Listen

Description

A child, or should I say… division of progressive rock, Math Rock sounds incredible. But what is Math Rock, exactly? Let’s define it, talk about its history, identify some stylistic characterizations, and tell some stories about notable people in the genre.

Math Rock is a genre of rock characterized by complex rhythms and irregular and angular instrumental patterns that change constantly first made popular by hardcore groups like Shellac and Slint, cemented as a genre by groups like Don Caballero and Hella, and branched into softer, melodic subsets by groups like Toe and American Football.

To learn more about the many, many, many different genres of rock music, subscribe to Break Rock Down on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Episode Links:

Introduction to music theory

Explaining time signature

Explaining Syncopation

Math Rock Spotify Playlist

Sources:

What is Math Rock?

An Introduction to Math Rock

The History of Math Rock

Math Rock

Shellac Biography

Slint Biography

Music Preview: Instrumental monsters Don Caballero return with revamped lineup

Hella biography

The history and influence of Polvo

toe biography