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Mico

Standing Inside A Shadow (2001)
Does Everyone Stare?

Reviewer Rating:

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

Published on March 11th 2002

40 minutes and 53 seconds of rock. That's about the easiest way to sum up this release. This Canadian quintet takes all that is stale and overdone in the "emo" genre and gives all of it a fresh, new spin. Every time I listen to this disc, I just hear so much potential contained in this band.

Tracks like "Section One" and "Hallyon Day" are great rockers, with great dual-voiced choruses and serrated guitar lines that mangle the melody and reconstruct it as they see fit. The band doesn't shy away from quieter moments, though. One listen to "Found In Your Possession" will make you a believer in the band's ability to tone things down but still rock it out. The band also brings to the table 3 different guitarists ala Bad Religion, allowing for some pretty original interplay between the left and right channels of your speakers. The instrumental "18.12.79" is a surefire example, with a solid 2 minute soothing chord-laden buildup to the powerful crescendo that you can see coming from a mile away, and yet you don't mind at all because you know it's going to kick ass. But the band is not all instruments. The lyrics hold up, too: "Instinctive motions pacify my thoughts / They free your mind of what corrupts" is one of my favorite lines from the album.

I would highly recommend Mico to fans of older Sunny Day Real Estate, Jimmy Eat World ["Static Prevails" era], or to anyone who ever wanted to hear the Weakerthans' faster material with more of a darker edge to it. This Alberta band is well on their way to making a name for themselves, and you'd be a fool not to know about them.

MP3s
Section One
Hallyon Day
Six Stages Of Illusion

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Anonymous (May 6, 2003)

Dead Letter Dept., Closet Monster, Bombs Over Providence, Protest The Hero, Hostage Life, The Downbelows, The Getaway........all great Toronto area bands, give it up for the east coast!!

Anonymous (October 20, 2002)

while we're on canadian bands nobody has mentioned yet the class assassins and cheerleader come to mind

Anonymous (October 11, 2002)

don't forget propahandi!

Anonymous (March 21, 2002)

hey everyone forgot about wpp, dbs, the smugglers, by a thread, complete, tim, andres last chance, there are tons of great bands fromthe vancouver area.

I saw tim at the cobalt last night with some mulletcore band that really sucked. tim was awesome though.

evildeadalive (March 17, 2002)

Yeah, BNU fucking rocked. I liked their cover of Minor Threat's 'It Follows' almost better than the original.

Anonymous (March 16, 2002)

brand new unit broke up.. :(((( their drummer is now playing with GOB

Anonymous (March 15, 2002)

how about sparkmarker and brand new unit? are they still around anymore?

matteatworld (March 14, 2002)

hubble bubbles, floating on the surface hubble bubbles, floating on the surface hubble bubbles, floating on the surface hubble bubbles, floating on the surface

haha i've seen slogan quite a few times.. they're actually pretty cool

evildeadalive (March 14, 2002)

To each his/her own I guess. I thought they were really good. They weren't standing aroud for the whole set the few times I saw them, and I thought the drummer wasn't bad. As for being a Moneen rip-off, I don't know. I could never really get into them as much as some people. They're alright. You'll probabaly think I'm an idiot now, but I like St. Tibs Day better. I think they're pretty damn good for a buncha kids... just my opinion. (Don't go thinking it's an uneducated one either, I've been going to punk rock shows for ten years now, and have literally seen hundreds and hundreds of bands play, including Moneen... and Mico for that matter, since this is their review)

My real name is Rod. I don't think I would know or have met you, but who knows. I was wearing a black Against All Authority hoodie at the NTA show if that helps.

Have you guys seen/heard Slogan? If so what did you think? I went out with the bass player for three years. I've even seen her naked!!

Anonymous (March 14, 2002)

i saw st tibs day to, they stood without moving for there entire set, then during the last song, in about the last 20 seconds, they started to jump into each other, then they threw there instruments on the ground pretending to be hardcore, it was one of the most pathetic things i have ever seen

matteatworld (March 13, 2002)

yo evildeadalive.. whats your real name?? i was at the New Town Animals show at the Brickyard... we probably have hung out and just not known it.. but i must disagree on the St. Tibs Day.. i think they are one of the worst vancouver bands i've seen... there drummer is HORRIBLE and every show i've seen them they do that totaly fake emotional ending where they all pretend to go hardcore.. but they cant.. just bad Moneen rip offs

evildeadalive (March 13, 2002)

I'm from Chilliwack.... close enough. New Towm Animals fucking rock. I saw em for the 5th time a couple weeks ago with Wednesday Night Heroes and the Black Jacks. WNH fucking rocked, Edmonton oi!! Black Jacks kick a lotta ass too.(ex Thee Pirates) I love the Vancouver scene. My absolute favorite Van band is St. Tibs Day. They fucking kick ass live!! Slogan's good, Billy and The Lost Boys good good, Black Halos good. Tons more too.

shindo (March 13, 2002)

No I'm from Niagara Falls (Ontario)... but I have the upmost respect for the Vancouver indie rock scene. Lots of great stuff from there... but I can't get over how fucking awsome The New Pornographers are...

matteatworld (March 13, 2002)

shindo are you from vancouver?? how bout the New Town Animals , Evaporators, and the Hanson Brothers

shindo (March 13, 2002)

Canadians can’t be held responsible for Sum 41 any more than the Americans can be held responsible for Limp Bizkit and Creed.

Wyzo, you're always welcome here in Canada... however once you live here you'll be paid in our dollars, which arn't really worth anything but look really fucking cool. But required entrance into Canada requires you to familiarize yourself with the Vancouver indie-pop scene... New Pornographers all the way!

Anonymous (March 13, 2002)

and who could forget how both our hockey teams FUCKING KILLED the states at the olympics!!!

matteatworld (March 13, 2002)

SUM 41!!! you know you love it wyzo

wyzo (March 13, 2002)

people always want to know why I want to move to canada. No large armed force, no guns, stronger liquor, cleaner air, the dollar is worth more there, whats not to love?

wyzo

Anonymous (March 13, 2002)

Don't forget The Real Mckenzies

Anonymous (March 13, 2002)

GOB's "How Far Shallow Takes You" being one of the top 5 greatest punk/hardcore cd's ever created

matteatworld (March 13, 2002)

By A Thread, GlassHead, Chixdigit, Deville, THE GUESS WHO!!

evildeadalive (March 12, 2002)

NomeansNo, Grade, Dayglo Abortions, Belvedere, and a whole lot more. And yes, it is the beer. (although the whole 10$ for 24 cans would be pretty cool)

layawayplan (March 12, 2002)

Don't forget moneen, choke, layaway plan...another joe is decent, and gob gets credit for 1 (one) good album and a bunch of annoying shit.

I think it's our vastly superior beer.

wyzo (March 12, 2002)

canada has the music thing down.

painted thin, christine fellows, sixty stories, the paperbacks, the weakerthans,
propaghandi, head hits concrete, malefaction, greg macpherson, DOA.

Is it in the glacially melted water?

wyzo

matteatworld (March 11, 2002)

i saw this band in november for the first time... and i had never heard about them before.. and i must say they were the most amazing indie band i have ever seen... section one is a song i really reccomend everyone downloads

whendovescry (March 11, 2002)

Why don't you post my obviously superior reviews? Aw geez.