U.S. Maple
 

I haven't heard anyone talking about this band on the board, at least not that I can recall... which is a god damn shame! This band is straight-up fucking rad. Al Johnson's raspy-as-fuck vocals, Mark Shippy ("high guitar") and Todd Rittmann (low guitar)'s dual anti-melodic rock 'n' roll deconstructionist guitars, and the steadily unsteady, and even at times bordering on jungle-style drumming and general 'percussing' from Pat Samson.
They can easily be compared to Beefheart, but this only goes so far. No band I can think of sounds anything close to what U.S. Maple sound like, (find out for yrself!) which I suppose was their purpose.
Check them out, ferchrissakes!
http://www.myspace.com/toomuchmilkandhoney

love 'em.

anytime you mention a skin graft band, know that there is at least one person wh will reply.... except aids wolf... i hate that fucking band...

How can you hate AIDS Wolf!? They fucking rule!

And yes, Skin Graft DESTROYS.
Of the most kick-ass labels around.

And COME ON GUYS! A BAND THIS FUCKIKNG AWESOME AND THERE'S BUT A SINGLE REPLY?! SHAME!

Although the last album doesn't bear this comparison out, Deerhoof at times is as rhythmically convoluted as U.S. Maple, but just with a lilting melodic sensibility.

On the other end of the spectrum, the Portland band The Better to See You With are kinda like a U.S. Maple-damaged blackened grind band.

There was a band called Alarmist up until a couple years ago that did something similar to U.S. Maple, even if they were a lot more stripped down (as the band was just guitar and drums and two vocalists).

U.S. Maple were a great band and quite unique, but not totally peerless. They've influenced many bands who bear that out.

Thanks, Rick, I'll try to check some of those bands out.
Deerhoof are - it seems absurd to say it - much more melodic and... constant, if you know what I mean.
The thing I love about US Maple is that they basically destroy any notion of "rock music," and "music" in general, yet still manage to "rock" harder than yr average bear, hehehe.

nah i hate aids wolf.

i love: space streakings, mount shasta, shakahuchi surprise, and pretty much every other skin graft band.