SF Weekly Show Pick and Feature - Tera Melos at Bottom of the Hill May 25, 2013
For a while there, it didn’t look like the Sacramento trio Tera Melos was ever going to get serious about anything besides keeping its songs both technically proficient and structurally and semantically indecipherable. But then it found a way to shape up and cohere without sacrificing the core weirdness of its twitchy brand of anthem-prog. The proof is in its second full-length, X’ed Out, released last month, which is unexpectedly approachable and — for the record — really good. On hand to prime you for Tera Melos’s reverb-drenched and vaguely melancholic twist-and-crawl: the post-emo jangle of British labelmates TTNG (who went by This Town Needs Guns once, in happier times) and the weirdly soulful math-pop vibes of locals EV Kain. May 25th at Bottom of the Hill
Misadventures… Until Lufthansa….
Made Of Chalk Live Video 2 of 3 “Weird Circles”
Tera Melos’ Weird Circles’ from the album X’ed Out is the second live video of a three part series on Made Of Chalk. Shot in Chicago at Subterranean on April 26, 2013.
Submerge Magazine: Cover story on Tera Melos Issue 136 out now
Click to read online at Submerge Magazine - Issue #136 or in hard copy out this week in Sacramento, CA.
Made of Chalk: Live Video of Tera Melos in Chicago Video 1 of 3 - Tropic Lame
Sargent House has taken over Made Of Chalk all this month with 9 live video premieres coming including three from Tera Melos. Here is the first of the Tera Melos videos - “Tropic Lame” shot live in Chicago at Subterranean. Big thanks to Made of Chalk for making these.
Misadventures… Sunburn…
Pitchfork Review of Tera Melos - X’ed Out
Sacramento trio Tera Melos traffic in genres that are often viewed as the opposite of punk, i.e., prog, math-rock, post-hardcore. But when done properly, these styles generate all of the enthusiasm of punk while turning its traditional logic about formal training on its head: What if your love of music inspires you to train to the point where you can accomplish anything you want? That’s what Tera Melos get at on their fourth album, X’ed Out, a super-collider of genres, riffs and mad rhythms thatis often thrilling, occasionally exhausting, and, unlike most chops-based music, never dull.
It wasn’t always this way. Their previous work was often chops for chops’-sake, impressive on a theoretical level, manifesting in songs as spazzed-out and inscrutable as their titles— “Guy vs D.C. Sniper,” “A Spoonful Of Slurry (is Good for What Ails You),” to name a few. While their instrumental capacities are still plenty baffling, Tera Melos appear to be relishing the opportunity to encounter new difficulties; whereas jamming a 7/4 riff against a 12/8 backbeat is a puzzle that can be solved with enough effort, the stuff X’ed Out goes for is sparked by the metaphysical— ingenuity and serendipity.
Fortunately, Tera Melos sound exhilarated by the potential of not having an idea of where these songs might end up. X’ed Out begins on a monotone, palm-muted riff that could’ve found itself on a Phoenix or Strokes record; in fact, when Nick Reinhart’s vaporous falsetto first enters, it sounds a great deal like “Tap Out” from Comedown Machine. A couple of clean guitar runs nestle their way into the mix, and all of a sudden, it’s more in the style of looping enthusiasts like Dustin Wong. And then… a circle-pit ready chorus in Sufjan Stevens’ favorite time signature?
Misadventures…slimed
Tera Melos are on the road…. Don’t miss them SEE ALL DATES HERE
EPITONIC: Interview with Tera Melos
Tera Melos is one of the few bands who could evolve from producing chaotic instrumentals to crafting pop songs with clever vocal hooks, and they have done so without sacrificing their unique approach. Epitonic talked with guitarist and vocalist Nick Reinhart to discuss their new album, X’ed Out (out now on Sargent House), their recent tours, and some more personal aspects of the band. Tera Melos are on tour now, and are playing Subterranean in Chicago tonight (4/26) with TTNG and My Dad. - SOLD OUT
It sounds like you’ve really tightened up your songwriting to be more pop-oriented on X’ed Out. Was there something that led to a change in how you compose your music?
I feel like the songs kind of existed already, maybe - this is kind of cheesy - but I feel like they kind of existed in the atmosphere almost, and instead of imposing ourselves into these songs, we were just kind of figuring out how they were supposed to sound. I see a bit of a difference between these two - what’s going to make these songs sound the best, versus maybe in the past we were more interested in self-indulgent ideas, like,
Rock A Rolla Magazine Album Review
Rock A Rolla Magazine reviews the new Tera Melos album X’ed Out in the April / May 2013 issue on newstands now!
New Video for “BITE” and Tour starts April 18th
Tera Melos have unleashed their first video from their album X’ed Out for the track “Bite”. Directed by ongoing partner in crime Behn Fannin. Tera Melos also head off today for their extensive US/ Canadian headline tour starting on April 18th with TTNG on all the shows as direct support. This poster for the 4/20 show rules too so we decided to post it - thanks to Stefan Tosheff for making it. - SEE ALL SHOW DETAILS HERE 
TERA MELOS & TTNG TOUR 2013
Apr 18, 2013 - Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
Apr 19, 2013 - Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
Apr 20, 2013 - Vancouver, BC @ The Media Club
Apr 23, 2013 - Fargo, ND @ The Aquarium
Apr 24, 2013 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue 7th Street Entry
Apr 25, 2013 - Appleton, WI @ Lawrence University (FREE)
Apr 26, 2013 - Chicago, IL @ Subterranean
Apr 27, 2013 - Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theater/The Magic Stick
Apr 28, 2013 - Toronto, ON @ The Garrison
Apr 29, 2013 - Montreal, QC @ Il Motore
Apr 30, 2013 - Hamden, CT @ The Space
May 1, 2013 - Allston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
May 2, 2013 - Brooklyn, NY @ Knitting Factory - SOLD OUT
May 3, 2013 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Fire - (early show) SOLD OUT
May 3, 2013 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Fire - (late show) SOLD OUT
May 4, 2013 - Washington, DC @ DC9
May 5, 2013 - Raleigh, NC @ Kings Barcade
May 7, 2013 - Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
May 8, 2013 - Jacksonville, FL @ Jack Rabbits
May 9, 2013 - Miami, FL @ Bardot
May 10, 2013 - Ybor City, FL @ Crowbar
May 11, 2013 - Orlando, FL @ Will’s Pub
May 13, 2013 - Nashville, TN @ Exit/In
May 15, 2013 - Baton Rouge, LA @ Spanish Moon
May 16, 2013 - Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald’s
May 17, 2013 - Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
May 18, 2013 - Austin, TX @ Red 7
May 19, 2013 - San Antonio, TX @ The Korova
May 20, 2013 - El Paso, TX @ Low Brow
May 21, 2013 - Scottsdale, AZ @ Pub Rock
May 22, 2013 - San Diego, CA @ The Casbah
May 23, 2013 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo - (Less than 10 tix left)
May 24, 2013 - Santa Ana, CA @ The Constellation Room
May 25, 2013 - San Francisco, CA @ The Bottom of the Hill
May 26, 2013 - Fresno, CA @ Star Palace Ballroom
EXCLAIM! interview with Tera Melos
If the exuberantly iconoclastic genre-swirling protoplasmic goo of Tera Melos’ music finally seeps into the mainstream thanks to the smokescreen of accessibility disguising the multitudinous quirks of their latest album, X’ed Out, the “progressive” tag might regain its functionality as a positive descriptor in the annals of popular music. The ever-evolving three-piece still warp the building blocks of rock, jazz, punk, metal, ambient, IDM and pop to suit the ceaseless imagination of their unique musical instincts, but on their follow up to the peerless Patagonian Rats, Nick Reinhart, Nathan Latona and John Clardy give their compositions a little more space to breathe, which should help their decidedly progressive sound infiltrate a much wider audience.
Did you guys have any specific objectives when it came to recording X’ed Out?
X’ed Out makes Alarm Magazine’s top pick for new albums out this week
EXCLAIM! X’ed out Album Review
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The 405 (UK) Reviews X’ed Out and Interviews Tera Melos
READ FULL ALBUM REVIEW HERE - Below is the interview
The new album from Tera Melos is quite an achievement, with the Californian trio finally settling into themselves on what is, incredibly, only their third album in eight years. The release of X’ed Out is an event in itself - it’s been a fraction over 2-and-a-half years since the release of Patagonian Rats, but the band have released an EP and single since then in a relatively productive period. We at the 405 liked their new record so much that we decided to ask the band a few questions about it.
They’re heading out on tour with TTNG in a few days, so we asked them about that, as well as plenty about the new record. Turns out they’re not actually ‘X’ed Out and Tired’ at all.
Hi guys! How are you all feeling at the moment? Your new record is out soon - what’s the mood in the Tera Melos camp? Relief, excitement, or something in between?
Right now we are in scramble mode to get ready for tour. I would say that the mood is one of impending doom with a bit of excitement thrown in. Kind of like riding a roller coaster for the first time after it has been re-opened because major repairs were done to prevent deaths. We haven’t played in front of an audience since we were in Russia 9-and-a-half months ago and we are going to be playing a bunch of new songs, so thinking about that can be pretty daunting. Like, real deal human beings have been conceived and born since we last played a show. Added to that, we are a bit spread out, so we only get a chance to play together after plane tickets are purchased and time zones are adjusted to. So hopefully one can see why we could have a bit of nerves going back out there. Still, I think we are all really excited to be back out showing people new songs.
