Customer Reviews

Thank You Captain Obvious

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update:
although you may find that you will enjoy this disc to justify it being listed at $40(!) new and sealed, if i were you, i would order it directly from the band via their website or myspace page. its only $10 or so from them, and a few of the first printing are still available. I've heard that their brand new cd will be released some time in early 2007.


Machine Go Boom has been playing together around Cleveland Ohio and beyond for nearly five years now. This is their debut disc as a band, if you don't include frontman/guitarist/songwriter Mikey Machine's 2001 self-titled solo debut, which is now out of print, and was only released as a CDR, and mainly given away to friends and anyone else who cared to listen. I think you can get those tracks from their website or iTunes now, however. Anyways, Machine Go Boom's 2003 "Thank You Captain Obvious" is a great album, already a classic in some circles. Often compared to a wide range of 80's/90's alt/underground/punk/pop/indie rockers like Superchunk, Pixies, Flaming Lips, R.E.M., Sebadoh, Yo La Tengo, GBV, B-52's, Dead Milkmen, Camper Van Beethoven, Violent Femmes, etc. While I'm sure Machine Go Boom appreciates these comparisons and would freely admit the influences of many of those acts and more, there is certainly much more to this album, and this band, than just some sort of record store nerd nodding acknowledgement of name droppings from the past or something. It rocks. It's catchy, infectious even. It is a strange dichotomy of bratty "romper room" sugar-wiry punkiness and simple classic adult pop song sensibility. Most importantly, it sounds great. An amazing debut to be sure. If you haven't seen or heard Machine Go Boom on tour or on cd yet, make a trip to Cleveland sometime to check them out, and DEFINITELY get this disc, i think the first printing of "Thank You Captain Obvious" is almost sold out, and you know how things can get when the collector scum finds out about it.

Right after Houseguest (obviously), is Machine Go Boom on any reasonable list of the best Ohio pop-rock bands. "Thank You, Captain Obvious" is a masterwork.