Carl Sandburg Visits Me In A Dream

Despite the above picture being the best shot I was able to get from the Battles’ set Saturday night in Baltimore, they really were all there and even played a pretty fantastic set.

I hadn’t heard of math-rock supergroup, Battles, until I was getting the Pitchfork rundown from various people. When a good friend of mine, who I never agree with on music, said Battles played an “okay” set I knew I had to check them out. I picked up Mirrored, the band’s first full length album with Warp Records (Aphex Twin, !!!, Squarepusher, Grizzly Bear) the next day and haven’t stopped listening to it since. Former Helmet drummer John Stainer delivers heavy hitting rock fusion grooves which lay under guitar riffs that, as NME says, “twist like acupuncture needles jabbed right into your pleasure receptors.” Mirrored doesn’t rest on any one musical idea long enough for you to get bored, offering everything from gradually layered funk riffs that sit comfortably in the pocket, to quick-moving guitar licks that escape via musical Tourette’s (see “Race:out”). Battles are extremely talented and, more importantly, are in tune to each other, always focusing on the complete track rather than trying to highlight individual talents while the rest of the band does very little (which is what plagues many other progressive rock and jam-oriented bands).

If you’re in the D.C. / Baltimore area, you’re in luck: Battles are playing with Deerhunter and Singer this Saturday at the Ottobar.

Check out their myspace for more tour dates, including lots overseas. Watch their single, “Atlas”