Band: MAPS AND ATLASES
Genres: Rock / Math Rock / Post Rock / Indie Rock / Alternative / Classic Rock / Experimental / ProgRelated artists: Cast Spells.
Country: Chicago, Illinois USA
Years Active: 2004-present
Song: "Big Bopper Anthems"
Album: "Tree, Swallows, Houses"
Year: 2007
For fans of: This Town Needs Guns, Radiohead, Neutral Milk Hotel, Modest Mouse, Q And Not U, Joanna Newsom, Minus The Bear, The Reptilian, The Exploration, Riddle Of Steel, Maroon 5, American Football, No Knife, Piglet, Wishbone Ash and Native.
Label(s): Sargent House / FatCat Records / Barsuk Records / Daytrotter / Sans-Culotte / Friction Records
This post's artist is from the March 2016 Mix. This is track #4.
This post's artist is from the March 2016 Mix. This is track #4.
Math rock bands tend to follow a formula over time:
1 - form band
2 - evolve
3 - make killer mathy records
4 - chill out, stop making mathy records, sip iced tea
And thus, this is also the story of MAPS AND ATLASES, who are certainly a peculiar band. The weird mixture of math rock and...what are those classic rock vocals? resemble epoxy and in a way are quite odd but can work out extremely well for the band. I'll be honest, if it wasn't for "Big Bopper Anthems" this review probably wouldn't even be happening. That song is fucking amazing. Clocking in at 4:42, the entire song flies around like a swarm of acid-tripping hummingbirds (think This Town Needs Guns on speed), with an exceptional shift at the 2:41 mark that gets me more amped than 99% of math rock songs. Such a great song and definitely the band's best outing in their 10+ year existence.
I haven't heard all of the releases because they seem to be rather difficult to find online as the MAPS & ATLASES bandcamp page but after 'Tree, Swallows, Houses' they seriously hit the snooze button. I like some of the later material, especially "Witch" (the first song by the band I ever heard) and "Solid Ground" (from the 2010 'Perch Patchwork' LP) but the intensity and dizzying guitars are gone, especially from what I've heard from the 'Audiotree Live' session. I understand bands evolve, this just wasn't an evolution that benefited Dave.
Meh. The band has a few exceptional tracks but for the most part the material is passable unless you love the shit out of the tracks I've already posted.
________________________________________
DISCOGRAPHY
Click )==>here<==( to download the 2004-2010 releases in mp3 form.
Click )==>here<==( to download the 2004-2010 releases in mp3 form.
2004 - Bird Barnyard EP
2007 - Tree, Swallows, Houses cd/12"EP
2009 - You And Me And The Mountain cd/12"EP
2010 - Perch Patchwork cd/12"LP
2012 - Beware and Be Grateful cd/12"LP
2013 - Daytrotter Sessions Presents No. 5 (split w/White Denim) 12"LP
2015 - Audiotree Live digitalEP (stream/buy here)
________________________________________
(2007) MAPS AND ATLASES - "Big Bopper Anthems" (from 'Tree, Swallows, Houses')
(2007) MAPS AND ATLASES - "Stories About Ourselves" (from 'Tree, Swallows, Houses')
(2008) MAPS AND ATLASES - "Witch" (from 'You and Me and the Mountain')
(2010) MAPS AND ATLASES - "Solid Ground" (from 'Perch Patchwork') official music video
(2010) MAPS AND ATLASES - "Living Decorations" (from 'Perch Patchwork') official music video
(2010) MAPS AND ATLASES - "Fever" (from 'Beware and Be Grateful') official music video
________________________________________
MAPS AND ATLASES 2004-2010 mp3 discography download / additional links
________________________________________
No comments:
Post a Comment