Sleeping People – Notruf

Sleeping People started in the early thousands. I guess their initial claim to fame was that they had ex members of the instrumental math rock band Rumah Sakit. They also once had a member of The Dirty Projectors on gutiar. Anyhow, they seemingly disappeared after the release of their last full length “Growing” in 2007. I personally wasn’t sure what happened to them. As most of you could tell from my blog, and if you’ve ever spoke to me in real life, I enjoy math rock. At least some certain facets of the genre. I personally have become bored with the recent fad or whatever you call it that was essentially spurred on by Tera Melos and bands of that ilk. Its like kids who were into math rock listened to them and Maps & Atlases(Trees, Sparrows, Houses era anyway) and started bands emulating that style of Math Rock. You know what I mean. Extremely spazzy drums and guitarists tapping so much that something often gets lost in the translation. Not taking away from those 2 bands. I love early Tera Melos and Maps & Atlases. But I always appreciated the style as done by the likes of Don Caballero, Lynx, and Sleeping People. Sleeping People, more so than the other 2 aforementioned bands, seemed to really try their hardest to blend Math Rock and one of that genre’s predecessors Progressive Rock. Riffing that was clearly influenced by King Crimson. Not only that, but they themselves making reference in a song title (Fripp For Girls) to their love and influence from that band. Over the years they have released some really great music. Even through changes in member personal. Which can often really mess up a band. So after “Growing” and years of nothing, here comes “Notruf.” If there was ever proof that Sleeping People had prog influence and tendencies, this album is it. The album is only 2 songs. But they are awesome. Truth is, I've been listening to this album nonstop this past week and went out and bought the vinyl today. I’m glad they didn’t break up. And I really hope that they put out more albums. I think everything they have put out is spectacular. And I’m glad bands like this still exist in a math rock world that has definitely changed since their birth.

Download The Album Here
Please buy it if you like it!

Check Engine

very rarely do I write about a band that was previously mentioned in a blog post the day before. But i don't know. I hate making reference to bands that not alot of people know about and not having anything for them to hear. plus, I really like Check Engine and i wouldn't mind some other people possibly diggin' on them. I heard about the band through their bassist Paul Joyce. He was the bassist of the band Lynx. And as I think I've probably mentioned in past blogs, I've pretty much followed everything he has done musically post, and pre, Lynx. He is easily one of my favorite bass players. Though I first heard of the band because of Paul Joyce, I later found out that it also consisted of two of the ex members of Sweep The Leg Johnny. Awesome? Yes. In fact, when I would try to tell my friends about Check Engine, I would usually describe them as if the members of Sweep The Leg Johnny were more into Chicago indie rock and not post hardcore. I mean, Check Engine isn't unaggressive by any means. But there is a obvious difference. If anything, Check Engine is easier for the lay person to get into then Sweep The Leg Johnny. And there really isn't comparison to Lynx, except for some of the guitar interplay. Really, Check Engine are a math rock band in the vein of Chicago math rock. Not that wacky shit coming out of Cali nowadays. Though sometimes, the guitar lines are likable to Rumah Sakit, which is funny because as the informed know, Rumah Sakit did splits, played shows, and even shared a member with Sweep The Leg Johnny. Enough of my blabbering.

Some songs on here remind me of the 80's. Yep. I'm a weirdo.

Download their album here

Buy it if you like it