415-621-4455
When Tera Melos is gone, an especially titillating and strange discography will sit in its wake. The young Roseville, Calif., band was born out of improv jazz classes and proggy punk bands — a detail that's no shock when you hear its off-kilter approach. Fiercely experimental math rock and nutjob punk means fretboard freakouts and pedal-effect frenzies turn into songs of disconcerting shape and order. Trying to guess what inspired the band members is a game in itself. For example, "Manar the Magic," from last September's Patagonian Rats, sounds like the interior of a freshly refurnished pinball arcade transposed into song. Perhaps it's the aftermath of these guys pouring too many quarters into "Medieval Madness"? Tera Melos also has a knack for unusual covers, wrapping the Beach Boys' "God Only Knows" into the theme song from The Adventures of Pete & Pete. Its live shows often incapacitate instruments.
415-621-4455
