by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
Western Mass' Tundrastomper are freakishly incredible musicians, but there's no reason to be intimidated, they're just having a good time. It's not easy to go so over top with such a grace, fusing together progressive rock chops with a post-hardcore aggression, though someone had to do it. While they have been restlessly touring for the better part of this year, Tundrastomper are set to release what they are calling a new mixtape via Sad Cactus Records called For Steffen Only on July 13th. The tape will include "a bunch of song parts that they've been working on and ended up not using in more fleshed out forms," because if anyone can make that interesting, they can.
The band's most recent release, the chaotic and shape-shifting Clean It Up EP, which came out in March, sprung to life with first single "For Flies Only," a buckwild ripper that aims directly for the throat but still operates from the brain. The song's discordant progressions and avant-garde structure is a tangled web of jazz fusion, prog, math rock, post-punk, and hardcore, opting for a freedom rarely found in a song composed so tightly. It twists and turns, peels and scrapes, and the animated video is an incredible visual representation of all the glorious (often gross) mayhem at hand. Directed by Saera Kochanski, the video is as deranged and visually stunning as the song, no small feet when it comes to Tundrastomper.
Tour Dates:
06/21 - Northampton, MA @ Sierra Grille
06/22 - Portland, ME @ Apohadion Theater
06/23 - Lowell, MA @ UnchARTed
06/24 - Hadley, MA @ The Flip
07/04 - Hadley, MA @ Catfarm Freedom Fest
Tundrastomper's Clean It Up is out now via Sad Cactus Records. For Steffen Only is out on July 13th.