Tiny Engines, 2010

Chicago’s Castevet move above and beyond the (insert buzzword for outstanding debut bridging the gap between 90s Midwestern emo and early 2000s post-rock) of 2009’s Summer Fences with their recent Tiny Engines release The Echo & The Light. 8 tracks of blistering rhythms, gruff, aggressive vocals and jangly guitar, The Echo & The Light is chock full of accessible, unforgettable midseason jams. Check out track 4, “Lautrec,” for a taste of what is to come from the Illinois quartet.

Self-released, 2010

Being a big fan of the sadly defunct Counterfit, my ears immediately pricked up at the fact that Helen Earth Band contain former members of that band. Even better, it turns out the San Diegans continue Counterfit’s evolutionary track, and with brilliant results. Their American Football-gone-math melodics and harmonising vocals make songs that are superbly, dreamily, ambitiously, head-noddingly catchy. One of the best releases of the year.

Count Your Lucky Stars, 2010

Any of the songs on this album, taken individually, are awesome. Joie De Vivre’s brand of downtempo indie rock is very powerful, with inventive bass and drum grooves laying a nice foundation for the downtrodden (but certainly not emo) vocals and occasional trumpet. As an album, though, the songs all start to sound very similar. These guys have potential, but they need to find a way to shake up their own formula.

Count Your Lucky Stars, 2010

Empire! Empire!, described as ‘emo-veterans’, bring a down-tempo track with emotion and feeling, but it might be a bit too down for some people. Simple guitar parts twinkle away whilst low-key drums work away in the background, and heartfelt vocals float on top. Football, etc. bring female emo-rock to the equation, with big dynamic shifts and long sustained vocal patterns.

Tiny Engines, 2010

Philadelphia-based band with math-indie-rock sound, with catchy, energetic songs. There’s a real punk sound to this album, but with twiddly guitar parts every now and again. High energy tracks throughout, big guitar chords and riffs soaked in fuzz and distortion are backed by solid, imaginative drumming as the vocals float on top.

Topshelf, 2010

Exceedingly pleasant math-rock from Washington. Think Don Caballero, American Football fed on an energy drink, or an instrumental Minus The Bear. Just the right blend of complexity and head-nodding catchiness.

Big Scary Monsters, 2010

This UK trio seem intent on defying expectation with their debut EP; the flamboyant synths and indie-pop of the opener could well be from a different band to the next couple tracks, which take an instrumental (except for spoken samples) math-rock route. The consistent quality and energy in the songwriting makes up for any inconsistency in genre, though.

Tiny Engines, 2009

With this three song 7” Look Mexico have taken a route less immediately poppy than their previous full-length. But while Gasp Asp is a more sober take on emotive indie, it’s also more ambitious – their mathy melodicism expanded with strings and keyboards, their abundant energy focused into more affecting directions. It makes their next album a tantalising prospect.