Review / 200 Words Or Less
MGR y Destructo Swarmbots
Amigos de la Guitarra

Neurot (2009) Michael

MGR y Destructo Swarmbots – Amigos de la Guitarra cover artwork
MGR y Destructo Swarmbots – Amigos de la Guitarra — Neurot, 2009

Amigos de la Guitarra is a collaborative effort from MGR - the solo project of Mike Gallagher of Isis - and Destructo Swarmbots' Mike Mare. The two have come together, focusing their collective minds on one forty-two minute song, "Amor en el Aire."

If you have been following MGR's body of work to date then you have a good idea of what to expect from this collaboration. I wasn't aware of Destructo Swarmbots prior to this recording, but after listening to material from them online, I found the two to be a good match. Imagine the worlds of ambient noise, post-rock, and drone coming together and you'd get a good idea of what this song is like. It floats in an out of different segments, each focusing in on a more particular style while the others fall to the background.

The lengthiness of one song this long might scare off a few listeners. But the song is made up of a number of pieces segueing in and out of each other. I prefer the previous MGR effort to this, but I can find myself putting on this record when I just want to drift away.

7.0 / 10Michael • December 10, 2009

MGR y Destructo Swarmbots – Amigos de la Guitarra cover artwork
MGR y Destructo Swarmbots – Amigos de la Guitarra — Neurot, 2009

Recently-posted album reviews

The Library Is On Fire

Degeneration Elegies
The Abyss, Ltd. (2026)

There’s a certain kind of band that never quite fits the moment they arrive in. Sometimes too jagged for one scene, too melodic for another. The Library Is On Fire were one of those bands in the early 2000s, hovering somewhere between indie-punk urgency and power-pop instinct without fully settling into either. On Degeneration Elegies, their first full-length in over … Read more

Nicole Alexis

Mirrors & Smoke
Independent (2026)

There’s a fine line between stripped down music and so stripped back that is sounds empty. On Mirrors and Smoke, Nicole Alexis lands comfortably on the right side of that line, delivering a debut EP that leans into simplicity without losing its emotional weight. Built around acoustic arrangements and minimal production, the EP feels intentionally close. It feels like these … Read more

The Remote Controls

Too Tough
Fail Harmonic Records, Mom’s Basement Records (2025)

There’s a certain kind of punk band that doesn’t overthink things. No reinvention, no genre-bending manifesto, just fast songs, big hooks, and enough attitude to carry it all. Indianapolis’ The Remote Controls lean hard into that tradition on Too Tough, a record that feels less like a statement and more like a well-earned victory lap. Built on a steady diet … Read more