Emo and Math Rock For Days.

Numero Group's recent tear through the post-hardcore / math rock / emo archives has got me all excited. For years I'd only come across Maryland's UNIVERSAL ORDER OF ARMEGGEDON on crinkled, dusty 7"s and California's BOILERMAKER was just a band I'd read about in reference to other bands. Then the collections came courtesy of Numero and we now had this fully packaged time capsule slice of history in reach. Now shop customers had to listen to slightly aggressive and noisy, yet melodic, 90s math rock (slash post-hardcore) during the quieter moments of the week with me.

But then! Then the floodgates broke open with the announcement of comprehensive box sets of Kansas City's BOYS LIFE and San Diego's CLIKATAT IKATOWI. So specific, so niche, yet so g*ddamn exciting. These were bands I'd only been able to collect through used CD bins in the late 90s / early 00s. It was slim pickin's on the shelves of the Cary St stores in Richmond, VA, but I was determined. Over the years I found one or two of each and played them out in my car. Something about Boys Life's moody atmospheric approach to jagged and confrontational mathy emo and Clikatat Ikatowi's energetic surge and Fugazi-esque wails really got me to the bone. And still do. Never did I think we'd see detailed box sets from these bands, and here we are.

BOYS LIFE:
Home Is A Highway 4LP (More Info / Listen / Buy)

CLIKATAT IKATOWI
The Trials and Tribulations Of 3LP (More Info / Listen / Buy)

UNIVERSAL ORDER OF ARMAGEDDON
Universal Order of Armageddon 2LP (More Info / Listen / Buy)

Fun fact: Clikatat ignited a three decade and running admiration of Mario Rubalcaba (HOT SNAKES, EARTHLESS, OFF!, ROCKET FROM THE CRYPT, SULTANS, SPIDER FEVER, etc.).