Jeff Allyn Szwast’s avant-indie rock project Giving The Table A Name specializes in angular guitar progressions punctuated by thumping, crashing percussion, and vocals leaning towards the slithering and cerebral side. Titles like "epiglottis" and "harpies" may not make immediately clear what the intended subject matter is, and often parts of the lyrics are so distorted/quiet in the mix that entire sections can be made out by the listener – something that actually applies to a huge catalog of rock music. "Anything can happen now, I’d be too far gone to tell" is as good a lyric as any, but the band’s real focus is on creating atmospheric textures that flirt with ambient music and quality, vintage prog-rock of (think King Crimson rather than Yes). On one of our favorite tracks, "snowpack", a deeper, more bass-heavy guitar tone is incorporated. The voices are doubled in harmony for emphasis and depth. A bright tambourine takes the timekeeping duties, while tom toms are free to roam outside the structure. The band’s latest LP titled "Pillbug" is out now and can be purchased from a variety of sources. – Dave Cromwell
