The Llano Idea

Cymbals Eat Guitars take the post-punk genre to another level, incorporating fuzzy guitars, ever-changing vocal inflections matching mood, and soaring, unpredictable melodies washed in a background of spastic rhythmic changing.

They started out in high school sounding very different, however.  The band tried their luck as a Weezer cover band before making the switch to writing original tunes that identify with their truer sound, a mixture of early Modest Mouse, Fugazi, and At the Drive In.  Unlike any of those comparisons, however, Cymbals Eat Guitars have a distinct sense of beautiful melody; vocalist Joseph D’Agostino screams in anger in front of an ear-shattering instrumental break, then jumps into a croon alongside a beautiful soundscape of sweet indie-pop, reminiscent of 90’s legends Neutral Milk Hotel.

This band rocks.  Straight up.  But don’t take our word for it – perhaps the lovely folks at Pitchfork can convince you.  They gave Why There Are Mountains, the band’s latest effort, an 8.3 in hipster-cred points.  Those are hard to come by.  Just ask the Black Kids or that guy from Troubled Hubble.

Here’s a track off of that album, “Some Trees.”

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Whitey Corngood Column, Music At the Drive In, Cymbals Eat Guitars, Fugazi, Modest Mouse, Neutral Milk Hotel, Weezer