MONSTER-0: ...And Then There Were Zero

Monster-0

...And Then There Were Zero

© 2005 Daemon Hatfield (634479241994)

CD IN STOCK. ORDER NOW. Will ship immediately.

(About MP3 downloads at CD Baby)

electronic rock

tracks

1 Doubt It
2 I'm Not Afraid
3 Burt Bacharach Was Right
4 Not Going Home Alone
5 I Just Might
6 Afternoon
7 Or So You Think
8 Ultramega
9 Take Me Down
10 Photograph
11 Pressure Point
12 Dance On Over
13 When You're Not Alive
14 Thanks a Lot

notes

On "...And Then There Were Zero", the full-length follow up to their 2003 EP Entertainment System, Chicago-based laptop rockers Monster-0 upgrade their glitchy techno-pop sound with live drums and guitar, while retaining the synthesizer frills and solid pop foundation of their debut. Falling somewhere between Moby at his most rock and roll and The Dandy Warhols at their most electronically re-mixed, Monster-0 find ways to make the most disparate styles - from punk to dance-pop, rock to IDM - fully compatible. In a way, ...And Then There Were Zero offers a glimpse of what might result if Death Cab For Cutie and The Postal Service merged into a single band.

Monster-0 make their musical mission clear from the very first track, "Doubt It", wherein a pulsing synthesizer bassline and acoustic drums explode into distorted guitars on the chorus. "I'm Not Afraid" carries on in the same vibe, mating punk riffs to a steady electronic beat as the live percussion builds in the background. "Not Going Home Alone" and "Pressure Point" see sampled loops and rock instruments competing to see which can go farther out of control, while "Photograph" pairs a chill-out electronic beat with acoustic guitar. Meanwhile the closer, "Thanks A Lot", is pure, unadulterated techno-pop.

Once a one-man laptop act, Monster-0 is now a duo consisting of vocalist/guitarist/programmer Daemon Hatfield and drummer Lindsay Williams. Live, they crank out a full band's worth of energy and sound (with some assistance from the aforementioned laptop), giving the audience opportunities to breakdance, slow dance, and headbang throughout the set. For the most part, Monster-0 plays rock venues, but Daemon still does the occasional DJ set at dance clubs and parties.

Pushing the envelope without losing site of the pop center, paying equal lyrical attention to politics and video games, ...And Then There Were Zero manages to be experimental without being alienating. In that sense, Monster-0 can be placed just left of center, alongside the likes of Beck and Metric, planted on the fringe, whilst ever so slightly grazing the mainstream.

reviews

Please log in to review this album.

  • More Rock-friendly, but still very catchy pop songs
    author: Synthpop

    This debut album follows the earlier EP "Entertainment System" release for Monster-0 on Omega Point Records, and the band has grown in the intervening time, going from a strictly laptop-based instrumentation to adding Acoustic Drums, guitars, and several other instruments. The band has also added a member, with Lindsay Williams manning the drums, while Daemon Hatfield takes care of, as the liner notes put it, "Everything Else". The acoustic drums and guitars on this release lend a much more rock-friendly tone to the songs this time out, but the same powerfully catchy pop song structures that appealed so much in the EP release are still here in force. The songs are also a bit more cynical this time out, with "Doubt It" delivering a sarcastic smack in the mouth right from the get-go. "Burt Bacharach Was Right" is a very clever ballad, simultanouesly poking fun at itself for being a ballad, while managing to be a moving and effective ballad at the same time. There's a definite New Wave influence that comes into play several times here as well, such as in "Or So You Think" (which, while quite foul language-wise, is very catchy) or "I Just Might". "Ultramega", one of the most synthy of the tracks here, is followed by another excellent song, "Take Me Down". "Dance On Over" is another really enjoyable popsong, and "Thanks A Lot" closes out the disc on a definite high note. Overall, this disc takes a more Indie Rock spin on the Monster-0 sound from the previous EP, blending in New Wave and Rock influences to create a distinctive sound that's very enjoyable. The profanity still is there on one or two tracks, but overall, this is a very solid, enjoyable album that's well worth your checking out!

email

Please log in to email this artist.