Fiestas & Fiascos

Lifter Puller | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 15, 2000)
• Original Release Date: March 7, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Self-Starter Records
• ASIN: B00003XAJX
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #196,152 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Please Don't Pay $100 For This, January 5, 2006

By 

J. Bernbach (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fiestas & Fiascos (Audio CD)

This is a good record. If you're coming to this via the Hold Steady like me, you won't be disappointed. Just take the big arena sound of that band and replace it with some punk/new wave backing music and there you are. I actually prefer this to Almost Killed Me, but not to Separation Sunday, which is a masterpiece. Just DO NOT pay $100 for this. I bought it on iTunes for $10. In general, watch out for the price gougers selling used copies of out-of-print CDs. Itunes might surprise you with some of the out-of-print stuff it sells and, of course there are other slightly less reputable online vendors selling deeply discounted mp3s that you can always check before letting some dude rob you of a day's pay.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars We could always get some 3.2, September 2, 2000

By 

Jonathan J. Casey (the twin cities) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fiestas & Fiascos (Audio CD)

Lifter Puller have changed a lot over the last 5 years: Craig's voice has gotten more aggressive, the lyrics more self-referential, the band simultaneously more angry and goofy. And then they broke up. But you can still hear them on "Fiestas + Fiascos," practically a concept album that bears as much resemblance to the Minneapolis club scene as "Purple Rain" did. Like that album, it totally rocks and at times becomes almost unbearably silly ("Computer Blue," anyone?).

Craig Finn's mouthful-of-marbles voice spits forth a barrage of words that would mean nothing if they came from anyone else. Even though he never seems to be singing about anything of any particular relevance (drugs, whatever it is that his girl wants, some guy named "Nightclub Dwight") it all manages to take on some sort of holy power. This street hustler's sham sermon is meant to draw you into the vortex that is Lifter Puller: punk rock, catchy pop, snakey guitar lines that border on prog-rock, and a dash of Salt'n'Pepa. You will have no choice but to kneel at their altar- or flee in terror. Are you a believer?

FYI: "Candy's Room" is not a Bruce Springsteen cover...though you get the same kind of on-the-edge passion. And no lousy guitar solo.

Watch out for guitarist Steve Barone's brilliant sideshow "Hawaii Rocks."

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars scenes of desperate city dwellers, March 30, 2000

By 

jason roberts (Minneapolis,MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fiestas & Fiascos (Audio CD)

On Lifter Pullers's latest opus- we find an audio screenplay of bad drugs, cheap booze and visceral characters intertwined in what seems to be one night. A loose concept album with amazing lyrics from Craig Finn, and a nouveau garage style of playing. Tempos shift from scene to scene as we follow along to meet all types of seedy characters and tales of self destruction or possibly self discovery. One of the finest records put out in the past year. Catch the live show if you get an opportunity, always unpredictable and quite the experience. A rough and tumble rhythm section with very cool guitar chords and textures and late 60's style keyboards sets their sound apart from almost every other band. If you like late 60's garage punk with a hint of Elvis Costello on cheap cocaine Lifter Puller should be your new favorite band. Fiestas + Fiascos is a real fiesta.