Customer Reviews

Senor Boombox

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

In my eyes The Disco Biscuits stand out as a fiercely talented oasis of originality in a genre where innovation is too often second-string to derivation. Technically, not only does each member stand out as a unique and exemplary player of his respective instrument but together they form one of the tightest and most tuned-in ensembles in the jam band scene (or any scene, for that matter), to boot. They can play off each other like nobody's business, and they do - at great length, to great musical success. What's more, they know the things that make a song work on a record as well as it does when they play it live (though obviously, a live show wins out to recorded music any day of the week), which is something that I wish more groups of their ilk could claim.

That being said, their latest offering is a testament to the ingenuity, creative potential and genuine musical diversity that the guys in the band seem to exude. The record is a study in juxtaposition: the first track, Hope, hovers somewhere between a melodic, soft-spoken ode and a crunchy pop tune (staying genuinely Bisco the whole time) and then gives way to Float Like a Butterfly, which is techno so genuine I can taste the X. Floodlights churns out an ominously heavy groove and then almost awkwardly (but not at all inappropriately) cuts into the bouncing and bubbly opening melody of Jigsaw Earth, a song whose midsection makes a bizarrely in-character foray into what could pass for circus music before finally returning to its original theme.

Though each song (excluding the ambient tracks) works well enough as its own piece of music, there is a certain vague but definitely noticeable cohesiveness to the record that makes listening to it all the richer an experience.

It's a departure, of sorts, from earlier Bisco, but at the same time it remains strangely familiar and completely enjoyable. Where earlier in their career they might conceivably have been dismissed by the skeptical as just another group trying to ride the coattails of the Phish-moe.-SCI jam phenom, at this stage of the game few should question the lasting originality, inventiveness and overall musical talent of these guys. Any so-called jam band that can present an organically produced electronica/techno-infused sound to diehard jam fans without alienating them is a group that is without a doubt a winner in my book, and this recording features the boys at the tops of their games on all counts.

Granted if you're not a fan of the music, you're not gonna like it, simple as that. But if you have any appreciation for innovation and originality in today's music scene, the Disco Biscuits are most surely a band to check out, and this album would make a fine cornerstone to any burgeoning DB library. (Then again, so would any of the other albums... But still. Stop reading and just buy the disc already.)

[Wow] This cd must prove to all of the disbelievers that this band is where its at in the jam circuit right now. This cd takes the electronic-pulse pounding-breakbeat style of "They Missed the Perfume" and put it on songs that they have been playing live for awhile...well know songs! Ive scene over 20 shows and these guys live...well there is nothing to compare them too...they lay down the sickest groove and has anyone seen Barber??!!?? He plays the guitar not with the intention to please but with the intent to make u dislocate ur knees from dancing so hard. And for any Bisco phan...Jigsaw recorded all polished and hyped up with effects is alone worth the price..not to mention Hope, Triumph, The Tunnel and FLOES!!!!!!!!! ...everyone should hear this cd...and love the biscuits...they are unreal...

The Disco Biscuits have finally reached a level where all of their influences are at their prime. It's all here: rock, electronic, ambient and pop, all rolled into a grand statement. I was blown away at how the album starts with "Hope" and then the song comes back at the end of the album to make a complete statement. Wow! The Biscuits are innovators and are pushing rock into places never seen. Standout tracks are "Jigsaw Earth," "Float Like A Butterfly," and "Floes." There is also a cool 10 minute + ambient track that seems to be hidden on track 13. Check it out. This band will be doing stadiums sooner than you think.

The Disco Biscuits have finally reached a new level in their careers. Boombox is a great summary of everything they have ever done. From the electronic beats to the rock improv to the ambient sounds, it's all expressed on this cd. Stand out tracks are "Jigsaw Earth," "Hope," "Float Like A Butterfly" and "Floes." This band just keeps getting bigger and better. They are the future of the music world. Eclectic, yet somehow coming all together by their love of pop songs. The cover art is perhaps the best of the year.

They Missed the Perfume was a huge album; while it used a lot of sounds and ideas that have been floating around for a very long time, it kind of turned the whole electronica movement on its ... for me. A lot of electronica acts take themselves far too seriously, and the Biscuits with TMTP managed to sound cool while maintaining a sense of humor about the whole thing. Spacebirdmatingcall is somewhere between an awesome groove song and Nintendo music (Super Nintendo - Pilotwings - Light Plane). Anyway, the album was a bit of a departure: Altman didn't play a single real drum and Magner went ballistic on the overdubs. I really saw TMTP as a blueprint for where the band was going with their live act (...and the shows I went to at that time seemed to confirm that belief) and with further studio releases. So I waited for Señor Boombox with eager anticipation.

...And it sounds like they're going back in a phishy direction. Granted, Boombox is comprised of songs essential to their awesome stage show, but it doesn't take any of those songs into the sonic territory they explore on stage. And without that, there isn't much left - none of them can really sing and there isn't really an effective melody to be found on this album. Most of Barber's melodies move parallel to whatever chord progression he's written. And I repeat, none of them can really sing. You forgive all this in their live show because they freak out electronica style, and there's a great lightshow, and you've smoked a bunch of weed and you're jumping around like a fool... I digress. The point is, this album has neither the strength of composition, the groove, or the flow of their previous album, but maybe that's an impossibility, because I really think that They Missed the Perfume is one of the finest and *coolest* albums ever made. It came out of nowhere and surprised me big time, and has put a smile on the face of every person I've ever played it for, sober or stoned silly playing Rainbow Road in Super Mario Kart. Perhaps they just can't live up to themselves, because so far I'm not enjoying Señor Boombox that much in either mindframe.

I could not disagree with the last reviewer more. I think that this is the Biscuits best studio effort to date. Once again this album is very different from their other 3. I liked their last cd, They Missed the Perfume, a lot, but like most of their fans I preferred Uncivilized Area. Senor Boombox has more real instrumentation and less computer effects then They Missed.. did. This album is truer to their live presence as well. I've had this cd for over a week now and I can't stop listening to it. I really like how they transformed (one of my favorite live songs) King of the World into Float like a Butterfly (if you bought the cd from Homegrown Music then you got a bonus cd with the studio outtake of KOTW). Again I would like to say that I feel this is the Biscuits best album to date, and their true fans will love it.

p.s I'm not a stoner like the last reviewer mentioned

The songs on this album individually have some pretty good moments, at least in terms of structure. For example, the "chase" sequence in Jigsaw Earth is a fantastic, fun composition, and the calypso feel of the song is captured excellently in the studio. Additionally, Floes features some pretty good guitarwork by Jon Gutwillig. Sound One, while the vocals are a little weird, is an excellently composed song with a fairly strange rhythm to it and playful lyrics (though I won't tell you what they mean). And lastly, Float Like a Butterfly is an interesting dance-party piece -- though it could've been spiced up a bit, the female vocals add to the style of the song tremendously.

However, there is absolutely no flow to the album. The tracks bounce from style to style in a very choppy manner. There's Hope's fairly standard jamrock sound then FLAB's techno, then some Beastie-esque Floodlights, back to calypso, then prog-rock, then more traditional fare...it's just too much to take. It seems like the Biscuits wanted everyone to like their latest album, and it just falls apart because of this lack of cohesiveness.

The new bisco cd senor boombox is great cd. Floodlights is an amazing song in this cd. Jigsaw earth has its reggae roots and it sounds great. Me being a long time bisco fan and attending many of thier shows know that no studio recording will ever match there live stuff, but this cd has really good quailty. there are some awsome beats coming from Sam with his e-drum. there are guest drummers which combine to create great jams. overall the best song on this album was floodlights. it was full and loud with awsome vocal changing.

This album is not good...too much techno...cannot compare to Uncivilized area

The same old comments. No matter who a band is now a days, it seems they're the future of music. This band keeps getting worse, keeps falling into old cliches, and each time people praise them more and more. Is the music world in that much trouble? Now I will say these guys are lot better than the other "future of music" bands like The Strokes and Clinic, but damn, that's not saying anything. And so here's my question. How can a band be the future of music when they do nothing new and not even anything innovative?
I'm a big fans of music from all genres and approaches, and from all time periods. And what these guys do is over thirty years old already. Their website used to proclaim they played "A groundbreaking mix of live and electronic music" ground broke by German musicians in the late 60's. I urge all you Bisco fans to start doing a little more research into obscure music. This has all been done before.
And a final note- The first reviewer for this album summed it up the best. The other reviewers seemed to have completely missed his point and got overly defensive. If any of you Bisco fans are getting angry at this review, note that I'm not writing it to belittle you or to say your opinions are wrong. If you like the music you like the music, but realize when you say certain things about the music it's not all opinion. Fanaticism hardly makes for relevant reviews.