standards is a two-piece math rock band fronted by guitarist Marcos Mena and featuring drummer Forrest Rice (mem. Covet). Their self-described "fruity" melodies and technical musicianship have earned them somewhat of a cult following over the years, owed in part to Mena's proclivity for guitar-based video content. But the band's ebullient songwriting is the true source of their popularity among guitar-music fans, who laud standards for their uniquely danceable brand of complex instrumental rock. Since the group's inception in late 2017, standards have released two beloved EPs and played with the likes of Polyphia, Covet, and Delta Sleep.
[F]eel-good math rock guitar melodies atop rolling percussion with warped rhythmic tweaks. In other words, the best type of math rock.
-Fecking Bahamas
The quick, bright blips and zoops of Marcos Mena’s guitar pair beautifully with Jacob Richards’ nuanced drumming, and the result is the sonic equivalent of a healthy and refreshing summer salad.
-Frontrunner Magazine
The melodies are absolutely beautiful, and none more so than in the solo guitar opener and title track, which is a vaguely tropical, dreamy, lovely, walking pace guitar solo that has more in common with classical guitar work than math-rock.
-Independent Clauses