Microtia – Spacemaker

According to description, Microtia was inspired by the likes of Bjork, Cave In, Silver Pickups and Shiner.  Well, I don’t hear a whole lot of Bjork or SP on their debut.

Instead, music on “Spacemaker” reminds of Cave In / Isis – very powerful and crushing, with little room for anything but blasts of distortion and feedback (with an occasional quiet moment here and there). Wailing vocals, however, don’t fit music very well and they tend to destroy a good impression that the rest of the band creates.

Paper Canyons – S/T

Another band from Oregon (this one is from Salem, while Microtia are hailing from Portland). PC is a five-piece playing instrumental/post-rock music with lots of build-ups from quiet to loud.

Very good (if not terribly original), especially considering that its their first EP – with a bit more of mastery over volume and emotion, this band could turn into something very special in the future.

Teeph – S/T

Teeph are hailing from Chico, CA and play a sludgy and messy/chaotic stuff in the vein of Converge. Most certainly, there’s plenty of anger/frustration in the music that they play, but most songs on their self-titled record border on being over-the-top/amusing (too much of a good thing, I suppose). When it does work, it can be good, but I think that this is one record that should be taken in small doses.