The Midgetmen
Show Pony
Self-Released; 2008
It’s always nice to hear a bit of earnest sweat and grit blare out of the speakers. It might be considered trendy for a band to put songs to tape live and natural in the studio, eschewing fancy recording and editing software, but this is one reviewer who appreciates such devotion to DIY ethics. Everything might not come out sounding clean and pretty on these self-recorded projects, with the fuzzy detritus wiped away and the sloppy notes auto-tuned out of existence, but at least the listener knows that he/she is hearing the band at their most fundamental.
This is exactly the experience and reaction that The Midgetmen desire with their music. They provide people the opportunity to receive the band on a very organic level and then come to appreciate the band’s raw sound and workman-like approach to their craft. And after a four-year gap between albums, this Austin, TX quartet is returning vigorously with their third album, a fun, bristling, sixteen-track affair entitled Show Pony. Having garnered a host of awards from local Austin press, mostly regarding the band’s raucous live shows and their preference for intensity over proficiency, it’s their desire to transfer their live energy into studio that propels the album.
In one sense, the music of The Midgetmen defies description: one Austin critic has employed the phrase “slop punk” to depict the band’s sound, yet, while it works on the surface, it also ignores the band’s penchant for early ‘90s indie melodies. The strength of Show Pony rests firmly in straight-ahead rockers like “Trickle Down,” “Strap It On,” “Three Chords and a Cloud of Dust,” and “Club Sandwich” when the music leaps out quickly and gallops briskly along toward the ending, compelling the listener to follow along for fear of missing some inside lyrical joke or not hearing a catchy, tasty riff. Granted, though the lyrics for tracks like “Moo Cows & Horsies,” “Bunk Sock,” and “Jimmy & Skippy” are smirk-inducing and display the band’s sense of humor, they come across like really cheesy novelty songs that could spoil an otherwise engaging record. With the band’s energetic performances and passion for delivering a great time to their acolytes, fans of boisterous punk, rock, and indie music will find much to love with The Midgetmen and Show Pony.