Cccome?, Maneuvers, and Amadis - 242 main - 1/28

We've mentioned Maneuvers and Amadis before, but not cccome?. We had run across them in our spidery interweb music quests, but the mp3s we found were lackluster and didn't seem promising.
Enter the live show.
The mandolin player cranked the gain and just shredded it to bits, with RATM style riffs interspersed between solos. One of the coolest, most original things I've seen here.
The vocalist used his voice like an instrument and his harmonica like a voice. He had a great stage presence too, like he was playing from another world.

Act 2 was the Maneuvers. They put on a stunning display of alt-punk power. Their songs have a complexity that breathes new life into their style, but remain incredibly catchy.
I purchased their new EP and highly recommend it, but definitely go see these guys play if you can- the recordings just cant capture the energy I saw last week.

Amadis played like it was the 70's all over again. Leather, shredding, and flying v's...
I wasn't able to attend their entire set, but what I did see was full metal. I gotta say, Vermont having an old school metal band is pretty awesome.

Myspaces-
Amadis
Cccome?
Maneuvers

Combatwoundedveteran

Combatwoundedveteran was an experimental hardcore band. They condense breakneck tempos, buzzing guitars, and the throat-destroying screams of two vocalists into a wall of intense noise. And they do this all in under two minutes per song. They broke up in 2003.

Recommended Albums:
This Is Not An Erect, All-Red Neon Body

CWV on No Idea Records
Official Myspace
CWV live
More CWV live

Circle Takes The Square

Circle Takes The Square is a modern screamo band. They use rather technical song structures to back up their intensity, with complex guitar, bass, and drum parts. They also use a very cool male/female dual vocalist style, and intricate lyrics. They work with Robotic Empire, who have some other good stuff out.
CTTS came to 242 Main over the summer, but I missed it. Hopefully they'll pay us another visit in the future.

Recommended Albums:
s/t
As The Roots Undo

Official Website
Official Myspace
CTTS live
More CTTS live

Crass

Crass was an English punk band, and one of the pioneers of anarcho-punk. They were based around the anarchist community Dial House in Essex. They rejected the consumerism, capitalism, and violence of mainstream society, and instead promoted DIY, anarchism, and peace. Crass was a huge influence on the leftists/anarchist politics found in much of modern punk. Crass broke out of the previous rock paradigm, using spoken word and experimental improvisation on some tracks. They also integrated performance art and multimedia into their approach. They started Crass Records, which released albums by other anarchist bands. Throughout their career, the group stated an intention to dissolve in 1984, which they did. The members went on to continue in music, go to art school, and participate in performance art, among other things. Penny Rimbaud and Gee Vaucher bought Dial House, to ensure that its tradition continued. In 2002, many of the ex-members collaborated as a group that has been known as The Crass Collective, Crass Agenda, or most recently Last Amendment. This group puts on many different types of work, from poetry readings, to performing Crass songs. The legacy of Crass lives on.

Recommended Albums:
The Feeding of the 5000
Stations of the Crass
Yes Sir, I Will

Unofficial Myspace
Crass live (Live footage of Crass is pretty fucking rare stuff. You'd better appreciate it.)

Earth

Earth is a band that has played many styles of music in their career. They are most famous for being pioneers of the drone doom genre. They have had massive influence on the bands that followed them is this genre, such as Sunn 0))) and Teeth of Lions Rule The Divine. Ex-members of Earth have gone on to participate in other metal bands in similar styles such as Thrones and Khanate.
However, Earth's musical style has evolved over their career. Their new music has turned away from the focus on drones, and incorporated eclectic influences and clean tone. By now, I might even go so far as to classify them as post-metal, or just general experimental. Throughout the changes in their style, they've maintained consistently high quality, and kept producing good music.

Recommended Albums:
That's difficult to say, because of their musical evolution. I guess I would suggest a couple releases to cover the different sounds.
Earth 2
Pentastar
Hex

Official Website
Official Myspace
Some mp3s are up on Southern Lord ( who rock, by the way)
Earth live

The Cancer Conspiracy

The Cancer Conspiracy was a Burlington, Vermont instrumental prog band. The band was composed of veterans of the local music scene who wanted to try a new musical direction. Their music is jazz and math-rock influenced. It's really excellent stuff for any fans of progressive music. They broke up in 2003, and their members have gone on to participate in other good bands musical entities. In particular, Daryl Rabidoux went on to work for Strangeways Recording, who have produced some really high-quality music. Their label collapsed in 2004, leaving their final album in a state of copyright limbo. However, they have finally obtained the rights, and this album, Omega, should be released on January 29!

Recommended Albums:
The Audio Medium
Omega

Official Myspace
There are some mp3s up at their new label Radar
Their Epitonic page

Song of Zarathustra

Song of Zarathustra is a hardcore band that formed in 1997. Aside from their radical music, odd meters, and intense vocals, they used keyboards and electronics to supplement their sound. Their chaotic, cathartic brand of noise is definitely worth a listen, if you're into this genre. From what I've seen, their live stuff is even better than their recorded stuff. It's got a more raw, real sound. I believe they've broken up though, and I've found it difficult to find live footage or recordings. If you have any info, I'd be glad to hear it.

Recommended Albums:
The Birth of Tragedy

Myspace
Some pictures of a live performance
Their Epitonic page
Some mp3s are available on Troubleman (who rock)
With Hands That Bleed live

Harvey Milk

Harvey Milk is an experimental band from Athens, Georgia. Their music is difficult to define. They generally play heavy riffs at a plodding speed, interspersed with soft acoustic passages. They use some odd instrumentation, odd sound, and strange rhythms. The track "Pinnochio's Example" (available on on of the links) is a very good example of these elements. Their first two albums follow this general formula. They released one album that is not in this genre, 1997's The Pleaser, which is blues-rock and completely different from their other music. They broke up in 98, but reformed in 2006. Their albums used to be really hard to find, but Relapse Records (who kick ass) has rereleased their stuff.

Recommended Albums:
Courtesy and Good Will Toward Men
My Love Is Higher Than Your Assessment Of What My Love Could Be

Not-so-Recommended Albums:
The Pleaser - This is their blues-rock album. It's nothing like their other stuff at all. Personally, I dislike it.

Relapse Records page
Harvey Milk on Epitonic
Some music is available on Tumult (who still rock)
Harvey Milk live
More Harvey Milk live

Deerhoof

Deerhoof is an experimental rock band from the Bay Area. Their music ranges from dissonant noise, to soft indie rock, to really strict composition. Most of their albums and songs fall somewhere between these extremes. Some common characteristics of their songs are loose tempos, odd juxtapositions of catchy melody and noise or dissonance, improvisation, weird meters, and singer Satomi Matsuzaki's distinctinctive vocals.

Recommended Albums:
Hell, there's so much variation between them that it's difficult to suggest which are the best. But for someone first being introduced to Deerhoof, I would suggest listening to Revielle and Apple O'

Official Website
MP3s courtesy of Ibiblio.org
Official Myspace
The Perfect Me
Deerhoof Live

Behold... The Arctopus

Behold... The Arctopus
is a band at the forefront of experimental metal. Their particular brand of instrumental tech metal is heavily influenced by jazz and modern classical. Their tempos switch at whiplash speed, and the guitar parts are ridiculously intricate. Also, band member Colin Marston plays a very cool Warr guitar.

This music is not for everybody, but if you like extreme metal and you want to hear something that breaks boundaries, I recommend giving B...TA a listen.

Recommended Albums:
Skullgrid
Nano-Nucleonic Cyborg Summoning (reissue)

Exospacial Psionic Aura live
Alcoholocaust live
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/beholdthearctopus
Free tracks