MATH BATS - Bat Day (No Label) US mini LP | vinyl: mint- | cover: mint-

Here's an obscurity that truly lives up to that lofty pedigree.  The front of the jacket bears not a single word, the back merely states the group's moniker.  No insert, with the tracklist confined strictly to the record labels, which also list a production/engineering credit to former Zero Boy/Datura Seed Paul Mahern.  Not another shred of info, no pics, copyright date, nothing.  Zip, zero, squat, bupkis. To cut to the chase, the Math Bats were a mystery band of the highest order (which of course spells grist for Wilfully Obscure). Fortunately, the ever useful Indiana Music Archive online has a listing for, and MP3s by the band, who were apparently situated in the environs of Indianapolis.  Records As I Buy Them blog has a few words to parse on this ep, and cites The Bodines and Slint as potential Math Bats influences, but save for the bouncy opener, "Guessing Games" I would argue that they gravitate more in the direction of brooding, '80s Midwest indie acts like Breaking Circus and Bloodsport.  While we're at it, five bucks says these guys wore out a copy or two of Unknown Pleasures.  Some light "goth" undercurrents are at play here as well, but I don't suspect anything too deliberate.  If this ep gets your joint rockin', head over to the Indiana Music Archive linked above for songs from an unreleased second album.  The ep is there too, but these rips were taken straight from my vinyl copy.