Name: Mike G
Album: Sugar Daddy
Year: 2000
Style: Lo-Fi Indie, Folk
Similar Bands: Grandaddy, Lincoln, Beck, Johnny Polanski, Ween,
One Word Review: Harmonized Sludgy Warmth
Based Out Of: NYC? (recording @ Moose in NY)
Label: See Thru Broadcasting
Sugar Daddy - Cover & CD
Sugar Daddy - Liner Notes & Back
Sugar Daddy (2000)- Clothing Store Girl 2:13
- Standing at the Party 1:59
- Sugar Daddy 2:33
- Anything You Want 3:12
- I Hope 2:37
- Asian Girl 0:57
- Uh-Huh 1:56
- Frederique 2:42
- Plastic Monkeys 2:03
- Our Lives 1:00
- Nothing in the Sky 2:54
- Don't Get Any Better 1:16
- Not the End of the World 0:45
- I'm So Into You 2:47
- When We Speak 0:49
- Move On 1:31
Members & Other Bands:
Mike G - Writing, Recording, Producing (Kabah, Dr. Manette, Pressure Point, Whiskey Rebels, Bill Hamel, Bray, US Roughnecks, Da Outsidaz, Four Finger Five)
Dave Berk - Writing, Drums (Johnny Moped, The Damned)
Greg Gordon - Co-producer, Transferring
D. Sardy - Executive Producer, Mixing
Jovar Andrews - Management
Seth Ginsberg - Legal
Marina Zurkow - Art Direction
Nancy Nowacek - Design
Susan Glenn-Matus - vocal
Unknown-ness: This record appeared on my CD shelf. I'm not sure when or why I bought it. Perhaps I read a brief snippet about this album, or perhaps I bought it because it was on the same record label as Enon & Starlight Mints at one time. I'm pretty sure I got it used for a few bucks. Based on the artwork, I would not be able to tell what kind of music was in store. It is bright, so I imagine it will be cheery. The font for Sugar Daddy has a bubblegum 60's pop feel to it, so perhaps it is fun & cheery. In the liner notes, he describes the music as noise, so perhaps it won't be fun and cheery, unless that description is just self-degrading. And unless the songs are 1-3 minutes long each, this will be a long album. But it seems very DIY too, so that offers some sort of catchy indie hope.
Album Review: What is to follow are 16 sketches and musical experiments. All catchy and poppy, but nothing fleshed out to a full song template style. I imagine these are DIY at home demos that were fleshed out half-way, but no plans were engaged to add or combined the individual thoughts. This one only one of four or five bands ever on the short, but brightly shining label See Thru Broadcasting. The samples here are tied together with the nasally and precious vocals that are closely related to Jason Lytel
“Clothing Store
Girl” is a beatnik poem set to a simple jazzy three piece instrumental. It is
funky, and then there is a fuzzy, noisy interlude. It jumps right back into the
familiar melody, and enhances things with a Ween like fuzzed out guitar. It is
simple and one dimensional, but a nice “period piece” that could also be described as slightly Captain Beefheart in nature.
“Standing at the
Party” also brings a funky bass and drum beat that I'd associate with BS 2000. The vocals, are rigid and again,
it reminds me part of Ween and part of Beck, and a dash of Soul Coughing. It’s silly
effects and vocal effects don’t detract from the song at all, which makes it a
solid concept song.
“Sugar Daddy” is
a dripping, slippery, harmonized pop single sung with light inflection like the
majority of Grandaddy songs.
“Anything You
Want” is more folky at the beginning (the acoustic Flaming Lips stuff). A
strong kick drum balances the light tambourine percussion, and the melody
cruises along a steady path unchallenged. The vocals are slight and pining for
affection in an Ass Ponies, or Lincoln way. But the general sentiment and melody of the
song is identical to Johnny Polanski’s stuff.
“I Hope” is a
wash of gargling vocals and warbling electro-tinged instruments. It feels a
little like a Rentals song, where there is a solid and simple power pop melody
at the base of the song. The layering of instruments in the instrumental
section is a driving, building “Spy Hunter/Theme of Peter Gunn” stylistic
parody.When the weight of the additives becomes too much, the song emplodes in
a fade out.
“Asian Girl”
reminds me of Captain Beefheart, in an awkward amateur recording that is also
unsteady and feels as if it could topple over at any time. It’s weird with a
foot stop tempo.
“Uh-Huh” features
a techno drum loop and catchy four power chord progression of fuzzy guitar. This
feels like a song idea that was not fleshed out completely. It is a party song
with the only lyrics Uh Huh, Come On and Yeah.
“Frederique” is a
slow Starlight Mints like song in the beginning, but it never follows through
on the complex melody the Mints employ. The vocals are quiet and hushed, like
Grandaddy again. The song is sung in Spanish, but as most of the song sounds
like a western tinged campfire song, an electronic element is added that brings
the technological age into the song.
“Plastic Monkeys”
is a side to side jangley guitar with a harmimonica played in the background. The
vocals are a little distorted, and it has a bright, nasally, slacker voice. It
never progresses beyond a sing-a-long intro & harmonica status.
“Our Lives” rests
on the harmonized vocals holding and stretching notes an extra-long time. It is
a solem and hsort number.
“Nothing in the
Sky” reminds me of the deadpan delivery of Marcy’s Playground’s “Sex &
Candy.” With the thick electric guitar and drum loop.
“Don't Get Any
Better” reminds me exactly of the band Lincoln that opened for TMBG, who also
lost their guitarist to TMBG. It is nasally, thoughtful vocals over a jangley
guitar full of catcy melodies and a steady cymbal percussion beat.
“Not the End of
the World” continues in a slightly different direction with the previous song’s
style. The rapping drum beat seems out of tune with the rest of the melodies.
“I'm So Into You”
begins with a bunch of annoying La-la-la’s but it quickly sheds that and
becomes a powerful chugging guitar heavy track, reminding me of Track Star in
its lo-fi production. It has the cleanest power-pop guitar hook, and it is produced
with a steady density that is completely streamlined. It builds very nicely,
and delivers in the chorus with harmonized sludgy warmth.
“When We Speak”
heads back to the singer songwriter acoustic guitar and vocals. It is slow in
its delivery, at least comparatively to the rest of the album. And does not
last long, as it fades out before it has a chance to change or recover.
“Move On” is the
album ender, but it feels like it should just be followed by 16 more rapid fire
song sketches and bleeding heart sympathy. Like many of the songs that came
before it, it feels a little old timey in the simplicity and delivery of the
vocal-guitar pairing. But it is the other tidbits and electronic flourishes
that keep it deeper than a harmless singer songwriter’s journal.
Stand Out Track: I'm So Into You
Links:
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