Math in Words

'Math in Words’ is a fortnightly series tracing the development of math rock through the 90s. In the first installment the focus is on Slint’s 1991 record, Spiderland.

Math rock as a genre largely eludes a definitive exposition; critics generally apply the term when left scratching their heads and finding themselves unable to make comparisons to more familiar styles and structures. Fans are equally ambivalent; any entry on YouTube titled ‘math song’ is more often than not burdened by users commenting on what makes the song distinctively ‘not math’ without offering any elucidation on the subject.  Paradoxically, many of the musicians frequently associated with the genre are as reluctant to accept the term; instead turning it into something of esoteric joke. Writing about individuals who are suspicious of such journalism is just another irony I have to accept as part of this project.

Such frustrations ultimately deny a conventional study of the genre and insist on a more abstract approach. I figure the most logical way to do so would be to have a broad view of the principle characteristics of the bands I will be documenting. These include the use of, but are not limited to: asymmetrical time signatures, idiosyncratic structures, and a privileging of instruments over voice.

In fortnightly installments I hope to assess as chronologically as possible the more accessible records which contributed to the movement whilst still alluding to those which however formative may be considered difficult, or, in some instances, ‘unlistenable’. As tracing the genre through its many antecedents would require a vast, labyrinthine casebook, I’m instead going to focus more specifically on the bands which emerged in the early 90s as I consider this loose collective to be of particular importance when attempting to reach some kind of answer to the question of what math rock is.

To begin unraveling the subject I’ve decided to take a look at Slint’s second and final record, Spiderland. Released in 1991, the record possesses all the hallmarks of what is often considered a truly math rock record: The guitars oscillate between angular rhythms and scratchy riffs, the time signatures are often irregular, and the dynamics shift in a totally unpredictable way. The complexity of each song’s architecture demands total engagement; I tried to listen to it whilst writing this piece and just found myself unable to divide my attention.

Produced by Brian Paulson, the record reflects his raw, live approach to recording which makes for a far more natural sound than the mechanical rigidity of many new rock bands. The production led Steve Albini, the producer of their first effort, Tweeze, to suggest that “The crystalline guitar of Brian McMahan and the glassy, fluid guitar of David Pajo seem to hover in space directly past the listener's nose. The incredibly precise-yet-instinctive drumming has the same range and wallop it would in your living room.”

Released under Chicago’s Touch and Go Records (a self-published zine turned label only ten years prior to Spiderland’s production), Slint joined the indie roster responsible for the likes of Big Black, The Jesus Lizard, and Don Caballero; three bands whose involvement in the progression of math rock is indisputable, not matter who says otherwise.  

Spanning less than forty minutes and totaling only six tracks, the record serves as a veritable model for the genre. Each track is replete with dichotomies: mumbling spoken word narratives to rasping yells, melodic chiming guitars to discordant and distorted stabs, ambient instrumental sections to crowded vocal arrangements. Piero Scaruffi describes them as “masterpieces in rock history… Leveraging from experiments of preceding years, Slint is now completing a more sophisticated search on rhythm and resonance, culminating in an almost transcendental quality”, an accurate statement.

The album artwork is equally unsettling; the members all treading water in black and white, offering what many music journalists may describe as a “brooding extension of the album’s existential angst”. Really it is just a reflection of the band’s autonomy and their investment in every faucet of the record’s production. It may not be your traditional ‘concept album’, but it certainly offers some continuity in everything from artwork, linear notes, and the songs themselves. The band’s self-awareness is evident in the, “this recording is meant to be listened to on vinyl” stickers they included as part of the CD release; it is this kind of engagement with the listener which heightens the intensity and personal feeling of the record.

Whilst truly innovative in more ways than one, the record it is not without its debts. The narratives McMahan delivers in Good Morning, Captain and Breadcrumb Trail are entirely reminiscent of Sonic Youth’s Goo, released only the year before. The guitar arrangements sound at their cleanest to borrow from early Gang of Four records, and at their heaviest, Black Sabbath in drop-tuning.

Spiderland has in more recent years acquired the critical reception it rightly deserves. Whilst largely ignored upon its initial release (which great records aren’t?) it now ranks highly in respected music publications when charting records which actually changed the musical landscape. The band’s limited output of only two records is unfortunate, but no less defining as a consequence. Evidence of Slint’s influence can be seen in the works of JUNE OF 44, Polvo, and Drive like Jehu; three bands credited in equal measure for their involvement on the math rock scene of the 90s. More recent traces can be heard in Mogwai, This Will Destroy You, and 65daysofstatic. As I can think of no conclusion more fitting than that of Steve Albini, I will quote him again here, which is to say, “Play this record and kick yourself if you never got to see them live."

-Oliver Pearson

Cruel Summer, Kanye West and G.O.O.D Music, 9/18

Welcome to the premiere of This Far, a column which I'll be writing every two weeks here on the WRMC blog and moving over to the new website once it airs on the web.  In this column,  I will be reviewing a recently released hip-hop album, with the occasional mixtape thrown in, in an attempt to help you wade through the flood of beats and bars that hit the internet everyday, so that you only listen to the dopest of the dope.  I will be reviewing a range of albums, from the obscure to the mainstream, from the socially-conscious to the Ciroc-and-kush-induced unconsciousness.  If you have any requests, suggestions, complaints or props for This Far, please give me a shout over email, or on Twitter, @LukeAdirondack.

To kick things off, I'm going to be taking a look at Cruel Summer, the long anticipated collabo album coming out of Kanye West's G.O.O.D. (Getting Our Our Dreams) Music label, a subsidiary of Island Def Jam.  Kanye founded the label in 2004 and has been accumulating an increasingly impressive roster of signees ever since.  Cruel Summer, which dropped on Tuesday after several delays, features many of these artists, both producers and rappers, in a posse album whose members seem to have little in common other than thick ol' stacks.

Previously unreleased “To The World” kicks things off (two of the listed producers have the $ symbol as part of their professional names), and, bizarre R. Kelly hook and all, it sets a pretty representative tone for Cruel Summer.  The heavy beat with dramatic swaths of piano and pounding percussion give the track sort of brave new world sound; granted, a world in which the self-proclaimed "God of rap"(Kanye) can compare himself to Francis Ford Coppola and criticize Mitt Romney in the same breath.  This leads into the four big singles, with which most hip-hop followers will already be familiar, "Clique", "Mercy", "New God Flow", and "Cold", with new release "The Morning" thrown in.  As might have been guessed, these four tracks hold as the highlights of the album.  "Clique" overcomes a bit of an obnoxious Big Sean hook with solid verses from Sean, Jay-Z, and 'Ye, as well as a banging, varied beat from the red hot Hit-Boy(of "Niggas in Paris" fame).  "Mercy" reminds why it was unequivocally the official summer jam of 2012. "New God Flow" features great verses from Pusha T, formerly of Clipse, and Ghostface Killah, while Kanye takes self-worship to astronomical new levels.  This trend continues on "Cold", on which Kanye professes his love for Kim Kardashian (the song first leaked in the Spring), and the fact that the two are now together seems to confirm "Cold"'s message: if 'Ye can say it, 'Ye can get it.  Unfortunately, from there the album seriously falls off.  Another great Hit-Boy beat is wasted by The-Dream's horrible hook on "Higher", and mundane, "promised Kanye I would appear on this one" spots by Common and John Legend provide only disappointment.  Low-level G.O.O.D memebers, such as CyHi the Prynce, Teyana Taylor and D'banj bring very little to the table. "The One" provides a bright spot; in fact, it is probably the track on the album that most recalls College Dropout and Late Registration Kanye, both in production, flow, and lyrical content.  Big Sean and 2 Chainz provide good support, especially Chainz, who impresses with a surprisingly reflective verse.  Finally, the posse remix of Chief Keef's "Don't Like" is tacked on, sounding ridiculous after John Legend's, wind-chime laced "Bliss".  Still a banger, but absurdly placed.

However, it feels almost appropriate that Cruel Summer should end with such an ill-fitting song that was clearly included because Kanye and crew like it.  The album is chiefly about self-indulgence, both in its musical choices and in the lifestyle that the music celebrates.  Part of that indulgence is not catering to the expectations of old-school Kanye fans.  The album's heavier beats don't resonate with his early work, nor does the intensely ostentatious boasting.  This is no longer a man lamenting his basket-weaving course.  That, in the end, is the value of Cruel Summer; it represents one of the musical geniuses of our time celebrating the ability to make whatever music he wants, and to put on whomever he wants.  That being said, I wouldn't blame you for standing pat if you've already downloaded the major tracks.  I don't think 'Yeezy will mind.

Best line: “My girl a superstar all from a home movie!”-Kanye, "Clique".

Also worth checking out: Shoot Me or Salute Me 4, Waka Flocka Flame (Mixtape)

Interview with Conduits

I recently had a conversation with Jenna Morrison, lead singer of the Omaha-based band Conduits. We talked about the formation of the hazy, shoegazy quintet, and their debut, self-titled LP, released this past March. We also touched on bringing the raw energy of live performance to the recording studio, and an epic Godspeed You Black Emperor! show.

WRMC: I’ve never been to Omaha, or even Nebraska, but I'm wondering if your hometown had some influence on your sound?

Jenna Morrison of Conduits: Not on the surface. I'm sure there is some influence because we've been around it so much, but our sound is definitely not really like anything else around here. There are a lot of really great bands coming out of Omaha and Lincoln. We definitely strive to be good and seeing musicians playing well and making great music pushes us to do the same.

WRMC: How has your music experience in the past and songwriting in the past influenced what you're doing with Conduits?

JM: I got together with Nate and JJ and… in our general vibe we just instantly meshed. It just came kind of natural to us. That probably sounds kind of cheesy, but really the general vibe of the stuff that I used to write and the stuff we're doing now is kind of the same.

WRMC: It makes total sense that if you found some guys you jived with, that would come into something. Since Omaha's influences didn't necessarily do so much for you, what did you listen to growing up and when you started your musical career? If that's not particularly relevant, who has been relevant as an influence for conduits?

JM: Each band member has different influences, so it’s kind of a hard question to answer. As far as the band goes I would say Spiritualized, My Bloody Valentine, Radiohead. There's quite a few.

WRMC: Have you guys felt like you've learned anything in the process of being on tour and being exposed to other musicians? I’m wondering what you guys have picked up in that process, and if during that process you've realized things that you would like to change from the first album, and how you might like to move forward in the future?

JM: I would say that it definitely helped shape a little bit how we perform live. I think that playing every day has made us all more comfortable with who are and what we do on stage without having to put thought into it. That I feel has been really beneficial. I wish we could play shows every day, all the time, honestly. As far as our sound goes…The way I sing things live and the way I sing on the album sometimes differs a little bit. And that might come out a little bit more in the next album.

WRMC: What exactly is the difference between your voice when you're singing live and on the album? How might that style you have live come out on the next album?  

JM: You probably noticed on the album that there’s a lot of instrumentation on the songs. The band has a tendency to get pretty loud, and sometimes, live, I have to sing louder than I do on the album, just to come across. I think, on the next album, I'd like to have more songs where I'm a little bit less demure, slightly more rock n’ roll.  

WRMC: Interesting to hear how the live shows opened up new avenues for you by virtue of you being forced to sing over your bandmates.

JM: Yeah, out of necessity. I'd like that to come across more in the recordings the next time around.

WRMC: Can you tell me a little bit about your personal background and how that's fed into this music and the part you played in creating this first album. What your role was in the creative process.

JM: I mean for the last, I don't know, I guess probably nine years, I've been playing in bands or singing in bands, mostly backup vocals. Eventually I became a backup vocalist for Son, Ambulance, which I feel opened up a lot of avenues for me. I did that on and off for years, but in-between there were other projects that I worked on and recorded for and wrote for. I don't know, I would either drop the ball, or lose or interest, or something wouldn't vibe well with me and you’d kinda, you know, move on. Nothing really ever stuck for me previous to this band. And then of course I met Nate and JJ and instantly jelled super well with their style and what they wanted to do. It made perfect sense. 

WRMC: What are some landmark bands that helped shape what you wanted your sound to be like.

JM: I remember I went to a Godspeed You Black Emperor! show when I must have been seventeen or something like that. That show really hit me in a certain way. The vibe of the music, the feeling I guess, definitely geared me more towards the type of music that we are making now: stuff that's moody, almost emotional without being like outright lyrically emotional– just kind of powerful music.

Their music is almost droning without actually being droning. I just remember being at this show and kind of feeling completely overtaken by the music.

WRMC: So what are you guys thinking about the future? What's your timeline looking like for this next album, if you have one at this point?

JM: People would like to have a new album out by next summer. I know we'll be recording stuff as soon as possible.

WRMC: It was cool to hear that you had played for so long and it took you finding a couple of guys who were doing the same kind of thing you wanted to do in order to come together and make a full-length album that you're happy with.

JM: It feels really good. I feel really fortunate that I've been able to make music with these guys.

News: Beastie Boys sue energy drink company; irony ensues

When Adam Yauch, aka MCA of the '90s frat-rap icons the Beastie Boys, died earlier this year, he left  a clause in his will prohibiting the use of Beastie Boys songs in advertisements. Now the Boys are suing Monster Energy, a sports drink company, for using 26 Beastie Boys tracks in an advertising campaign this summer. The hip-hop superstars -- whose albums are great but whose legacy has brought disturbingly awful rap-rock acts such as Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, and Papa Roach upon the Earth like a secret, extra-terrible eleventh plague on Egypt/everyone -- want $150,000 in damages for each song. That's $3,900,000 in total! I want in on this. And, yeah, R.I.P. MCA, but let's all just meditate briefly on the irony that this is the same band whose use of a James Newton flute sample on early track "Pass The Mic" precipitated the monumental sea change in music-sampling copyright laws that has established the current legal status quo in the industry. It has allowed us all to enjoy, among other things: homemade remixes and mashups via YouTube, MySpace, and SoundCloud (such as "Toxic In The Deep", surely the most important thing you'll hear this year); Avalanches' Since I Left You; and that amazing part in Girl Talk's "Smash Your Head" where Biggie raps "Juicy" from beyond the grave over the instrumental part from Elton John's "Tiny Dancer"...not to mention every other part of every Girl Talk song, ever. Oh me oh my,  how things done changed. Who's rhymin' and stealin' now?

Delicate Steve plays Burlington TONIGHT

Hello all,

Sorry for the late notice, BUT if you're in Vermont, great news -- so is perennial WRMC fave Delicate Steve (above)! He's playing Signal Kitchen (71 Main St. in Burlington) tonight at 9:30, in support of his new album Positive Force, which is on Rotation currently here at the station. Tickets: $10. Gas: More per gallon than it should be. Delicate Steve: priceless! See you there.

Sincerely,
You-Know-Who

Breaking news: "Snoop Dogg changes name to Snoop Lion, says he is Bob Marley reincarnated"

Normally I'd not repost anything from Fox News because they are generally awful, but...oh my, WRMC community, oh my. Read this article right now. That is all. Wowowowowowoww.

DON'T WORRY GUYS THERE IS A COFFEE TABLE BOOK IN THE WORKS

Moscow feminist punk band Pussy Riot on trial for being total BAMFs

The riot-grrrl-influenced Moscow feminist punk band, Pussy Riot, have been longtime anti-Putin (above, heeeeyyy) activists. Today, three of the band's members go on trial for charges of hooliganism, facing up to seven years in jail each. Why were they arrested? Probably has something to do with standing outside the famous Moscow Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, leading a crowd in an obscenity-filled prayer to the Virgin Mary, pleading for Putin's deposition. Whoops! Russian intellectuals and artists the nation over have taken up protesting the treatment of Pussy Riot, whose plight has become emblematic of the anti-Putin movement's fate in general. Also on board are Madonna, Sting (yesss), Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Franz Ferdinand, who were critical of the government's reaction to Pussy Riot during live performances in Moscow recently. And Amnesty International's all up in Russia's face about it, too, which is probably good news for Pussy Riot -- though we'll have to see how the trial pans out to be sure. Read more at Variety, and listen to the notorious prayer below, via Youtube. Listen up, Virgin Mary!

Also...incredible band name. Just saying.

Animal Collective Radio goes live...TONIGHT

In partnership with the Creators Project (who can do no wrong!) and their label Domino Records, Animal Collective are for a limited time hosting the aptly named Animal Collective Radio, featuring DJ sets from the four band members: Panda Bear, Avey Tare, Deakin, and Geologist -- all of whom, might I remind you, are very well-versed in pop, folk, dance, dub, reggae, ambient, classical, punk, '90s alt-rock, vintage indie pop, R&B, out-music, kosmische, you name it and it's influenced Animal Collective (please don't antagonistically test this claim on me, it is mere rhetorical hyperbole and deep down inside you know it). Panda Bear's manning the booth the first episode which streams live TONIGHT at 9 pm at their website (click here for a direct link to Animal Collective Radio). Don't miss this! Are you psyched? I'm pretty psyched. The series concludes upon the September release of Animal Collective's new album, Centipede Hz, for which I don't need to ask if you're psyched.

UPDATE: Panda Bear premiered a Centipede Hz track last night on Animal Collective Radio -- it's called "Today's Supernatural" and you can hear it on Pitchfork now!

Read this: Scientists Confirm That Pop Music Is Louder And More Boring Than Ever Before

So, it's official. A large-scale scientific analysis of thousands of popular songs from 1955 to the present has confirmed that songs charting on the Billboard Top 200 in the current decade contain more overlap between instrumentation, recording production, lyrical content, and melody than ever before -- in other words, apparently your parents are right: Top 40 really does all sound the same! And remember, chart pop has been trending towards breadth for a long time now -- including house, post-dubstep, pop-rock, hip-hop, and R&B as major subgenres -- but it turns out that these are just disguises for the same damn song. What's more, the mixing on chart pop is ubiquitously louder than ever before. It's not that people are turning their volume up higher; they don't need to anymore, because the music just is louder. Yes, we all already knew pop music was a market commodity designed to move records (er, downloads), but this study is pretty disheartening nonetheless, as it reveals just how unsophisticated our collective tastes have become -- and how easily we can be duped into falling for songs that are identical in so many respects. Oh, and we're all going deaf. Yikes! Read the full report over at Reuters.

In related news, tune into "Not Guilty," WRMC's only all Top 40, all the time radio show, every Tuesday from 10 to 11 pm, all summer long!

Download: Crystal Castles' new single, "Plague"

The antagonistic, melancholy, forever strobe-lit NYC electro duo Crystal Castles are back with a new 7" single, "Plague" (that's the New Order-indebted cover art below). It's presumably from their upcoming album, which follows 2010's acclaimed self-titled sophomore effort. "Plague" is Crystal Castles in top form: Ethan Kath layers looped monster-movie moans, a church choir sample a la Salem's "King Night", feedback-swathed guitars, and ever-crescendoing nu-rave synth riffs; meanwhile, perpetually terrifying vocalist Alice Glass alternates between her lovely soft coo and hysterically bellowing, "I am the plague!" Yikes -- batten down the hatches, readers! While the band has often imitated the sound of haywire air-raid sirens in the past (see: "Baptism"), "Plague" is probably the first of their songs both massive and menacing enough to trigger a few sirens itself. Listen to and download "Plague" over at the band's SoundCloud now.