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Thanks so much or taking the time to pick up a copy o our third zine, it reallymeans a lot to us. We warmly welcome you to read until your eyes hurt whilst youunearth some truly dazzling music.

CONTENTS

04 BIG SCARY MONSTERS06 THREE TRAPPED TIGERS07 LA201908 ACROSS THE POND10 LOOSE TALK COSTS LIVES11 MOODY GOWNS12 FREE MUSIC FOR ALL14 GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR15 JACK INVESTIGATES16 WHERE ON EARTH18 ALGERNON CADWALLADER19 FORMER MONARCHS

A lot has happened over the last academic year since the major launch o MusicalMathematics and, quite rankly, we couldnt be happier. Again, weve been gettingaround a hell o a lot; experiencing even more shows, estivals, acoustic sessions,albums, EPs, singles, interviews, eatures, bands, artists and record labels. We hopeweve been as busy as we think we have. Our an base continues to ourish, which

is amazing, we are constantly reminded o the brilliant people that consistently visitand trust our network o suggested, promoted, enjoyed and passionately producedmusic. As always we only eature music that we really love listening to, an d this issueis no exception. Zine 3 eatures Loose Talk Costs Lives, Big Scary Monsters Records,

Algernon Cadwallader, God Speed! You Black Emperor, Moody Gowns and FormerMonarchs to name but a ew!

So get on with the rest o our zine and check out what we have been up to or the lastcouple o months.

Much Love

Team MM

www.musicalmathematics.co.uk

MEET THE MM TEAM

Musical Mathematics is a dedicated team ull o like-minded people who all share a common aection anddeadly aiction or great music. We have now growninto a massive group o ourteen members who allbring their own ideals and abilities to the table. Weaim, strive and hope to be a stable and persistent parto the Leeds alternative music scene as well as thewider global community in the many years to come.

Writing//Andy Crowder, Edd Colbert, Jay Johar, James Fox,Jack Dooley & Liz Jones

Graphic & Editorial Design//Aaron Skipper & Luke OBrien

Editing//Liz Jones, Holly Killip-Ross & Andy Crowder

GUEST Cover Art//Leemun Smith aka Krahics

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MM: Hi Kev. Firstly, how areyou doing?BSM: Im good thanks. O to Bestivalthis weekend and have a million thingsto do beore it, but slowly getting there!

WordsbyAndyCrowder

Find releases, news, bands,

music and much more @

www.bsmrocks.com

BIGSCAR

Y

MONSTER

S

TallShips,Blakfsh,MeetMeinStLouis,Colour,T

hisTownNeedsGuns,PulledApartby

Horses,TalonsandGrownUps;allhaveonethingincommon-theyhavebeenpresentat

onetimeoranotherontheoxordbasedrecordlabelBigScaryMonsters.ThissmallDIY

Company,w

hichwasoundedby

KevinDouchbackin2002,hasseenover100releases

romawiderangeoartistsandmusicianstoormatrulytriumphantback-catalogue

oground-breakingandinnovativealternativemusic.A

headonewreleasesromDZ

Deathrays,BigSuccess,HymnsandKevinDevine,wemanagedtotalkwiththeounder

oBigScaryMonsters

aboutroots,releasesand5-asideootball

MM: I you had to choose 1 release thatyou were most proud o what would itbe and why?Im very proud o the MMISL album,as we all worked so hard on that andit was pretty much perect. The Andrew

WK single was also very special. Thatone took a couple o years to cometogether but it was brilliant when it

fnally did. Im so glad to have that inthe back catalogue.

MM: How did Big Scary Monsters comeabout? Did you always want to starta label or did it just happen?BSM: I started the label whilst at sixthorm cos I thought it would makeme seem cool. I didnt know anyoneor anything about the industry so havespent the past 9 or 10 years makingmistakes and learning the hard way.

Also, Im still not cool.

MM: BSM has exposed some amazingmusic over that past 4 years; includingreleases from Tall Ships, Tangled Hair,Dad rocks!, Andrew WK and loadsmore. Are you happy with how thelabel has grown?BSM: Im delighted! There have beenplenty o moments Ive sat back andthought to mysel how the heck didthis happen?! or even who the uckdo I think I am?, as well as so manylittle things which have really made thewhole experience even better. Somany new bands who have maturedand grown into something wonderul,its been awesome sitting here watchingit all happen. I couldnt ask or more.

MM: What do you look for in a band/artist? Is genre incredibly importantto you?BSM: Genre isnt a big thing at allto me. Weve worked with a airlywide variety o bands and Id love to

continue expanding on that over time.I look or a number o things, frst andoremost or the bands to be good(at whatever style o music they play),secondly or them to be good, honestpeople I can imagine spending a loto time with, and thirdly or them tobe hard working and willing to put thehours in. There are other little thingsaround these but I guess theyre themain points. I think I have a flteringsystem o some sorts in my head, whichreally breaks this down almost instantlythese days! Its quite a handy little tool!

MM: It seems every other monthanother band calls it a day and throwsin the towel. Why do you think that is?BSM: Thankully we havent had toomany bands break up over the pastyear (I hope I havent spoken toosoon) but there does seem to be timeswhen you see a ew give up and moveonto new things. I think a big part oit is money and the strain on personalrelationships which being a band placeson you. Its a very un thing to do butonly 0.01% o bands actually make it,a lot o others just end up in debt andspending hal their lives driving all overthe country, pouring everything theyhave into their music, only or peopleto never care as much as they should.Theres a lot o competition out therethese days and unortunately its justtoo much or some.

MM: If you could choose one band toreform who would it be?BSM: Id probably have to say Meet MeIn St Louis. Because o the way thingsended with them Id love or them tocome back and play one last show. Whoknows, maybe one day.

MM: We try to buy as many recordsand CDs as I can, especially romindependent record labels and workingbands. Does my money go to good use?Do the bands beneft?BSM: Absolutely. Buying directly rombands and labels makes a big dierence,not just or the fnancial side but alsoas its the kind o direct support andinteraction which makes the job so un.

MM: Im guessing that gigs come arounda air bit, whats the best show youvebeen to in the past year and why?BSM: Thats a tough one! Ive endedup going to about 10 estivals alreadythis summer and there have been some

amazing moments at all o those. Itsreally hard to pick just one gig whichstands out. In act, I dont think I can!Sorry, this was a terrible answer!

BSM: I get a LOT o bands emailme, too many in act, so a lot othose unortunately do get missed.

Most o the bands I sign tend to beriends, riends o riends, memberso bands Ive previously worked withor new bands someone I trust hasrecommended. I can only think o oneor two Ive signed rom random emails/demos and they were a long time agonow.

MM: Finally, with brilliant releasescoming out let right and center, whatcan we expect rom BSM in the uture?

And can we join BSM 5-a-side nextyear?

BSM: Weve got a lot o new stucoming up beore the end o the year.New albums rom Kevin Devine,Dad Rocks and Hymns, EPs romDZ Deathrays, Algiers and Big Successand something new rom Shoes AndSocks O. Theres also a couple morebits which we havent yet announced,so cant tell you about those! TallShips are recording their album rightnow, Hold Your Horse Is are justfnishing theirs and Talons are writingnew music, so plenty to come romthere. On the Pink Mist side (our newcollective with Holy Roar and Blood

And Biscuits) we have the Tubelordalbum, a bunch o releases romTopshel Records and another soonto be announced label, and a wholelot o shows in London, includingsomething very special which werehoping will come together or January.I eel like theres even more stu whichIm orgetting to mention, but thatsprobably enough or now! O coursethe 5-a-side tournament will be backnext summer and Ill do my best to getyou in! Gotta warn you though, it getscompetitive! Thanks

MM: Do you listen to bands who sendyou acebook messages/Emails or doyou fnd that i a band is good enoughyou will fnd out about then on yourown accord?

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WordsbyLizJones

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acrossthepo

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outtracksto

getyoustart

ed.

Wavelets, Let O Some SteamTopshel and Tiny Engines good company orthe new Gainesville fve-piece to keep. The bandsnoodley, melodic emo-core is about to get a lot oattention. The debut ull length, Athaletics, will bereleased via Tiny Engines later this all, and includes9 tracks. Wavelets entire discography can bedownloaded at http://wavelets.blogspot.com,and is well worth exploring prior to the new release.

The Glory Days, Golden AgeSometimes, there is nothing more perect than raw, aggressive pop-punk energy. Heavy-handed ris and Jersey punk sing-alongs makeme miss high school, when we all had a millions reasons to listento music like this. The band has been quiet as o late, but their GetBusy Living EP is available via iTunes.

Laredo, RestConsider this Across the Ponds frst posthumous recommendation. This bandis lost in Internet oblivion, likely an unortunate sign that they have in actsplit up. The short-lived New York band released only one disc, as ar as I cantell, and its a slice o melodic in die-punk greatness. Bury the Growth is easyto track down online as the band made sure it was ree or all.

Deer Leap, Hazle WeatherfeldWith only a handul o demo tracks and a glowing recommendation rom TopshelRecords, the modestly sel-described three riends that make rock music are ontosomething they probably never would have expected. Soon to be a fxture on theNortheast DIY scene.

Restorations, Broken VacuumI you happen to trip over your owneet (as I do) or anything BrianFallon related, you might be extra-inated about the new album romPhiladelphias Restorations. The newsel-titled disc gives subtle nods to theboys in Gaslight Anthem, but with itsown undeniable sine qua non.

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WordsbyAndyCrowder

WordsbyAndyCrowder

Our beloved Leeds has been lucky to harbour such a hety amount o musicaltalent over the past years, with new and exciting bands steadily coming to thesurace. One band that are doing very well or th emselves are Loose Talk Costs

Lives; a compelling new our-piece who have been pushing their own irreplaceablemusical style. Ater the success o their frst double A side single Some NiceFlowers/Wreck Ashore, theyre now back with a brand new EP Wax & Gold.

Hailing rom Leeds, UK come theeccentric olk/pop sounds o MoodyGowns with a brand new and baingsingle titled Nelson Skills.

This ree single may come to a closeater a mere 2.20, but the inectioustones, melodies and sheer awesomesing-a-long moments will have a holdo your brain or a very long time.Nelson Skills is a meTmorable andenjoyable musical romp packed ull oguitar zings, glorious group vocals anda bubbly attitude that is completelyunheard o yet most welcome in thisday and age.

LOOSE TALKCOST LIVES

WAX & GOLDEP REVIEW

NELSON SKILLSSINGLE REVIEW

MOODYGOWNS

With a chorus line in used with humor,not unlike Ska kingpins The Aquabats,and a sunny almost tropical sound likeLoose Talk Costs Lives - why wouldntwe love them?

Moody Gowns are a brilliantly strangebut undoubtedly incredible 5-piecewho play a truly unique style o music.Pop, olk and indie are all interwovenin the most delightul and enjoyablyquirky way Ive experienced in avery long time.

Download Nelson Skills or FREE @

www.moodygowns.bandcamp.com

Check out Moody Gowns @

www.moodygowns.com

From the instant and majestic beginning o the opener, Loose Talk Cost Lives bringus 16 minutes o truly blissul music. Buoyant and bubbly melodies couple with uidpercussion to immerse the listener in an EP that is addictive right rom the get go.

Seraphim is an impeccable frst track; setting the stylistic pace or the rest o the EPmarvelously. We wait patently through a section o reverberated tones until fnally the

second song commences with the bands most alternative sound. Complete witha punchy chorus line and the amiliar pluck o top-end guitars; Hemlock evolves romlighthearted musical moments and through brilliantly established hooks to orm one

hell o a 2nd song.

Even as Loose Talk Cost Lives take their oot o the accelerator orCalavera, they still manage to produce the most lyrical, diverse and dynamictrack on Wax & Gold. The pace relaxes or a moment, but only to introducean array o brass instruments to urther and extend the musical excitement

o this already rousing EP.

As the 4 tracks eortlessly y by you are reminded o the undeniable charm this EPpossesses, and beore you realize it the last track is in ull ow. Amaranth is the

pinnacle o Wax & Gold and is the best example o Loose Talk Costs Lives work todate, which uses eel-good instrumentation with monstrous air, all the while giving

nods to bands like Enemies and Vampire Weekend. Whether its the light groupharmonies that blend and stand together or i its the hopping, smoothly fngered ull

toned bass that drives the song orward, there is always a constant emphasis on a

tuneul and angled melodic narrative.

Loose Talk Cost Lives have created a unique strand o pop music within Wax &Gold, which is littered with an array o tropical nuances that will excite, elate andcommand the attention o almost any listener. So be prepared to have this EP onrepeat or the next 6 months and to be the main eature o your summer playlist,

because you wont be able to help yourselves.

Buy Wax & Gold @ www.loosetalkcostslives.bandcamp.com

Check out L oose Talk Cost Lives @ www.loosetalkcostslives.tumblr.com

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WordsbyJayMJohar

FREEFOR

Hello again. I hope youve enjoyed the last instalment o my list o ree downloads.

Having recently moved back home to tiny Brunei (look it up), I thought it apt that in this

issue I will make it a regionally-themed special. So orget about digging deep into your

pockets and enjoy this collection o ree downloads rom exotic Asia. Be aware that

this issue is very post-rock heavy, as it turns out Asian post-rockers are both aplenty

and more willing to give out ree albums. Also, make sure you check out the whole

Japanese roster or Zankyo Records. The quality and quantity they have is insane.

XIsY-LP[China]

Sh

anghai-basedXIsYisheadedbyaFrenchmannamedGuillaume,soImig

htbecheatingalittle

h

ere,butonceyoulistentotheLP,youllnodoubtorgiveme.Incorporatingelementsomath

r

ock,postrockandolk,theresultingmusicinthismeltingpotisabsolutelylushandripewith

vocalharmonies.ThealbumhasaconsistentsoundthatcombinesMinusTheBear-ishvocals

w

ithacrunchyshoegazeeelcomplementedbythepost-rockmethodologyoslowlybuildingup

tensionandlayeringinstrumentsuponinstruments.

www.xisy.bandcamp.com/album/lp

B

ottlesmoker-LetsDieTogetherIn2012[Indonesia]

WhileBottlesmokermainlyunctionsasanelectropopbandsomewhereinthemiddleoHoly

FuckandJamesYuill,theirnewestreleaseLetsDieTogetherIn2012isverydierenttothe

ir

frsttwo.Itsnow

onder,asthisisintendedtobeab-sidesandraritiesalbum,displayingthe

moreexperimenta

landeclecticsideotheIndonesianduo.Indonesianolkmusicintertwines

reelywithsynths,toyinstrumentsandthesoundochildren,makingthisalbumatrulyuniq

ue

proposition.The

irtwoalbums,SlowMoSmileandBeoreCircusOverarealsoavailableto

downloadorreeonwww.misspelledrecords.bandcamp.com

Gespenst - The Saint [Malaysia]Gespenst is a duo made up o the Rawi brothers, Syahmi and Zuhair. Taking their inuences

rom the likes o Olaur Arnalds, toe and Mono rom Japan, and Jonsi o Sigur Ros, Gespenst aimto create heavy soundscapes that bring with them an amalgamation o powerul ris and strikinglywell-crated atmospheric ambient sounds. The ormidable orce with which they execute this eatis at times breath taking. I you visit their soundcloud [http://soundcloud.com/ahmdsyhmi], there

is an extra downloadable track on the set or The Saint called Departures, a beautiul tribute totheir recently deceased riend.

www.gespenst.bandcamp.com [Malaysia]

Furniture - Twilight Chases The Sun [Malaysia]Another post-rock band rom Malaysia, I hear you cry! Well, you would anyway i you somehoware quite knowledgeable about the Malaysian post-rock scene. But I promise you Gespenst and

Furniture are two dierent beasts. Furniture is more Explosions In The Sky than GespenstsTalons. Twinkling guitars and a driving drumbeat build up to inevitably grandiose climaxes.It might eel a tad ormulaic and overdone at times, but there are choice highlights in TCTS,

especially Hush, The Dead Are Dreaming, with the tension mounting to a crushing end. There areelements o dreampop in the occasional vocals however, and its up to you accept it in its grand

package. I thats your cup o tea, then youll fnd it nothing short o brilliant.www.soundcloud.com/urnitureband

Apollo1300 - Discography [Japan]Formed in 2002, Apollo1300s career managed to only record two short CDs beore they

disbanded in 2008. Theyve since made the six tracks theyve recorded in that timespan availableto download or ree. I dont know why they decided to split, but it certainly wasnt because o

the quality o their music. Mostly instrumental with occasional Japanese lyrics, Apollo1300s bodyo work owe much o its sound to Japanese post-rock legends Toe. Apollo1300 eortlessly moves

rom a standstill to light speed in a matter o seconds, and then still have it in them to takeit up another notch.

www.soundcloud.com/apollo1300

MUSICALL

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GodspeedYou!BlackEmperor

WordsbyJackDooley

WordsbyJackInvestigates

Jack

investig

ates

I cant deny that the morning aterpurchasing tickets in a drunken stuporto see Godspeed You! Black Emperor Iwas a little sceptical o what to expect,ater all Id never seen an instrumentalband that are renowned or their 20minute long songs. I arrived to thegig in true Musical Mathematics style,which was late enough to catch the lasttwo songs o the support act. Maybe itsabout time I put my watch to good use.Trumpets o Death took the support slotand rom what I heard, they were quitea good match, Check out Jason or ataster o what these guys are all about.

Jumbo Records was frst established in 1974 by Hunter Smith, the name and logobeing taken rom the successul disco and DJ business he was involved with calledJumbo Mobile Discotheque. Jumbo started out as a small room rented or 5a week on a balcony in Queens Arcade.

Post T.O.D. me and Crowder went insearch o a toilet, 4its pretty bad whenyou dont know where the toilet is inyour own S.U. ater being at uni or overa year.

Ater purchasing a beer that had adistinct taste o eet, both Crowder andmysel were drawn back to the stage byan ominous tone. It was the broodingintroduction o Dead Flag Blues whichslowly evolved into Motherucker =Redeemer (Part Two), one o the frstand most brilliant songs I had everheard by Godspeed. As the song came to

an end the crowd erupted in applauseand the band gave a slight nod as ahumble acknowledgment.

As the crowd died down the violin partrom Moya echoed through the room,my attention was slowly drawn to thetalented projectionist towards backo the room. He was running runningthree, maybe our old school projectorsin and out o sync with each other,oten burning individual rames asthey passed through, managing single-handedly interpret Godspeed into avisual ormat. The only bad thing about

the entire gig was thatthere was a severe lacko movement, which isunderstandable, as youcant exactly bust a moveto Godspeed, but I elt

bad when I ound myselyawning at times.But ater what wasroughly a two-hour set,each band memberslowly departed romthe stage leaving justtwo guitarists ending ona wall o sound. Endinga truly memorable andunorgettable concert.For gig listings @Leeds Met visit www.leedsgigtickets.co.uk/leeds-met-uni-gigs

CheckoutGodS

peed!

@w

ww.brainwashed.com/g

ods

peed

Around September 1974 space was a thing o the past,and relocation was in order. For the frst ew monthsbusiness picked up, but then it became stagnated,luckily or hunter he was still participating in somelate night DJ-ing.

Business continued to be slow or a ewyears and BOOM along came punk rockand jumbo were in the right place at theright time, rom then on they broadenedthe variety o music they stocked bringingus the Jumbo we all know and love today.

Now i Im honest I cant say Ive been to many recordshops, but upon my frst visit to Jumbo I was extremelyimpressed, solely by the magnitude o genres thateverything was organized into, as oppose to a certain dogwith a record players Rock and Pop section that coverseverything that isnt either the top 40 or drum and bass.

Along side Jumbos better organized catalogue omusic, they also stock a wide range o vinyl, andIm sure by now you all know how we at MM loveour vinyl.

You should all go and check it out or yoursel either inperson or online: www.jumborecords.co.uk/index.asp

Jumbo is or ans o: Good music,Copious amounts o vinyl, and anyonewho has a phobia o dogs who sit on musicplaying devices .

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wher e onear t h?

WordsbyEddColbert

Pizzas, pasta, (leaning tower o) Pisa and punkrock? For many o us Brits mentioning Italymay limit our thoughts on bands to scream actssuch as La Quiete or Raein. However, Europesboot has got a lot more to oer. Ive added theollowing our bands to the Where on Earthcollection because they all provide somethinga little dierent to each other whilst holding

together some core aural similarities. Maybe thesimilarity is just the Italian vocals, or perhapsthe act that two o the bands are on the recordlabel Triste, but nevertheless let us bask in theirfne Mediterranean glory. Ive gone or bandsrather than releases this time because I dontspeak a word o Italian and it was bloody hardtrailing through a load o their blogs etc.

Withthemajorityothevocalsbeingsunginchorus

thisthreepiecefllseachtrackwithheavyyetcomplex

risandballsydrumrhythmsyouknowthetype,the

onesthatleaveyoulookinglikeanoldrockingbirdtoy

onspeed.Theseguyshavebeenaroundorages,having

releasedPenguinvasionbackin2005,whichisslightly

techierthantherecentL.E.G.N.A.(availablephysically

laterthisyear).Thelatteralbumhasbeenaccompanied

byacomicalvideoorthefthtrackTroppoFacile

(tooeasyinEnglish)showingthebandasbearded

lumberjacksrunningaroundaorest,animagethatI

cantgetoutomindwhenIlistentothemnow.

www.gazebopenguins.com

GAZEBOPEN-

GUINS

On listening to the frst track o A Sailor Lost AroundThe Earth you may think that youve stumbled on aninstrumental Horse The Band track. Then you hearthat they have a trumpet. I know its hard to imagine,especially as hal way through the same frst song thereappears to be an Explosions in the Sky-esq breakdownollowed by a rampant ending with dreary vocals anda trumpet solo. Anyway enough talk o other bandsbecause Valerian Swing bring something brand newto the table. These guys can be harsh and chaotic oneminute whilst providing lucid soundscapes the nextminute. Even while their dynamics uctuate rom trackto track they still manage to squeeze in some odd timechanges or you math heads.www.myspace.com/valerianswing

D I S T A N T I, as they seem to be better known onlineas, are a quintet rom Forl signed to Triste. On closeinspection o the names o band members Im prettysure they share the same vocalist as La Quiete, and thishunch is reinorced by rawness o the vocals heard acrosstheir tracks. The music constantly drives orwards inan aggressive and distorted style yet the guitars retaina jangly texture to the overall sound. I you like yourscreamo loud and in your ace then pick up EnciclopediaPopolare della Vita Quotidiana rom their bandcamp.www.distanti.wordpress.com

ItwouldappearasthoughFBYChaventreleasedany

newmaterialsince

2009buttheyarestillplayinglive

showsandarealsosignedtoTriste.Theseguysseem

tobridgethegapbe

tweenCrashoRhinosandDistanti

playingmediumlen

gthemotrackswithhugebuildups,

melodicscreaming

andgangvocals.Theyhavean

extensiveamounto

liveootageonline,whichorus

strandedBritsisgreatbecauseyoucanreallygetaeel

orthebandspassio

natestagepresence.

www.fnebeoreyoucame.com

VALERIAN SWING

DISTANTI

FINEBEFORE

YOUCAME

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many thanks

www.musicalmathematics.co.uk