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Monet.Madrid.Madagascar.

If Manatees Had Trunks (2005)
self-released

Reviewer Rating:

Contributed by: Jesse
(others by this writer | submit your own)

Published on October 27th 2005

This band is indeed as pretentious as their name suggests. Yeah. It sounds like cabaret music á la Barry Manilow doing Copacabana mixed with nü-prog. A mixture of keys, energetic drums, annoying vocals, guitars, and bass, this band (I refuse to repeat their name) has diverse musicianship, but not really any diverse or new ideas.

In fact, I truly think that the Mars Volta slaughtered this genre with De-loused in the Comatorium. That album turned tons of heads and blew minds everywhere, and now most people are just tired and bored of it. Lofty, spacey, echoey guitar effects and up-tempo hooks with atmospheric breakdowns just don't excite me like they used to. Did anyone ever feel like they would get bored with extremely complicated and complex music? It just doesn't seem like it has any soul. I could listen to the Ramones' self-titled debut over and over again no matter how simplistic it is because it has a heart to it. It's got something that interests me musically.

Now this is just going to turn into a huge Ramones debate. Regardless, this album has eight songs from two minutes-long to six and a half minutes, though most ride along the five-minute mark. They have clever titles like "Hello Dali," and "John Wilkes Beatbox," but that doesn't make me like them any better either. I'm sorry, but I'm just burnt out on this silly pretentious attitude.

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Anonymous (November 15, 2005)

this is by far the best local band i have ever heard. i like the mars volta, but monet. madrid. madagascar. has so much more depth than any mars volta cd. and, even now they are broken up, no one will ever get to see their most extensive energetic live show again.

too bad.

SilentStorms (November 3, 2005)

Not that they sound like Mars Volta, but the reference seems unnecessary when it's there just to bash them. Oh, and Black Mountain is only OK. But I still dig.

SilentStorms (November 3, 2005)

Oh c'mon, Deloused was amazing whether you like the genre or not (in this case the reviewer didn't like the band but liked the genre). I've never heard this band, but no other band could possibly sound exactly like the Mars Volta. Oh and I'm not a rock connoisseur, as my fav bands include Botch, Blood Brothers, and Phoenix Bodies, - but damn, the first Mars Volta LP is amazing. Jesse sometimes I wonder ...

stevejonestherealbones (October 30, 2005)

your mom is as pretentious as her name suggests...oohhhhhh MODED YOUR ASS

- jones the bones

- stevejones8770@yahoo.com

Russe11 (October 30, 2005)

Will likes manatees.

Anonymous (October 30, 2005)

I hope not. They're my favorite band.

-Will

Anonymous (October 30, 2005)

didnt these guys just break up?

Anonymous (October 30, 2005)

On one hand, they are a horrible band. On the other hand, this is a terrible review.

I would have been better if you didn't ramble on about the Ramones, and focused more on the sucking of the band. An offhand insult would have been nice too.

maverick (October 30, 2005)

This record's not all that great, but the band's live show (they're from Cleveland, so I've seen them a number of times) had gotten INSANELY better in recent months. The last time I saw them (when they opened for Bear Vs Shark) they were absolutely on fire, and I was floored for their whole set.

Unfortunately, their guitarist quit a few weeks ago, so the band's breaking up. It's a shame, they had a lot of potential.

-Scott

Anonymous (October 30, 2005)

Haha. Nope, it's me. You should try this album again. These guys are absolutely brilliant.

-Will

Jesse (October 30, 2005)

I bet anyone another fifteen bucks that the Will comment in this review again isn't the real Will.

skaboom (October 30, 2005)

I like this band pretty well. Not something I would listen to all the time, but I don't see how you can complain how this genre is so overdone when there is exactly one (1) popular band doing this sound, and the comparison to Mars Volta isn't even that accurate. This genre is so tired and worn out, yet people blow a load when some hardcore band puts out an actual hardcore record (as opposed to metalcore) over how simplistic and straightforward it is?

etwiels88 (October 30, 2005)

I've heard a lot of this:

The review is wrong on so many levels. These guys are really fuckin good. Buy it.

about this band

Scruffy (October 30, 2005)

I always felt like I would get bored with extremely complicated and complex music. A lot of it replaces heart with technique.

RondoMondo (October 30, 2005)

My band was supposed to play with them at a house show. They pulled out last second...we would've slaughtered them anyways. ;)

Anonymous (October 30, 2005)

The review is wrong on so many levels. These guys are really fuckin good. Buy it.

-Will

Anonymous (October 30, 2005)

Anyone else see a connection between 1 inch buttons getting really big and bands who have names with like 35 fucking words? There is no way you're gonna fit "Monet Madrid Madagascar" on a single pin without the font being microscopic, so kids have to buy three pins (one with each word) just to sport the band logo...assuming you want to sport it in the first place. ...And for that matter, who the fuck gets close enough to read those stupid pins anyway? Whatever happened to people making crust pants with a patch for every band they've seen in the last 3 years sewn onto the pants? I miss that shit.

-Ken