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Look What I Did

Minuteman for the Moment
2005
Combat

Look What I Did - Minuteman for the Moment (Cover Artwork)


Review by: Anchors
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Koch Records (Logo)

Published on January 24th 2006

On paper, Look What I Did’s Minuteman for the Moment could have been a real blast of volatile, rock‘n’roll-infused hardcore. The tongue-in-cheek lyrics scream of Every Time I Die, and the album’s front cover proudly proclaimed that the album is perfect for fans of the Blood Brothers and Dillinger Escape Plan. Again, this is all just on paper. The actual songs though, well, those just don’t hold up nearly as well.

More records are ruined by bad singing than I’d guess anyone could even hope to count. The amount of bands that can fluidly pull off the whole singing and screaming dynamic are so few and far between, that we’d all be much better off if bands just stopped attempting it. This album exemplifies that, and it’s not even always that the singing is bad, as it isn’t in this case, but it just doesn’t fit into what could have been a truly solid flow. What you have instead is an extremely disjointed effort, bogged down by the singing, but not in the way that’s normally an issue for this type of music. The singing and the screaming don’t overlap; the screaming breaks for the singing, usually causing the song to slow down to what’s almost a standstill. “The Soiree” is almost entirely sung, and it makes light of all the elements that make those sung vocals so dull. There’s just little variation in the inflection, and the guitar, bass, and drums all seem almost completely dormant during these sections of the tracks.

“Appomatox Whore House” is an example of how much more exciting and more vibrant the album sounds when the vocals are being screamed; there’s actually some drive and some kick to it, rather than just a few lazily sung verses humming over the top of the occasional bass string pluck that dominates so much of the record. It makes it so that you truly do not even want to pay any attention to the lyrics, which can be fairly entertaining , if only because of how completely ridiculous they are; “Pluck ambrosia from vines and drink grape wine from his jiggling cleavage / Pouring open from his broken, arrow staken heart, imagine kindergarten / Gluing read and pink construction paper hearts to shoeboxes, fingers and thumbs give tidings of love." If there’s some hidden meaning there, I’m just as lost on it as everywhere else in this record.

To add to a mounting list of issues, the entire thing runs close to 50 minutes, and for this style of music, you just can’t be writing records close to an hour when most people are bored in half that time. There’s some serious issues here that need sorting out before these guys record again, and hopefully the sorting of those issues will result in a more exciting product.






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    Posted by subgenius on 2007-12-10 18:32:00
    My Score:

    A little late in the game here (almost three years...), but I just saw these dudes on their last tour - and I have some words. This band is what people, especially young kids aspiring to be in bands, need to listen to right now. The lyrics are smart, they have a mature grasp of dynamic, musicianship is top notch, and the songs, while saying important and relevant things, are fucking hilarious. This is what music is supposed to be about. Stylistically it's not for everyone, but Look What I Did have the right idea - smart music, played skillfully and with integrity. Keep it up fellas.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, March 14, 2006 at 8:44 PM (EST)

    Probably you guys are not ready for this kind of music.
    The layering and 'lazy' vocals is what makes this band stand out from your typical emo/punk/blabla.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, January 27, 2006 at 4:21 AM (EST)

    who ever wrote this review is obviously bummed because he has no idea when the next fall out boy record will be out.

    what a fucking idiot

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, January 25, 2006 at 10:26 PM (EST)

    Look What I dids album is inconceivable.......this whole idea of screaming and singing is just crazy......the melodies are insane....this band is what americas youth needs right now......who ever reviewed this cd has amazig musical taste!

    Posted by Anchors on 2006-01-25 12:57:14

    Seems the Look What I Did street team is out in full effect for this one.

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, January 25, 2006 at 9:00 AM (EST)

    i looked quick and thought you said "shit with it" and thought, what a fucking awesome idea.... just think sitting on the shitter, listening to new music...great music will make you sit and enjoy the moment, bad music will make you think of a way to shut it off, while trying to pinch it off...

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, January 25, 2006 at 3:21 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    The lyrics are superb on this album. You can't just blaze through it and expect to figure it out, you have to sit with it.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, January 24, 2006 at 10:27 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    I can tell you there was A LOT of time put into both the singing and the playing on this album.

    Sorry if this music is too advanced for you, and goes beyond what hip- punk/metal/emo/hardcore scene shit you're listening to now.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, January 24, 2006 at 10:25 PM (EST)

    i doubt any of the shit talkers would have anything smart to say in a conversation with anyone from look what i did.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, January 24, 2006 at 10:24 PM (EST)

    yep. to call the singing lazy...are you serious? can you not hear the layering and the difference on verses? put on some headphones, fool.

    this is worlds above every time i do or any other pretentious garbage.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, January 24, 2006 at 6:26 PM (EST)

    the singing on this record is far from lazy

    its by far the most complex melodic work of a singer in quite some time.

    the verse in the soiree is a perfect example of that, no line is the same twice

    Posted by Anchors on 2006-01-24 15:05:32

    Yeah man, nothing says stinging social commentary like a song about "emo" kids trying to get laid.

    Posted by SilentStorms on 2006-01-24 14:09:46

    Ahahaha, that quote is hilarious! Maybe the reviewer left some crucial words/sentences out ... but I'm thinking they didn't. Again, hilarious!

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, January 24, 2006 at 11:51 AM (EST)

    and it's obviously not a BOY about to masterbate on the cover of Look What I Did's 'my first time', but a girl (with very visible breasts). Do you really know shit about this band other than maybe googling their name and look at their website and CD cover?

    Obviously a chick:
    http://ihatelookwhatidid.com/images/LWID_cover_myfirsttim e.jpg

    and paul ramano did the new album's artwork. he's amazing.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, January 24, 2006 at 11:36 AM (EST)

    moneenguy below, you're confused with your assumption of their song titles/subject matter. 'Minuteman for the Moment' is not a song with sexual connotation to it. Try social/political. The song is based off an essay (forgot the writer) of the title 'our commodity is your dissent'..


    "...a mobs an angry sea that swallows everything, let's band together to protect the weak, the weak they need a banner to fly, and mine is the one they'll hold up, fasces...hey! our commidity is your dissent, your angst, my wallet, get in my wallet, COUNTERCULTURE SURE IS BIG BUSINESS! this is what i do for it, and this is what it does for me"


    Also, the 'last call for rufenol' song is about "emo" guys who try and get into girls pants, by playing the part of sad, lonely, introspective, sensitive guy:

    "...when i was in school, i wasn't cool. kids thought i was too conflicted. so i thought that a girl would rock my world if i was a rock and roll singer. i guess i was wrong, it wasn't too long till i learned to drug them and rape them. fake glasses, good vision, indie pop here i come. Now I'm gonna get laid!..."

    you obviously know enough about this band, but your blatant misconception about their lyrics is way off the mark. i'm a pretty big fan of these guys, so i had to say something. keep your mouth shut from now on, unless you know what you're talking about. go listen to something safe and without a message like your shitty moneen albums.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, January 24, 2006 at 10:31 AM (EST)

    This band sucked bigtime when I saw them play. I bet the album is just as bad.

    -Ninja

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, January 24, 2006 at 8:32 AM (EST)

    Look what I did....I just shit my pants...and wiped my ass with this record.

    ---Trav.

    Posted by moneenerd on 2006-01-24 07:50:50

    are just another = ARENT just another

    sorry

    Posted by moneenerd on 2006-01-24 07:50:28
    My Score:

    i dont think these guys are too too bad. MY FIRST TIME was a way better album, and I really respect that these guys are just another run-of-the-mill scenester band that take themselves way too seriously. Their lyrics deal with getting off to quick (hence *Minuteman For the Moment*) and date-rape drug using jocks (see lyrics for *Last call For Rufenol*). Think of them as a metal-funk Weezer (a band in which they LOVE to make fun of). I also forgot to mention that their website had LOOK WHAT I DID written in what looks to be cum, and the CD cover had a boy on his bed with his hand down his pants.

    I dunno why you thought this would be something like Everytime I Die, or any other hardcore band for that matter. In my eyes, LWID is a cross between Helmet, Incubus, Mr. Bungle, and Between the Buried And Me. Its not for everyone, but I certainly dont think it deserved such a mawling.

    Posted by etwiels88 on 2006-01-24 01:06:10
    My Score:

    said band was so awful live. couldn't stand it

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, January 24, 2006 at 12:41 AM (EST)

    i really respect these guys...they don't buy into any scene bullshit, trends, etc.

    and their lead singer goes crazy live

    Posted by FuckYouOiOiOi on 2006-01-24 00:06:49

    i mean anchors, i always mix those two names up for some reason...

    Posted by FuckYouOiOiOi on 2006-01-24 00:06:23

    when i heard that they were like the minutemen i was gonna check them out. not anymore though, thanks sirens!

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