Progressive electronica meets avant-garde rock in the refreshingly eclectic music of Battles. The New York City four-piece was formed in 2004 by a venerable cast of indie rock musicians, namely ex-Don Caballero members Ian Williams and John Stanier, the latter also a current player in the Mike Patton-headed Tomahawk and Mark of Cain, an alt-metal group from Australia. The band's first full-length album, Mirrored, was released this past May by Warp Records and features a catalogue of muscular songs with melodic textures, shifting tempos, fluctuating tones and surreally modulated vocals delivering lyrics that are unintelligible and interspersed with hoots, sighs, hums and the occasional whistle. The live show has Stainier situated out front while the rest of the members perform around him on instruments that are hooked up to any number of sound-manipulating devices. Battles stops for a show in Ybor City this Tuesday. Tues., June 19, 9 p.m., Crowbar, 1812 N. 17th St., Ybor City, $9 (all ages), 813-241-8600, aestheticized.com.
This article appears in Jun 13-19, 2007.
