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If you like clean instruments, standard structures and cognizant lyricism, it’s best you probably sit this one out.

Cymbals Eat Guitars is a band all about turning convention on its head, all about mutated guitars, abstract lyrics and structures blowing in the wind. But for all the weirdness, this music is easy on the ears. And that’s the trick. Somewhere between the effects pedals and rainy-day-at-the-beach vibes, these Jersey friends discovered a new sound. It’s messy, beautiful and probably unlike anything you’ve listened to today.

The band name is a reference to a quote from Lou Reed describing the seemingly indescribable sound of The Velvet Underground. That’s a fitting reference, because CEG also enjoys their fair share of dissonance and sludgy distortion. But beneath all the mud there’s always an actual song. And that’s what they do.

To date, their albums have drawn serious (and seriously unexpected) acclaim from media, industry folks and fans. They’ve played with The Pains Of Being Pure at Heart, Bear In Heaven and The Flaming Lips. But in a way, their most impressive feat is the sound itself. We could waste breath, ink and paper explaining who they sound like and who they don’t, but essentially CEG is a new, untarnished, unthinkable approach to indie-rock. Press play.

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