D. Rider

U.S. Maple were a quintessential Skin Graft band: smart, bratty and determined to disassemble every existing rock convention. D. Rider founder, guitarist and front-man Todd Rittman served in USM but also recently took a spot in Singer, another structure-busting outfit that includes Bird Show's Ben Vida and Robert AA Lowe (aka Lichens). Mother of Curses samples from both those columns and ends up sounding like something more than their sum. Zigzagging guitar lines fling themselves over jazzy stutter step drums, distressed keyboards and paint can samples. Then there's the cornet and saxophones of invitees Andrea Faught and Noah Tabakin (Cheer-Accident and Mucca Pazza, respectively). Rittman's vocal is a steady anchor that nonetheless indulges in odd exclamations and non-sequiturs. For all its potential to short-circuit, D. Rider side with coherent complexity, like TV on the Radio weaned on Flying Luttenbachers. It's a groovy party if your brain chemistry is in order.