Ismatic Guru: Crocbrain, or, Two Big Steps For Mankind cassette
ISMATIC GURU is back with a new EP of guitar music by two unstoppable idiots: John Toohill and Bran Schlia. Scrambled up, freaked out new wave/post-punk using every groovy move in the book. Paired with snarky, strange, slice of life lyrics that storm every subject from takin pills, marveling at incredibly stupid people, avoiding vampires, and stepping in dog shit. 5 songs in 6 mins overflowing with ideas as unique as they are catchy. Limited to 100x tapes.
Our take: We’ve been carrying records by Buffalo’s prolific Ismatic Guru for years and I haven’t featured them in the newsletter, so I thought I’d get a little more acquainted with their latest release, Crocbrain, or, Two Big Steps For Mankind. It was an excellent decision! This project has been percolating for a while and has developed a unique sound all its own. The rhythmic foundation is my favorite part, relying on dub-y and funky beats that evoke the original post-punk era… a little early Rough Trade Records, Delta 5, some Contortions, even Tom Tom Club in places. I always loved the joyful, energetic vibe of that music, and Ismatic Guru summons that vibe here. While that foundation is fairly consistent across these five tracks, the guitars take several tacks, some with fluid, snakey-sounding runs, some with scratchy rhythmic parts, and other parts that are more textural rather than rhythmic or melodic. It’s a great combo… a consistent, danceable beat and guitars that feel boundless. The vocals are also really strong. John Toohill from Science Man handles the vocals, and he’s matured into a powerful and expressive vocalist, wrapping Ismatic Guru’s strange lyrics around forceful melodies and delivering them with a big helping of rock and roll panache. Ismatic Guru has compiled an impressive catalog over the past few years, but if you’re new to them, this bite-sized, all-hits EP is a place to dip your toe into their weird world.
Product Information
Product Information
Shipping & Returns
Shipping & Returns
Ismatic Guru: Crocbrain, or, Two Big Steps For Mankind cassette
Ismatic Guru: Crocbrain, or, Two Big Steps For Mankind cassette
ISMATIC GURU is back with a new EP of guitar music by two unstoppable idiots: John Toohill and Bran Schlia. Scrambled up, freaked out new wave/post-punk using every groovy move in the book. Paired with snarky, strange, slice of life lyrics that storm every subject from takin pills, marveling at incredibly stupid people, avoiding vampires, and stepping in dog shit. 5 songs in 6 mins overflowing with ideas as unique as they are catchy. Limited to 100x tapes.
Our take: We’ve been carrying records by Buffalo’s prolific Ismatic Guru for years and I haven’t featured them in the newsletter, so I thought I’d get a little more acquainted with their latest release, Crocbrain, or, Two Big Steps For Mankind. It was an excellent decision! This project has been percolating for a while and has developed a unique sound all its own. The rhythmic foundation is my favorite part, relying on dub-y and funky beats that evoke the original post-punk era… a little early Rough Trade Records, Delta 5, some Contortions, even Tom Tom Club in places. I always loved the joyful, energetic vibe of that music, and Ismatic Guru summons that vibe here. While that foundation is fairly consistent across these five tracks, the guitars take several tacks, some with fluid, snakey-sounding runs, some with scratchy rhythmic parts, and other parts that are more textural rather than rhythmic or melodic. It’s a great combo… a consistent, danceable beat and guitars that feel boundless. The vocals are also really strong. John Toohill from Science Man handles the vocals, and he’s matured into a powerful and expressive vocalist, wrapping Ismatic Guru’s strange lyrics around forceful melodies and delivering them with a big helping of rock and roll panache. Ismatic Guru has compiled an impressive catalog over the past few years, but if you’re new to them, this bite-sized, all-hits EP is a place to dip your toe into their weird world.
Product Information
Product Information
Shipping & Returns
Shipping & Returns
Description
ISMATIC GURU is back with a new EP of guitar music by two unstoppable idiots: John Toohill and Bran Schlia. Scrambled up, freaked out new wave/post-punk using every groovy move in the book. Paired with snarky, strange, slice of life lyrics that storm every subject from takin pills, marveling at incredibly stupid people, avoiding vampires, and stepping in dog shit. 5 songs in 6 mins overflowing with ideas as unique as they are catchy. Limited to 100x tapes.
Our take: We’ve been carrying records by Buffalo’s prolific Ismatic Guru for years and I haven’t featured them in the newsletter, so I thought I’d get a little more acquainted with their latest release, Crocbrain, or, Two Big Steps For Mankind. It was an excellent decision! This project has been percolating for a while and has developed a unique sound all its own. The rhythmic foundation is my favorite part, relying on dub-y and funky beats that evoke the original post-punk era… a little early Rough Trade Records, Delta 5, some Contortions, even Tom Tom Club in places. I always loved the joyful, energetic vibe of that music, and Ismatic Guru summons that vibe here. While that foundation is fairly consistent across these five tracks, the guitars take several tacks, some with fluid, snakey-sounding runs, some with scratchy rhythmic parts, and other parts that are more textural rather than rhythmic or melodic. It’s a great combo… a consistent, danceable beat and guitars that feel boundless. The vocals are also really strong. John Toohill from Science Man handles the vocals, and he’s matured into a powerful and expressive vocalist, wrapping Ismatic Guru’s strange lyrics around forceful melodies and delivering them with a big helping of rock and roll panache. Ismatic Guru has compiled an impressive catalog over the past few years, but if you’re new to them, this bite-sized, all-hits EP is a place to dip your toe into their weird world.
