cyberinsekt

Some math rock goodness for you today.

The phenomenon known as math rock arose in the '90s. Rock bands wanted to get back to playing about with complex, mutating time signatures. It was something that had barely been done in the previous two decades, but unfortunately carried with the baggage of prog. At the time, prog rock had not been culturally rehabilitated, and most bands tried to avoid reminding people of it. One way they could do that was to plug in the distorion and overdrive pedals, and voila, instant metal.

After three albums featuring axe hero guitar playing, Don Cabellero's American Don came as a major departure. Released in 2000, it seemed to be entirely free of fx pedals. It was as if a pool of water had suddenly cleared and we could hear what was happening beneath the surface. What was happening was very fine indeed. Amidst the clean and the clatter, sometimes the music would swing like jazz. The band would lock themselves into grooves which seemed inescapable. The guitar playing of Ian Williams would take on a distinctly African feel, sometimes it almost sounded as if he was playing blues licks. In the spirit of "show, don't tell" here's Details On How To Get ICEMAN On Your Licence Plate: great stuff.

Don Caballero - Details On How To Get ICEMAN On Your Licence Plate