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| Fingers Cut MegamachineColor Tub2004 Aggravated Music 
  Review by: Matt Whelihan See others by this writer ![[staff]](/images/icons/staffsticker.gif){kind=icon}
Fingers-Cut, Megamachine (link) Only registered users can post comments 
 Published on November 26th 2004
Fingers-Cut, Megamachine is the indie-folk act featuring former members of Osker. Color Tub is the first CD release from FCMM, but is not their long postponed first full length. Instead it is a ten-song collection of unreleased material and alternate versions of tracks found on the couple of 7 inches they have put out. While their releases up until this point have been consistently good, Color Tub has mixed results. Some new songs like “I’m Ready,” “Nothing Goes On,” and “Left in the Bed,” are well worth hearing. Each one takes FCMM’s signature up-tempo drumming, soft, but driving acoustic, subtle lead lines, and passionate vocals to a new level by exhibiting ever more country and folk influences than before. It is clear that vocalist/guitarist Devon Williams is not just some punk kid with an acoustic, but a talented songwriter with something to say. The alternate version of “OKNO,” a song from a split 7 inch with Kurt Vile, is also a great track. The new version takes an already well-crafted song and makes it more layered by adding harmonica and extra backing vocals. Unfortunately the rest of the release is not as impressive. “Tap” is an almost four minute long lo-fi psychedelic mess full of electronic blips, a badly recorded acoustic guitar, and vocals that are sent to the back of the mix and doused in echo. The song, besides having a convincing melody, sounds like some stoners were screwing around with a four track. “Avenues” is a great song if you can ignore the first ten seconds when Devon, in an uncharacteristically whiny voice, sings the high school journal like line, “I got a letter in the mail it was from your parents/ When I started reading I started tearing.” The rest of the songs do nothing to stand out and suffer simply from the fact that this CD sounds like just what it is; a batch of songs thrown together to tide listeners over before the full length. Things become a little disjointed because of this, or maybe because of poor mastering. Some songs are filled with tape hiss like they were recorded on a stereo in a bedroom, some others have a poorly mixed studio tone, and some come out completely clear. Underneath poor production and little structural problems there are good songs here. This is a band that has a ton of potential and a knack for writing beautiful songs, hopefully by the time their full length comes out FCMM will have worked out all these kinks. People who liked this also liked:           Please login or register to post comments. What are the benefits of having a Punknews.org account?
This is the same as my last comment, I just forgot to rate this. Idle Will Kill is one of the greatest albums I've ever heard. And I have a very diverse and underground taste. I'll always have respect for Osker for being so young and making such an incredible album. thriller was a joke. they didn't actually record a third full length. I love this album. i like how it sounds raw. I just wish he had more songs on it, and if some of the songs were a little bit longer, other than that i'd say it was excellent. Anyone see that movie Crazy/Beautiful with Kirsten Dunst? Osker were in that. Not that that's hugely relevant. Mmmmm, Kirsten Dunst... Yeah, even Osker's early fast punk stuff pwns the face off the rest of the boring punk shit being released on epitaph at the time. (pennywise, deviates, 98 mute) Idle will kill sounds nothing like pennywise or offspring. Jesus. idle will kill was probably the last great album epitaph ever released. too bad about that band. pure talent and balls. they just created what they wanted to with that album. too bad "thriller" never saw the ligt of day. ...except those albums by pennywise, offspring, Deviates, 98 mute etc, where they play four chords over fast 1-2-1-2 drums and have melodic choruses singing about anything except relevant political issues....yeah I forgot. "Idle Will Kill" sounds NOTHING like any punk record Epitaph has ever released. " "Idle Will Kill" sounds NOTHING like any punk record Epitaph has ever released. if by shitty epitaph clone band you mean a really talented band with a truly amazing songwriter, then yes, they are allowed to have side projects. Osker?? Are shitty Epitaph Clone bands even allowed to have side projects? Jesus fucking christ.... Score is for microsoft paint. 10 is for osker, they were an amazing band and devon is a great songwriter. I hope these guys are just as cool... the art work is pretty funny. it looks like he did it in microsoft paint, haha. amazing band though. devon is one of the best song writers out there. there are a couple of bad tracks on here but the rest are just amazing. the full length looks like its going to be one of the best releases of next year. Great CD, the only disappointment for me was the (untitled) track 4, which has indiscernable vocals. Other than that, they range from ok to great. orange and OKNO are the cuts. had this for a while, pretty good. we'll see what the real full length brings dont check out that bands site; they suck ass. fucking awesome ....just like www.purevolume.com/motorfalcon If Osker was a melodic, acoustically driven power-pop titan, than this is their three chord, raspy voice masterpiece. Osker rocked, I'm sure this does too. I liked the three song CD better, but this is still pretty good. Can't wait for the full length. My buddy is really in to this band. I miss Osker, and while this is good, it just isn't the same. |
