Release Me: Math The Band, Madder Mortem, The Legends

We love new music - almost as much as we love Applebee's.

Math the Band’s Don’t Worry (Slanty Shanty): Ever finished having sex and, amid the haze of post-coital bliss, confided to your partner, “Hey, we should make a record together?” We have yet to confirm whether that’s how Math the Band’s second album, Don’t Worry, came about, but one thing’s for certain: The Los Angeles outfit does consist of two people who are dating each other. Kevin Steinhauser - an admitted in-recovery-fan of ska - mans the guitar, vocals and computer-programming, while lady love Justine Mainville dabbles the synth. So what about all those extra voices you hear throughout the wacky audio safari that is Don’t Worry? Well, they’re Steinhauser’s old college buds, of course. If you dug The Mr. T Experience, I’ll bet you the farm that you’ll dig this too. But fans of math rock shouldn’t be deceived by the band’s name.

Madder Mortem’s Eight Ways (Peaceville): OK, so the boyfriend/girlfriend duo thing isn’t working for you. How about a gang led by a brother/sister duo instead? Madder Mortem are just that, a doomy Norwegian prog-metal band. You might not guess that at first blush, as the first song on their new album, “Formaldehyde,” starts off with chanteuse-y Agnete Kirkevaag coaxing you in over a bed of hushed sounds. But then the brash guitars come in, rupturing the serenity, and pretty soon you’ve slid into a pretty brutal wormhole. But hey, they don’t seem to be burning down churches, so they’re OK in our book.

The Legends‘ Over and Over (Labrador): We dare you to pinpoint a genre for this ever-evolving ensemble. One of the tracks, “Always the Same,” sounds to us like Flying Saucer Attack pummeled the Raveonettes. But why bother with trying to make comparisons when you can enjoy this music for the shot to the heart that it is. God thank Stockholm.

Honorable Mentions:

Cassettes Won’t Listen’s (F)remix (EP; get it free on Wired.com)

Magic Wands‘ Magic, Love & Dreams (EP; Bright Antenna)

Major Lazer’s Guns Don’t Kill People - Lazers Do (Downtown)

Onna - Onna (Holy Mountain)

Rock Plaza Central - … At the Moment of Our Most Needing, or If Only They Could Turn Around, They Would Know They Weren’t Alone (Paper Bag)

Shopping around:

Aquarius Records has some badass limited vinyl by Wooden Shjips and White Hills [http://www.aquariusrecords.org/cat/newest.html] …

Insound has exclusivity privileges over the vinyl version of Grizzly Bear’s Horn of Plenty, due July 15 on Kanine. And they’re sweetening the deal with a bonus MP3. Boo-yah.

Got a new release coming up? Hit me up at kurt@indiepit.com.