Yeah Great Fine hasn’t released any new music for quite some time, and their single release at The Liquor Store on SE Belmont was a perfect snapshot of the articulate, experimental beauty that can only be found in the swells and lulls of math rock. 

Glass Knees played first, drawing the small crowd in with simultaneously melodic and hard-hitting jams, soaring synths blended with highly technical drums and guitar. They closed out their set in a very unique way, by inviting the entire audience to use an assortment of small percussive instruments to play along with the band, which might sound hokey, but made the audience come alive.

By comparison Mothertapes played a much slower set, starting out with exactly what you’d expect from a two-piece: pure rhythm. But as their set progressed they developed lilting melodies that built upon themselves through unexpected guitar effects and vocals. Watching their live show feels very much like watching a scientist discover a new element: every piece is so calculated, so intentional, and symmetrical—everything you crave from an evening of math rock.

Yeah Great Fine closed out the night and the two new tracks they premiered displayed an element of refinement that their previous EP and album lacked. That isn’t to say the new songs aren’t as energetic, but rather, they have focused their energy, which can be hard to do with six members, but somehow, even on the small stage in The Liquor Store basement, they pulled it off, with an air of playfulness that had the entire crowd completely captivated.

Check out Yeah Great Fine’s new singles, “Ketsu” and “Stallion” on Bandcamp. AND, check out Katie Summer's photos of Yeah Great Fine, Mothertapes and Glass Knees from their show Wednesday night at the Liquore store. 

-Sarah Eaton 

The Two Koreas call themselves glacial-garage. I call them pure rips! Their latest EP "LP Winner" kicks off with a straight rockin' title track. You could rock the QEW from Hamilton to Toronto in about 15 minutes with this EP on. You could actually go straight through the Gardiner nonsense and not get caught. The organ that comes in hot near the end of the title track adds a whole different level to an already mind spinning track. The rest of the EP keeps the blood flowing. They're at the Magpie Taproom on Friday. If you can handle some in your face rock n' roll I suggest you go see what The Two Koreas are all about. -Kris “Big City” Gies

It’s been a while since a song happily shocked me with a good screaming section, but local band Breathtaker just did it. This group, of which I had been previously ignorant, submitted their music to us this week, and I put on their newest album Revelations without knowing what to expect. The submission was listed as Indie, the album art suggested maybe something a little avant-garde; only the name seemed a bit more dramatic than most indie groups, but even that, I thought, I could see from some indie groups.

Partway through opener track “Kingsbury,” when I was thinking Breathtaker might be going for a kind-of dreary, melodic indie with a post-rock bent kinda thing (which I was digging, by the way), a wild dissonant note hit and the screaming began . It was actually a little hair-raising in a literal way, after me not expecting it. And that's because it was good screaming, earned and welcome and well-done, exceptionally balanced against the instrumentation and used as one ingredient in the wider paradigm of a well-structured piece of music. I liked it, and the rest of the 11 track album was thought out with equal attention and care if not quite as surprising as that initial screaming shock.

I wouldn’t dream to genre a band differently than they do themselves, but indie here more represents the “independent musicians” definition than it does a sound for Breathtaker, at least in relation to what “indie” bands in Austin typically sound like. If, however, I were to try and describe Breathtaker to one of my high school friends from Amarillo who were into the surprisingly extensive screaming music scene there in the mid 2000s, I’d say that they’re a band that’s on the artsier side of what some people call hardcore, and which some just call emo. That last term is culturally deficient to describe these guys - it is far too broad and I really doubt they use it to refer to themselves at any point - but it does the trick in 2015 to get you in the right mind of what to expect from Breathtaker. If you are or ever were the kind of person who thought that screaming rock music had something awesome to offer (like we do), Breathtaker is a new entry in that particular segment of Music with Screaming. That people keep making interesting things happen with music like this proves that it's a segment that is a powerful space where quality experimentation can occur, and out of which some damn good tracks, like "Kingsbury," can come. Get listening below.

Radio Free Universe struck gold at the Horseshoe Tavern Monday night, putting on a fierce and bold rock n’ roll showcase performance. Stopping you in your tracks with a wickedly large vocal by front man, George Panagopoulos; his voice is layered and carried by pure rock n’ roll sounds. RFU showcased their pre-release single “American Gun” , it’s a huge track that rushes you like a speeding train. It opens with familiar throbbing drum beats that get your boots stompin’, then rolls sweetly into an unforgettable vocal that rips hard to wailing guitars. Stay tuned this Sept for RFU’s EP release of Casa Del Diablo. But you don’t have to wait too long to see them again, Radio Free Universe is playing Friday 4/17 @ This Ain’t Hollywood.

Boston-area blues rockers Molasses Jones have released a new video into the vastness of the Internet and if you know what’s good for you, you’ll watch it, listen to it, and tell all your friends about it. Shot in-studio at Ugly Duck Recording Studios in Allston during the recording of their new single, “Hot & Heavy”, the production quality of both the song and video are extremely well-done. Carried by a ridiculously catchy main riff and strong, smooth vocals from lead singer John Zapato, this song is the perfect soundtrack for a warm-weather BBQ, lounging in your backyard, or cruisin’ down the highway to nowhere in particular.

 For more info about Molasses Jones, check them out here.

-Dan McMahon (@dmcmhn)

Live at Ugly Duck: Molasses Jones - "Hot & Heavy" from Corey Fein on Vimeo.