San Francisco three-piece band, Geographer, has somewhat blown up in the last year. Spin’s endorsement (naming them one of the “Undiscovered Bands You Need To Hear Now”) may have had something to do with it but the truth is that their EP, “Animal Shapes” is beyond brilliant and everyone has finally caught on.
The funny thing about my personal relationship with this band’s music is that I actually met these guys in person but forgot… When I was tour blogging with Vanaprasta on the way to and from SXSW, we had actually run into Geographer at a convenient store. (It always starts with a “Hey, you look like you’re in a band. Are you in a band? I’m in a band, too. Sweet.” kind of meeting.) Both bands bonded over the fact that they were both obsessed with geometry (Vanaprasta’s EP is titled “Forming The Shapes”) and after that we went our separate ways.
Sadly, it wasn’t until I had selected them for a feature in BeatCrave’s Fav series that I had become utterly obsessed with their music. If one were forced to categorize Geographer, they would fall under the Electro-pop umbrella but what they do with the elements in that genre is what makes them stand out among a crowd full of bands like Passion Pit. Fronted by the incredibly talented Michael Deni, Geographer is accessible but it’s the vocals that soar so much higher than you expect them to. It’s the emotive way Nathan Blaz’s bow sways on the cello. It’s the way Brian Ostreicher’s rhythmic patterns serve a rock foundation underneath all of this. Every single note in their music goes further than the average attempt in songwriting – a goal any great musician is able to reach – but Geographer does it all in such an extraordinary way it’s hard to get over the positive shock.
“Animal Shapes” is currently out and it also includes a remix of “Kites” by Limousines in addition to the remix of “Paris” by Wallpaper. However, it’s the original tracks I love the most – especially “Kites” – which you may have heard on August’s mixtape. If you haven’t listened to it yet, it’s after the jump!
Stream: Geographer – Kites (Limousine remix)
WILD TONIC 