Customer Reviews

Discosadness

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

These guys should have their picture next to the Lo-Fi Music entry on Wikipedia. They define the Lo-Fi alternative rock genre. Their music is subtle yet powerful. The music just flows! Keep it up!

"Discodsadness" is the debut album by Say Hi To Your Mom, a project by Eric Elbogen, a Brooklyn pop musician. While its not quite as good as its followup, its a really great record.

Elbogen has found a lo-fi vibe that works well, sort of the primitive '70s guitar sound meets early '80s new wave keyboards, with his half mumbled, half sung vocals on top of it. Of extraordinary note are Elbogen's lyrics, which somehow manage in their goofiness to capture a mood that perfectly matches his music-- he knows he's producing fun music, and even with its generally melancholy feel, its loosened nicely by the lyrics ("we could play some Pac-Man or go to the library / we can order some Pad Thai without the MSG", he croons in "They Write Books About This Sort of Thing"). Invariably, its a capturing of the life of a geeky guy in Brooklyn-- fact is, I suspect a lot of music geeks, myself included, will feel a strange kinship with Elbogen, between his bizarre pop culture references and his almost lazy attitude about pursuing love. What makes "Discosadness" fall short of "Numbers and Mumbles" (the second album and thus far Say Hi To Your Mom's masterpiece) is that the arrangements are a bit sparse-- there's times you'd hope to hear some more instrumentation, or a bit denser keyboard overlay on a song.

Now mind you, that isn't to say there's not just brilliant moments on the album (the sublime opener, "The Fritz", the largely synth-driven "Kill the Cat" and the extraordinary paean to love-but not at the expense of basketball, "Unless the Lakers Game Was On"), but Elbogen got his formula perfected next album-- start with "Numbers & Mumbles", then come back to this. If you've already got that one, then by all means, grab this disc, its superb.

WOW!! Eric Elbogen, of LoveRuckus fame, has put together quite an album. It's awesome!! Everyone should own it and love it cause I do and my hands are freezing.

I completely disagree with the last reviewer's sentiment about the band's name. I think it's awesome! Very refreshing at a time when every new band's name starts with "The." Anyway, I digress. Discosadness is definitely one of 2002's top 10 records you've probably never heard of. It's colorful, funny, emotional and rocking. What more can you ask for?

This album in incredible I own all the SHTYM albums and find myself listening to them more than any other artist.

You to have get this album to listen to Laundry as soon as I play it I get an ear to ear smile, it is one of my favorite songs ever.

If you liked Beck back in the "loser" days you will love Say Hi.

I'm not a big fan of this band's name, but the music more than makes up for it. I recommend sampling "Laundry" if you don't believe me (although you should always trust someone named Muffins). ...Can't wait for their next one!

just the same as the other reviews, great name. thats what really caught my attention, it is just so random that i had to preview one of the songs. good music. fits almost everymood you are in basically. well for me it does

i think that this band totally rocks. everything. name. lyrics. sound. its just really great. theyre like my new favorite.