15 Best Math Rock bands To Listen To Right Now

We list some of the best Math Rock bands to listen to right now. Math rock became popular in the late 1980s and early to mid 1990s in the US.

What Is Math Rock?

Math rock is a style of music often noted for the complexity and technical skill of those who play it. It’s described as a complex, atypical rhythmic structures (including irregular stopping and starting), counterpoint, odd time signatures, angular melodies, and extended, often dissonant, chords. It bears similarities to post-rock.

Best Math Rock bands

1. Foals

Foals is a rock band which formed in Oxford, England in 2005. The band consists of Yannis Philippakis (vocals, guitar), Jimmy Smith (guitar), Edwin Congreave (keyboards) and Jack Bevan (drums). They have won a number of awards, including best live act at the 2013 Q Awards while producers Alan Moulder and Flood were awarded ‘UK Producer of the Year’ for their work on the album Holy Fire.

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2. Dance Gavin Dance

Dance Gavin Dance is an American post-hardcore band formed in Sacramento, California, United States in 2005, out of the ashes of Farewell Unknown and Left Apart. Dance Gavin Dance’s musical style has been described as post-hardcore, math rock, experimental rock, progressive rock, screamo, jazz fusion and emo. Critics have compared the band to fellow post-hardcore peers the Fall of Troy, Alexisonfire and Circa Survive.

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3. American Football

American Football is an American emo/indie rock band from Urbana, Illinois, originally active from 1997 to 2000.
The band was formed by guitarist and singer Mike Kinsella (formerly of Cap’n Jazz, The One Up Downstairs, Joan of Arc, Owls and currently of Owen) and drummer Steve Lamos (formerly of The One Up Downstairs and currently of The Geese), and also included guitar player Steve Holmes. Despite the group’s short initial lifespan, their self-titled debut album became one of the most acclaimed emo and math rock album of its era.

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4. Chon

Chon (sometimes stylized as CHON) is an American math rock band from San Diego, California. Their music is largely instrumental-based with only a few songs containing vocal performances. The band consists of Mario Camarena (guitar), Erick Hansel (guitar), Esiah Camarena (bass) and Nathan Camarena (drums).

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5. The Fall of Troy

The Fall of Troy is a post-hardcore trio formed in 2002 in Mukilteo, Washington, United States. The lineup consists of Thomas Erak (guitar, vocals), Tim Ward (bass, vocals), and Andrew Forsman (drums). Tim Ward left the band in 2007 and was replaced by Frank Ene. The music of Fall of Troy is usually described as mathcore, post-hardcore, math rock, progressive rock, and screamo.

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6. black midi

black midi are an experimental rock band from London consisting of Morgan Simpson (drums), Cameron Picton (bass/vocals), and Geordie Greep (guitar/vocals). Their sound has been described as experimental rock, progressive rock, math rock, noise rock, post-punk, and avant-prog.

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7. toe

Japanese group toe are a primarily instrumental rock quartet from Tokyo consisting of guitarists Mino Takaaki and Yamazaki Hirokazu, drummer Kashikura Takashi, and bassist Yamane Satoshi. Often categorized as post-rock or math rock, their free-flowing, highly melodic songs feature splashy yet tightly controlled drumming and dynamic guitar interplay, as well as occasional electronic elements and additional instruments such as vibraphone and Rhodes piano.

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8. Minus the Bear

Minus the Bear were a indie rock group which formed in Seattle, Washington, United States in 2001 and have released six albums and eight EPs. The band consists of Jake Snider (vocals, guitar), Dave Knudson (guitar), Cory Murchy (bass), Alex Rose (synths, vocals) and Joshua Sparks (drums).

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9. Tricot

tricot is a math rock band from Kyoto, Japan created in 2010 by four talented musicians: Ikkyu Nakajima (vocals, guitar), Motoko “Motifour” Kida (guitar, vocals), Hiromi “Hirohiro” Sagane (bass, vocals) and Yuusuke Yoshida (drums). Their musical style has been described by Rolling Stone as “adrenalized math rock sped up and given pop’s candy coating”.

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10. Elephant Gym

Elephant Gym is a bass driven, Math-Rock band from Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Formed in 2012. The Band is composed of Tif on bass, Tell on guitar and Chia-Chin on drums. The music of Elephant Gym is known for clear and memorable bass line, emotional guitar riffs and melodic drumming. Most songs are instrumental.

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11. Slint

Slint is a post-hardcore band consisting of Brian McMahan (guitar and vocals), David Pajo (guitar), Britt Walford (drums), Todd Brashear (bass on Spiderland) and Ethan Buckler (bass on Tweez). They formed in Louisville, Kentucky, United States in 1986. Though they disbanded circa 1991, they are considered to be a major influence on the post-hardcore, math rock, and post-rock scenes.

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12. Delta Sleep

Formerly known as Sàvlön, Delta Sleep is a British math rock quartet from Canterbury, Kent, England. Formed in 2010, Delta Sleep is driven by a desire to create fun and original, forward-thinking music. Their songs combine guitar driven melodies, held together by jazz influenced percussion and relentless bass, topped with sprinkles of passionate shouts and lulling chants.

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13. Covet

Covet was formed in San Jose and consisting of guitarist Yvette Young, bassist David Adamiak, and drummer Forrest Rice. Characterized by complex song structures and guitarist Yvette Young’s unique finger-tapping style, the band have quickly earned a devoted following with their exploratory math rock sounds.

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14. 65daysofstatic

65daysofstatic began in Sheffield, United Kingdom in 2001 as Iain Armstrong, Paul Wolinski and Joe Shrewsbury. The band’s music has been described as noisy, electronic, guitar-driven instrumentals, interspersed with live drums and off-beat sampled drums akin to those of IDM artists, although they have continued to evolve their sound by incorporating electronic music, drum and bass and glitch music.

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15. Maybeshewill

Maybeshewill is an instrumental band based in Leicestershire, UK where they were formed in 2005. They are James Collins (drums), Matt Daly (keyboards) , John Helps (guitar), Robin Southby (guitar) and Jamie Ward (bass). Sticking to steadfastly DIY ethics, the band have self recorded all their material to date and aspire to be as self-sufficient as possible.

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