Music

Below are some bands that I'm into at the moment.  Some are new favorites.  Others are old stuff I can't put down right now.  Or bands with new albums I've recently purchased.  The bands and the babbling about them will change as often as I get the chance to update this page.

• tricot:  One of my faves.  A mathy rock band that has pop rock qualities.  The reason I mention them again, though, is that they have been posting videos of their writing process on their YouTube channel.  So cool to see how it all starts coming together.  And I can't wait for a new album!  Check out my page on them for more links.  

• Musical Mathematics:  Not a band.  I think it was a Zine in Great Britain.  Regardless, they put out 9 (!) compilations of math-rock-ish stuff.  That genre in my head is more psychedelic than this stuff, but still, I'm loving these compilations.  They have a number of bands I already know, but so much more to explore!!!  😁😁😁

• TotorRo:  Another wow!  More mathy stuff.  Some might say, oh, it all sounds the same (both TotorRo themselves, and all mathy stuff).  But I'd think the commenters, not TotorRo, are missing pieces.  I'm not sure they are going first circle, but I really like these folks.   Only thing I can say right now besides they fit me is they are from France.  

• 88Kasyo Junrei:  Sometimes the YouTube algorithm works.  The genres from Wikipedia are pretty accurate.  I'd add experimental because they vary in genre across songs and within songs.  I keep listening and need to listen more.  Finding their entire catalog is a bit hard.  They have a bunch of different YouTube channels:  20110818PPR, 20120808ppr, 20140808ppr, hachijyuhakkasyojyunnrei.  On discogs.com.  With Amazon Music you can't buy all the albums/tracks in the US.  ☹️  Read more on Wikipedia.

• Soulfly:  They released a new album recently.  Still digesting it.  No standout tracks on the first few listens, but nicely hard-hitting.

• The Sound of Animals Fighting:   They released a new album: The Maiden.  So far the songs are more consistent - a few I'm enjoying.  So far none are as big hits as some of their other stuff.

• La Sécurité:   My sister turned me on to these folks from Canada.  They are labeled art punk or no-wave.  They've got an interesting mix of patterns that are smooth and off-kilter at the same time.  And they aren't mathy!  😮😁

• Aburina Town (炙りなタウン):  They finally released some music in the US!  Check out both Wakamonotachi (The Young People) and Kusomonotachi (The Bastards).

• Wet Leg:  These folks won a Grammy!  That "contest" is always "interesting", but I do think Wet Leg are pretty cool.  I'm usually not into indie rock bands, but they have an interesting sound.  First a duo, then a full band, they sound how they want.  The paintings I like are usually ones that say a lot while being subtle.  I wouldn't say that Wet Leg is subtle, but their music says more than it seems at first.  They also have a way to layer two things that seem different in a cohesive/coherent way.  Something that I like a lot.  Perhaps more importantly, they are fun and don't take themselves too seriously.  Wikipedia, Bandcamp, Discogs, Amazon, YouTube

In Rio's life that is.  :-P   This is stuff that is on my playlists right now.  Either I'm just getting to know them or they've recently resurfaced.  More will come and some will go.

• Russian Circles:  I found these folks listening to a bandcamp.com show.  They are a post-metal / post-hardcore type outfit.  Looking into them a bit deeper, they have Brian Cook, ex-Botch bass player.  So no wonder I like them.

• Banshimoku (板歯目):  I don't usually put much into the algorithm from YouTube.  But I still take a listen to some suggestions.  The first few tracks from these folks were okay.  But then I listened to バトルカメ (translated to Battle Turtle).  That one won me over, and I decided to put them into a rotation instead of just exploration.

• Laden:  I was listening to something on bandcamp.com, and Laden was at the bottom under "you may also like".  Bandcamp is really good at connecting bands in non-surface nor paid-promotion ways.  Anyways, this is a one-man post-metal project from Seattle, Washington.  The songs are instrumental, very ambient/atmospheric with a doom-ish kinda feel.  I've always loved watching thunderstorms; they are majestic, intense, but not frenetic.  This fits Laden.

• Weights And Measures:  Another mathy band that the more I listen, the more I like.  Sometimes some of their sound is a bit "off kilter".  But it's done in an almost mesmerizing way.  

• Hey Satan:  I forget how I found out about Weedian, and I'm not even sure what Weedian is.  I'll admit that the compilations get very samey in many ways.  One track that stuck out was The Monster by Hey Satan.  The more I listened, the more I kept working my way through their collection.

• 100 Onces: First read about them in the reddit.com thread. Found some albums on bandcamp.com. For some reason, their albums are not linked to one page. As is typical of the genre at large, some songs are way out there.  I do like a mix of accessible and heady esoteric; some songs are really cool. And I hate to say it, but I'm listening because all three of their albums are really cheap.

• The Galactic Cowboy Orchestra:  A friend sent me this band.  Self-described as "an Art-Rock/Jazz-Fusion band that started back in 2009 to make music that challenges us — complex, spontaneous", which fits.  Favorite track so far is "Fish of a Feather".

• Oxes:  I found these guys mentioned in a reddit thread about punky-mathy rock.  A lot of bands listed that I'm working through, but I like them.  I'm not sure why I bought their album on Amazon.  Maybe it was mind control, maybe it was they're from Baltimore, or maybe it was the cool tracks.

• Saosin:  They are only remotely related to The Sound of Animals Fighting; Anthony Green is a past member (also Circa Survive & other bands). The live album sounds like it features Anthony Green. I'm liking the tracks on bandcamp.com. It is nothing groundbreaking, but kinda like comfort food. During the show, one member self-described them as "In Flames meets Blindside meets Third Eye Blind". Blindside is okay, though I don't listen to them much; I'm not crazy about Third Eye Blind, and I don't know In Flames at all. I'll listen a bit more and then decide if I find more tracks/albums.

• In Flames:  First heard of them while reading this article; the memorable quote was that Strauss equates In Flames to her own Beatles.  Then on a Saosin live album, which came from The Sound of Animals Fighting, they mention sounding like a cross between In Flames, Blindside, and Third Eye Blind.  They are an interesting mix of sub-metal genres; using djent techniques sometimes, sometimes proggy, sometimes power-metal, sometimes just plain kick-ass metal/rock.  I'll keep listening:  bandcamp #1, bandcamp #2; also YouTube.

• Atomic Rule:  Guys from Converge talk about stuff they've been listening to:  "[...] more like an art project than a traditional band [...] multi-layered, emotional, hooky, heavy, and more importantly, it’s memorable. It doesn’t just go by in a buzzsaw and disappear—it stays with you. That comes from quality songwriting. The craft is great, the performances are fantastic, and it just feels genuine and beautiful.”  I do find myself listening, drifting away, going back and listening some more.  Perhaps, slowly burning a hole in my brain.

• Ling Tosite Sigure (凛として時雨):  A very mathy band from Japan.  Each of their songs seems like I love it and find it annoying at the same time.  I love the frenetic qualities and the mathy qualities.  It might be the unfamiliarity that pushes me away from the songs.  But they are very interesting.  Some qualities, especially tonal ones, are like Hella.  I'll keep listening; something compels me!  😂

• The Amsterdam Red Light District:  Music-map.com from Marmozets, one track on bandcamp.com was free and cool. Though I don't get the connection the Marmozets, I've been listening on and off for a while.

• The Dogs:  So many bands named The Dogs, many are considered punk, and many are from the US.  Trying to find this particular band is another result of the origins of punk conversation with my SO.

• The Monks:  Folks from 1964 that did stuff waaaay ahead of their time.  Sometimes described as the "anti-Beatles".  Another result of the origins of punk conversation with my SO.  One link on bandcamp.com.

• The Fall Of Troy:  First read about them in the reddit.com thread. Someone reviewing Angine de Poitrine also mentioned them.  Found some albums on bandcamp.com. And I admit I bought them because I could buy some of their discography on bandcamp.com for not that much. They have other albums out, and they are also on YouTube.  I've been listening to all their stuff pretty regularly now.

• The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza:  Co-worker was playing them, and my ears perked up.  Rather annoying that they are somewhat hard to find.  Like 3 different bands on Amazon?  Stupid Music Labels!

• Zuno Keisatsu (頭脳警察):  After a conversation with my SO, I started to explore the origins of punk.  I've never heard of these folks, and I'm sorta on a Japanese music kick anyway.  YouTube link.

• Hum:  I used to listen to these guys a lot more in college and just out of college.  They released the Inlet album in 2020, about 12 years after their last album.  Pretty good though, I'm digging it.  My sister also got me the Centaurs album/project from Matt Talbott.  The story behind it is he and his wife lost their child shortly after birth.  Haunting and beautiful.  

• Black Sky Giant:  My sister gave me an album from Bandcamp.com.  Really cool heavy psychedelic/jam rock.  I wound up buying their whole catalog.  Like Elder to me; in genre as well as it is hard to land on a favorite track.  

• Vivra Vera:  A local Boston band to watch out for.  If they refine/smooth out their sound, I think they could "go somewhere".  

• Lysistrata:  They were on KEXP, and they grabbed my attention.  Another sound right out of 90's alternative, but with a modern twist.  Or maybe that twist is that they are from France.  Anyways, enjoying listening to them.

• Bloodywood:  An Indian metal band that has partnered with HopeTherapy and released songs about fighting depression and bullying.  Oh, and the music is pretty cool.  I found them from two collabs with Babymetal. I especially like the Gaddaar track off of Rakshak.  My SO says she can definitely hear the Bhangra influence.  Bandcamp.com, YouTube

• Love Among The Mannequins:  I first wanted to check them out because they were related to Meet Me In St. Louis.  Tobias Hayes, from MMISL, left.  But still, I'm checking them out.  

• Unwound:  I haven't thought about these guys since college; thank god a friend from college brought them up!  And what an idiot I am for forgetting about them!  They are reminiscent of that nebulous idea in my head.  I'm not sure they are firmly in that genre, but it's time to work through their catalog!

• Portion Control:  This group is an industrial band that I heard when a colleague was listening to Sirius XM.  They definitely piqued my interest, and bandcamp.com had their entire catalog on sale.  Working my way through.

• TesseracT:  They were already on my list from that area of prog metal that is called djent.  Though djent is more of a guitar technique, ask Misha Mansoor from Periphery.  After reading that same article about Marty Friedman, I found out he played on the track from TesseracT.  They've fallen off the active list a bit, but I still listen to them occasionally.

• Gouge Away:  I forget where I got these quotes.  "hardcore album and a post-hardcore album all at once" and "expansive moments that owe as much to Sonic Youth as they do to The Jesus Lizard".  That sounds great.  I'm still listening, but I'm not going back to them constantly.  

• Dead Confederate:  Found them on KEXP, all separate tracks from multiple showings, I think.  They haven't done anything recently.  Pretty cool stuff requiring more listening.

• The Groundhogs:  I read this article with the following quote:  "cult 70s album that fused progressive rock and the blues [...] mad scientist, wresting ever-weirder noises from his hand-built amps and instruments" - So, well, yeah!

• Jolly:  {commentary to come}

• GEL:  {commentary to come}

• Have Heart:  {commentary to come}

• Shellac:  {commentary to come}

• After The Burial:  {commentary to come}

• Eastern Pine:  {commentary to come}

• Pixel Grip:  

• Antone’s 50th Allstars:  

• Guthrie Govan

• i Häxa:  

• Nova Twins

• ph0silkpunk

• Bambi Thug:  {commentary to come}

• Chiodos:  {commentary to come}

• Circuit Preacher

• Giraffes? Giraffes!

• Crumb

• Your Spirit Dies

• Dazzling Killmen

• Deadguy

• Eric Bingham

• Flower Travellin' Band

• Butterglove

• Giant Squid

• honeyhoney

• Mr. Joseph & Illmatika

• False Advertising

• Keelhaul

• Knut

• Circuit Preacher:    {commentary to come}

• Alignment:    {commentary to come}

• Joyhauser:    {commentary to come}

• OLTH:    {commentary to come}

• Floater

• P.H.0:    {commentary to come}

• Noise Unit:    {commentary to come}

• U-Men

• 嘘とカメレオン (lie and a chameleon)

• School of Seven Bells

• Night Swimming

• Marcin Patrzalek

• The Melting Minds

• Mass of the Fermenting Dregs

• Abronia

• Emily Haines

• False Reality

• Forlorn

• Green Milk From The Planet Orange

• MDFMK

• Neutral Milk Hotel

• Pupil Slicer

• SeeYouSpaceCowboy

• Sonny Rollins

• The Rat Utopia Experiment

I used to keep a separate list.  But it got way too long.  Now all the stuff I've heard about or I want to check out is on this spreadsheet.  The point numbers are bands I have but haven't loaded yet.  There is also my wishlist on bandcamp.com; it has bands that I've come across that it was too inconvenient to put into the spreadsheet.

That's absolutely just a joke!  These artists are not falling off my playlists, so I'd guess the opposite!  They may have been new to me or just released an album.  Either way, I'm not planning to stop listening anytime soon.  I just have to keep the shout-out to them.  😁

• Angine de Poitrine:  They are perhaps the quickest band I've put in my first circle.  Groovy, psychedelic, interwoven patterns done with live loops, odd time signatures and microtones.  What's not to love?!?!?

• tricot:  A recent band that I put in my first circle.  I will shout about them all I can!  Wonderful math-rock music with amazing vocals.  

• sleepmakeswaves:  Swirling sounds on Audiotree Live (twice!) were really cool.  In their interview, they mentioned their approach and bands; I like what they said.  They had their entire catalog on sale, and I couldn't resist.  I do need to write more about them!  Discogs, YouTube, Wikipedia

• Elder:  I took them out of this section.  And had a good bout of listening to them.  So I decided to put them back.  It's still hard to land on specific tracks, but I really do dig them.  Good psychedelic, prog-y, groovy, doomy metal music.  

What, favorites aren't first?  And not a simple list?  I guess the journey is as important as the destination.  That, and you don't know me well.  😜

I do put artists/groups into Circles; it is different "levels" of liking bands. There are a ton of artists that I listen to regularly.  A lot of different qualities influence where things land too.  I can't say I have a favorite mood.  And my brain is stimulated by many things in addition to causing different kinds/qualities of pleasure.  Now you know why lists might seem quite extensive. 

Check out the Circles lists for more bands and how they fit into my listening habits.  Below are bands that I've found on my journey since starting these pages.  I wouldn't read too much into the year; you don't know when I first started listening!  I'm now listing them alphabetically for ease.

2026:  Angine de Poitrine, Elephant Gym, Frankie And The Witch Fingers, Lines Across Maps, SubRosa

2025: Acid Bath, American Draft, Anciients, BALTHVS, Botch, Chat Pile, Dark Angel, Die Spitz, Elder, Fin Del Mundo, The Galactic Cowboy Orchestra, Gospel, Marmozets, Ningen Isu, Otoboke Beaver, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Rocket, The Sounds Of Animals Fighting, tricot, Zozobra

2024: 1349, 3TEETH, Aburina Town, Babymetal, By the End of Tonight, David Bowie, Concertina, Human Impact, Into It. Over It., Daniel Johnston, Killer Be Killed, Nailbomb, Open City, Riverside (from Poland), Shai Hulud, Sleep Token, Joseph Spence, TTNG (This Town Needs Guns), Three Days Grace

2023:  Al-Namrood, Ataxia, Atic, Covet, Crown Lands, Hail The Sun, Nuclear Assault, Punch Face Champions, Soulfly, Stuck In November, Tomb Mold, Tubelord

There is just so much music on YouTube.  So I have playlists on my YouTube channel, mostly for exploring.  I recently cleaned up stuff.  There is still the Circle 1 - Tracks playlist; songs are sparse, I will eventually load it.  

There is also a random stuff playlist with stuff from YouTube's (often horrible) algorithm or when it's easy for me to keep track of other suggestions.   

You might find some other lists of bands I'm checking out.  

There are a few artists that I can't decide which circle they are in.  They aren't in high rotation, but I'm not so actively listening to them.  So I don't want to forget.  Eventually, they'll settle in my mind enough, but not quite yet.

Zozobra, Anciients, Gospel, Ningen Isu, Otoboke Beaver, The Galactic Cowboy Orchestra, HANABIE.,