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Dillinger Four

This Shit Is Genius (1999)
No Idea Records

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Contributed by: dlangl4
(others by this writer | submit your own)

Published on August 28th 2009

I’m starting with the last point first: This is Dillinger Four’s weakest release by far, but is it still worth buying? Hell yeah.

This Shit Is Genius was released by No Idea Records in 1999 and is a collection of various songs recorded from 1994 to 1997 during the band’s infant years. With D4’s classic punk release Midwestern Songs of the Americas dropping just one year later in 1998, the most noticeable difference between the two albums is the discrepancy in how good the songs are. Midwestern contains some of the best tunes D4 ever put down on plastic, whereas This Shit Is Genius comes across as B-sides and filler that might have been mixed into Midwestern had it been a double album. It’s not that the songs are bad. They are just indistinct and lacking in whatever made every other D4 album a must-own record.

But the popular Minneapolis punk rockers don’t completely drop the ball with This Shit Is Genius. Their trademark Midwestern gruff is ever-present on each of the 14 tracks. The lyrics are above-average when compared to most punk bands going today, but they do fall short when compared to other D4 releases. With a running time a little over 30 minutes, this album kind of starts to drag about halfway through. By that point the two best songs, "Open and Shut" and "Sally Maclennane" (a Pogues cover), have come and gone, and a large chunk of the last seven songs are skippable.

I’m making this album sound worse than it is. It’s not bad at all. In fact, it’s well above mediocre. This is Dillinger Four we’re talking about, so you know it’s better than most of the other shit being pushed on us these days. But when compared to their later work, yeah, this shit isn't genius, but it is worth getting. Just make sure to get this D4 album last and only if you really want to complete the collection.

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eggainst (September 2, 2009)

"I got no interest in bands that sound Irish or like Against Me (same shit). "

Apparently you've never listened to Dillinger Four because they neither sound Irish or like against me. Maybe an assumption due to the mention of a Pogues cover?

gotsmuch (September 1, 2009)

i think reviews of albums that are 10 years old are fucking ridiculous. punkneeeeewwwwwwwssssss.

Redscare (August 31, 2009)

This wasn't on No Idea.

Misanthropee (August 30, 2009)

I heard this around when it came out thanks to a tip from a friend and it blew my mind. Completely changed my notions of what "punk" should be. Honest and raw as fuck, but smart and melodic. Killer shit.

evildeadalive (August 30, 2009)

Hmmm. Interesting. By far my favorite D4 release. Listen to this album way more than any of the rest. '2 Cents' is probably my favorite D4 song ever...

crackpotdemagogue (August 30, 2009)

the lyrics are "above average" and the album is their "weakest release by far" ?!?!

are you out of your mind? this album is fucking gold from start to finish, both lyrically and musically. The only thing D4 have ever given to the world that might be construed as 'weak' is the first avenue live cd, and even that is great for the banter alone.

Suggesting that people should buy this "only if [they] really want to complete the collection" defies belief.

terrible review.

muckymuck (August 30, 2009)

I'm giving you half a star, you cunts.

* divid 2

muckymuck (August 30, 2009)

I got no interest in bands that sound Irish or like Against Me (same shit).

I like the Dillinger movie that stars Warren Oates, though.

1970's badass vulgar!

baldsteve (August 30, 2009)

I had all of these singles before this came out originally, but this release prevented me from flipping constantly. This has some of my favorite D4 songs, also the first I ever heard. Far from throw away.

kylewagoner (August 29, 2009)

I always find myself singing the "song" that comes at the end of "He's a Shithead (Yeah, Yeah)" that just goes "Dillinger Four.....Dillinger Four.....Dillinger Four.....Dillinger...Four."

It might be my favorite song by them. No, that's ridiculous, but I do love them. I have about half of the songs from this. Score is for those songs. It's D4.

R3vengeTherapy (August 29, 2009)

Wow, I'm really shocked that the people on this site aren't talking about this like it's one of the greatest things ever.

I really love this release, even though I don't believe it's their best. This is some classic pop punk here.

D4 really haven't released anything that I would even deem mediocre.

More Songs About Girlfriends and Bubblegum is my favorite "early" release though.

KurtTGS (August 29, 2009)

Inquiring Minds and Bite the Curb are GOLD.

ffwoodycooks (August 28, 2009)

this record got me into D4, so ill always have that important attachment to it (because they were my favorite band until i heard Mclusky)

all these songs are great. they havent written one song id consider mediocre

quoteunquoterecords (August 28, 2009)

*re-released "years" later

quoteunquoterecords (August 28, 2009)

First of all this record was NOT released in '99 by No Idea, it was released by TDR Records and re-released year later by No Idea.

More importantly, as far as an odds and ends collection from a band, this thing is pretty solid the whole way through, especially the end. Those comp Hopeless/Subcity compilation tracks (bitethecurbbitethecurb, Inquiring Minds...) were definitely the songs that got a lot of people (myself included) into Dillinger Four and discovering Midwestern Songs 'cause those songs are awesome. The lyrics (especially on Holy Shit and He's a Shithead) don't make the songs sound like throwaways. Some of it sounds "shitty", but it IS punk rock (before the era of quanitizing and autotune.) Your review is good, but I definitely think this is in the upper tier of Dillinger Four records and more consistent than the stuff they did on Fat.

Just sayin'!

xshoutoutx (August 28, 2009)

This album deserves at least 4 stars if only for "Open and Shut," Smells Like O.K. Soda," "Holy Shit," and "You're Not Blank!"

paulrulzdood (August 28, 2009)

definitely their weakest "album", but worth owning if you're a hardcore D4 fan (most here are it seems) or if you're a completionist.

"tastes like OK soda" is certainly the best song on it, IMO.

Midwestern Songs & Situationist Comedy are my favorite D4 albums, and two of my favorite punk albums of all time. i'd rank both in my top 40 punk albums.