Look, it might seem impossible to impress your nerdy math rock friends with music knowledge, but it’s not. In fact, I want to help you with some album recommendations.
Math rock is a genre with a complex reputation. It has roots in bands like King Crimson and Yes, which sounds kind of wild when you hear modern math rock. Then there’s the fact that many math rock bands flat-out reject the classification.
Still, the fans are very dedicated, and if you want to prove you’ve got a little knowledge of the sounds, these are the four albums I recommend you get familiar with.
‘Ruin Everything!’ by We Versus The Shark
Hailing from Athens, Georgia—just outside of Hotlanta—We Versus The Shark is a math rock band I feel is terribly underrated. They formed in the early 2000s and have put out several albums and EPs over the past two decades.
The band plays a version of math rock that’s kind of chaotically grungy, but no less melodic. Start at the beginning, though, with their debut record, Ruin Everything! It’s a deep cut, but it’s still pretty accessible.
‘Autumn of the Seraphs’ by Pinback
Pinback is not exclusively a “math rock” band. They’re indie rock, and they’re a very important and formidable indie rock band. You should definitely listen to their early stuff, regardless of this list.
But, for the sake of the list, I’m recommending you check out their 2007 record Autumn of the Seraphs. It’s, by far, their most math rock project. It’s got that complex timing, lovely melodies, and a fair use of fuzzy guitar tone. Also, refreshingly rhythmic.
‘What Burns Never Returns’ by Don Caballero
Don Caballero were groundbreaking for math rock. The (mostly) instrumental band formed in Pittsburgh in the early 90s and had a major impact on the genre, as well as indie rock overall.
Their first couple of albums are really good, but the concentrated version of their sound really comes from the third record, What Burns Never Returns. It’s quirky and off-time and paced so curiously.
Honestly, it makes a great soundtrack. I was jamming this the other day while driving through town running errands, and it just gave me so much Main Character energy. The cinematic qualities are palpable.
‘The Book About My Idle Plot on a Vague Anxiety’ by toe
There has long been a huge math rock scene in Asia, with the Japanese band Toe (or toe) being one of the more prominent acts.
What really stands out about toe is how they utilize emo elements. There is a lot from the emo musical blueprint that shows up in math rock. Particularly in guitar parts and melodies. Toe has that, but they emphasize it in a way that almost hides the math rock. Pretty soon, you’re listening to some of the best math rock ever written, and you didn’t even know it.
You should roll through toe’s entire discography at some point, but until you get there, start with their 2005 debut, The Book About My Idle Plot on a Vague Anxiety. It’s a masterpiece.
Photo by Gie Knaeps/Getty Images
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