Modern Machines / Thwap!
Album: Thwap!   Collection:General
Artist:Modern Machines   Added:Nov 2003
Label:New Disorder Records  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2004-05-17 Pull Date: 2004-07-19
Week Ending: Jul 25 Jul 11 Jun 27 Jun 13 Jun 6 May 30 May 23
Airplays: 1 1 1 2 1 2 1

Recent Airplay
1. Jul 03, 2014: Amber Waves
Look Me in the Eye
4. Jul 25, 2004: Oh Messy Life
Sick of this Conversation
2. Nov 14, 2004: Oh Messy Life
Home Is Where the Hicks Is
5. Jul 18, 2004: Oh Messy Life
(We're) a Basement Band
3. Aug 15, 2004: Oh Messy Life
Home Is Where the Hicks Is
6. Jul 04, 2004: Oh Messy Life
Alienation Ii

Album Review
Ragnar of Ravensfjord
Reviewed 2004-04-13
Funny guys from Milwaukee (just read their recent Maximum Rocknroll interview) doing some killer indie rock/catchy punk. Think of Hüsker Dü, Hickey & Replacements circa 1983-85. In fact the lead vocalist shifts from sounding like Paul Westerberg in one song then Bob Mould in the next (though the whole CD doesn’t go exactly like that). References aside, you’ll want to be sluggin’ some good & cheap beer whilst listening to this!
(((1))) Totallly Replacements worship! Sounds like an outtake from “Stink!” Awesome.
((((2)))) Holy Zen Arcade, Batman! Now they’re Hüsker Dü! Totally uptempo, rockin’ yet full of melodies & harmonies.
(((3))) Back to the loose, old Replacements type o' sound.
(0:48 FCC “Fuckin”)
(((4))) Strummy, mid tempo rock in the “Please To Meet Me”-era Replacements vein mixed with Hüsker Dü/Nova Mob, Moving Targets.
((((5)))) More of the Hüsker/early Buffalo Tom/Nova Mob sound (kind of like the Hüsker-influenced bands from the early 90s & like Hüsker themselves). Nice guitars all over the place.
(((6))) Straight-ahead garage-Rn’R sound.
((((7)))) Wailing guitars sounding like a LOT like the Replacements (very much a younger Mr. Westerberg in the vocals & guitars). (Note: it ends with someone saying “fucking fuck!”)
((8)) Twangy, mid-tempo instumental
(((9))) Big drums, twang, harmonic & a straight-ahead Midwestern indie rock circa 1984-85 sound
((((10)))) More big drums in the intro & bass, then fast kind of punk sound with some reflective lyrical phrasing. (1:48 FCC “shit”)
((((11)))) Laid back twang into mid-tempo & sort of fast Midwest indie. Absurdly catchy!
(((12))) Pretty nice twangy, poppy yet fast FCCs “that 4-leaved clover, fucked me over” 0:26, 1:04 & 1:37.
(((13))) Ultra-Midwest & loose indie sound from the early 90’s. Nice, basic & rockin’. Could’ve easily been on Twin-Tone circa ‘90.
((((14)))) More twangy & REALLY rockin’ punk-ish action.
(((15))) More catchy Hüsker/Replacements worship. Derrivative? Maybe. Rad? Most certainly!
(((16))) Weird acoustic Replacements meet Neil Young in a Milwaukee bar at closing time sound.

Track Listing
1. Look Me in the Eye   9. (We're) a Basement Band
2. Sick of this Conversation   10. Free Will Blues
3. Two Bullets, One Gun, Two He   11. The City that Never Wakes Up
4. Radio Tower   12. I Are Ropeless
5. Home Is Where the Hicks Is   13. Down the Upward Escalator
6. My Side of the River   14. Alienation Ii
7. Run It   15. Sobered Down
8. Watson's Theme   16. There's a Problem with the B