos Show Details & Updates 

EP Review//Cold Volts – ‘People Noise’

The word punk has been thrown around so much in the past ten years that the genre has become watered down with a variety of impostors, which makes hearing good old-fashioned punk a rare treat. Living in a world that often sees the term “post-punk”, it takes a rare find to convince me that good punk is still being made, somewhere. Turns out this time its being made in Silverlake, the hippest borough of Los Angeles.

Eric Biggerstaff, who plays guitar, bass and fronts the band vocally, is the driving force behind Cold Volts. However, without the superb drumming Dave Freeman the tracks would lack the splashy shine and crisp backbone that the sharp percussion provides.

The two-piece took a few days in November 2011 to put together four songs at Different Fur Studios in San Francisco. Shortly after, they showed it to Brian Flores and Jesse Lopez, owners of a local vinyl & vintage store/barbershop called Franky’s. Turns out Flores and Lopez liked the record so much they asked to release it, and some very limited vinyls will soon be on sale through their label Damaged Records at the multi-purpose shop. 

Appropriately named People Noise, this brief record still manages to be chock full of noise; electronic, cold and fuzzy like the band name promises, but also white hot and circuitous like all good punk should be. With an opening that sounds White Stripes-esque, ‘Dope’ quickly dissolves into a more upbeat, poppy guitar fanfare that Biggerstaff’s voice jumps along with, until, in the final thirty seconds the track devolves again into a love note in lo-fi “I’ll be anything you wish/ I always dreamed I’d go like this.” This type of multi-layering in songs is rarely seen in a debut record and hard to pull off, but it works flawlessly here.

‘Beacoup’ features vocal noise distortion, which is an element I love, especially in more upbeat, instrument-based punk like this record. Once again, the distinct spaces within this song show maturity in both song-writing and music theory that far surpasses a debut record.   

The vocal delivery is perhaps one of the strongest points of this short EP, as the conversationalist tone, talk-sung countdowns and tongue-in-cheek tone create not just another layer to the tracks but a complete personality that is palpable. Four songs is a good taste of what the Cold Volts can do, but this small taste is just enough to irritate my interest as to what kind of noise they’ll put out in the future.

As Biggerstaff plays every instrument except drums, their live show on January 30th at the Silver Lake Lounge could be a little tricky. If you’re in the LA area check them out, if this EP is any indication their live show will be a little raucous and very dancey, not post-punk at all, just solid electric-infused punk.

Get ‘People Noise’ @ www.thecoldvolts.bandcamp.com

Taken from MM Issue 6 - But it HERE

Words by Caitlin White

EP Review // Fish Tank – ‘Henry’

Henry, the new EP from Kent’s Fish Tank, is a frighteningly addictive beast. Each track draws you in with a different kind of intensity, and a listen through leaves you reeling, but with an unnatural urge to do to it all over again.

On the surface, a mix of wondrously heavy surges of the Twin Atlantic kind, and tricky math pop reminiscent of Dananananaykroyd seems like an awkward clash, but it works with uncanny effectiveness.

‘Kakapo’ recalls the devilish intricacy of early Biffy Clyro, and is the kind of song that just makes you want to bellow the lyrics from the depths of a sweaty mosh-pit, or smash out the riffs on a Telecaster. It ends with a hook that Pulled Apart By Horses would be proud of, and is an uncaged beast of a track.

‘Ginny’’s refrain of “this is your life” is insanely catchy and explodes into a math pop chorus which would rival any of Tubelord or Tangled Hair’s whilst ending with a burst of utter brilliance. Shouted vocals meet crushing guitars to create a shattering noise as it feels like about three songs in one, but seamlessly creates a wonderful piece which matches any math rock output I’ve heard in the last year. A standout track.

Henry is a collection of songs that has the capacity to propel Fish Tank to unthinkable heights in 2012. Every time I hear the expansive end of ‘Oliver Postgate’ I’m double the fan of the band that I was when ‘Capybara’ started; this EP keeps on giving. Think Tubelord without Joe Prendergast’s yelps but with all of the explosion and intensity, and then some. And that’s a very nice thing indeed, no? 

Henry is available to download in a ‘pay what you want’ deal on their BANDCAMP

Find the band on Facebook HERE 

Words by Will Richards

Beacons Festival 2012 : A Yorkshire Music Festival

Live Review // Brand New @ Southampton Guildhall

10/02/2012

More than a few eyebrows were raised when Brand New announced a UK Tour for this year. There was no new album to promote, and not even any new songs on the horizon. It all seemed a bit strange. But in reality, what excuse does one of the world’s most consistent and impressive live bands need to come to these shores and play shows?

The Xcerts’ distorted pop opened things up and, by the reaction they received at the end of their half hour set and the huddle of fans around the merch desk at the end of the night, they left with more than a few new fans. ‘Slackerpop’ and opener ‘Do You Feel Safe?’ were real highlights, and the way they were received shows that incessant touring in support slots may be starting to pay off for the Aberdeen-based band. All this on the day they announced the biggest headline show of their career at the Garage in Glasgow in May.

Brooklyn’s I Am The Avalanche came next, and although they write catchy punk tunes and a pocket of fans at the front were going wild for it, after a song or two I could have had a pretty accurate guess on the lyrical content and structure of the rest of the set. “Brooklyn.” “Streets.” “Punk.” All these words crop up too often in IATA’s songs, and it all sounds like a record mogul has googled what an ‘authentic’ punk band should be and created a project on it. It all feels too perfectly crafted to be real, and to evoke any real emotion on my part.

Any scepticism at the lack of new Brand New material on show tonight, and at these run of shows was dispelled as soon as the haunting ‘Welcome To Bangkok’ kicked in and reminded everyone what an incredible back catalogue the band have. Playing what was effectively a 90 minute greatest hits set, they started off with a salvo of songs from the astonishing and now over half a decade old record ‘The Devil & God Raging Inside Me’. I’m pretty sure the bell tower on the Guildhall was shook by some of the sing-alongs in ‘Sowing Season’ and ‘Millstone’, and as Jesse Lacey remarked, the band were shocked and amazed at the response they received after 3 years and counting without any new material.

A trio of the biggest hits from 2003’s Deja Entendu wedged into the middle of the set reminded everyone of arguably the best emo-rock album of the last decade, and the intro of ‘Okay I Believe You, But My Tommy Gun Don’t’, is still one of the most well crafted fuck you’s ever written and sounded as massive as it has ever done. Although some people say the album and its stand out songs have been toured to death, hearing thousands of fans screaming “die young and save yourselves!” back at the band can never be anything but utterly chilling.

Although one or two new songs to give an inclination as to the direction of BN’s new material would have been nice, the fact that they were replaced by classics such as ‘Limousine’ and ‘Soco Amaretto Lime’ ensured that nobody in attendance had cause to whinge.

An astounding 10-minute version of ‘You Won’t Know’ closed the night, ending up with Lacey on his knees shouting into his mic after it slipped and dropped to the floor. A wail of feedback accompanied the band’s departure.

Nobody here had really forgotten about what Brand New are capable of, but this run of shows just increased anticipation for the next album, whenever it may drop.

Album Review//Love Among the Mannequins – ‘Radial Images’

Let’s get this out of the way, Love Among The Mannequins features some big names. Members of Crooked Mountain, Crooked Sea, O You Broken Eyes, and Shoes & Socks Off all come together to release Radial Images. This album is littered with literary references and classical allusions, many of which I’m probably far too ignorant to recognise without a full-day googling session that is, and even that might not suffice.

While you knowledge of the lives and passions of such figures as Nikola Fyodorovich Fyodorov, Arnold Schoenberg or George Robert Price would provide insight into some of the themes, a listener doesn’t need to spend hours dissecting the song titles and lyrics to enjoy Radial Images.

At times a challenging listen, the album is mostly shoegaze punk with intermittent bursts of hardcore sound. As the members are so diverse, the sound of this record is hard to categorize. The record itself is a mixture of instrumental, post-rockesque songs tinged with occasional time-signature changes and weary-sounding, pained vocals. Radial Images is at it’s best when it straddles those two chasms, creating beautifully furious moments whose synergy far surpass the sum of the project’s parts.

However, in contrast to these mixtures of sound, an utterly magnificent moment is the track ‘Marcel Marceau’ which is purely instrumental. A tribute to French mime artist of the same name, it seems suitably that the track is devoid of vocals. Ferocious with riffs and drumming, the piece showcases a harsh elegance in its execution.

Perhaps the record does yield a more satisfying listen with the appropriate literary knowledge as to the references made within the titles and the lyrics, but this certainly is not necessary to recognise it as a musically inventive record, and a wonderful and incredible one at that.

Download ‘Radial Images’ @ www.loveamongthemannequins.bandcamp.com

Taken from MM Issue 6 - But it HERE

Words by Jay Johar