Customer Reviews

Volcano I'm Still Excited

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

 

 

I am not going to try and compare this to anything, or try to brag about all the cool indie bands I have heard of... I am not going to say much except this album, in my opinion, is damn catchy. At first listen I was not totally impressed, but a few songs caught my attention and my laziness to skip the other songs turned into a good thing because it made me realize I should not have given up so soon on the rest of the album. This album is not groundbreaking or anything, but its a great listen, and I think "In Green" is a really pretty song. I stumbled onto this cd by accident, but i feel lucky i did. I think its that sort of album that you just have on when you are in a good mood and it doesnt weigh your mind, there isnt anything to ponder, ya just enjoy it.

having heard 3 songs, i went out and bought the album. i was quite surprised (and disappointed) to realize that the rest of the songs were almost NOTHING like the ones i had heard (2nd Gun, In Green, and Trunk of My Car, incidentally). consistent listening allowed me to appreciate some of the sounds going on (notably Firebombing London and Goodbye, Casio), but i have to say i would like this disc a lot more if the songs were along the lines of 2nd Gun or In Green.

in short, there seems to be a lot of potential here, but only about half the time does volcano, i'm still excited get there.

Hi- when I first considered buying this I read the reviews here which went both ways but listened to the sample tracks..I like what I heard. Listening to the full length album was fun and entertaining. There are a lot of changes...unpredictable harmonies, tempos, little things in music that makes this fun to listen to over and over again. There are only about 3 tracks I skip through regularly..mostly short instrumentals, and out of 16 tracks that's not bad.

This band is so unique and fun. I love just "dancing" to it in the car, in my room, at school, anywhere. Listen to it with an open mind.

I think this debut is fresh and dancy. You can play it at a party without receiving disturbed looks and it has a bunch of potential hits ("In Green", "2nd Gun" "Around the dream" "Fisty Cuffs" "Two Exclamation Marks").

The lack of professionality is rather ironic and adds to their lesser serious approach to music.

So, this is innovative pop punk with a good lot of 80's nostalgia.

This all provides one thing: even after three weeks of listening I, myself can say: HELL YEAH! I'm still excited!!

Volcano, I'm Still Excited!!...well, we wish we could say the same about this New York band's debut self-titled release, but like so many other throwback budget new wave acts, they prove that a Casio and not-so-clever over-used cliches are not the way to listeners' hearts.

The story behind Volcano, I'm Still Excited!! is probably more exciting than anything this release has to offer. In 1998, Lead vocalist, Mark Duplass released his debut album Small Hands. After a successful acoustic US tour, he was signed to Polygram's Mercury Records and released another solo album to moderate success. While working on his next release, Duplass was diagnosed with a severe case of tendonitis in both arms and doctors informed him he would never play guitar again.

He enrolled in City College of New York at Harlem to study music composition. During this time he came across a used Casio and purchased it for $10. It was the only instrument he could play pain free and without damaging his wrists. He wrote songs and sent them to friends who he wanted to perform with him. Named after Tom Hanks' flop Joe Versus the Volcano, the end result became Volcano, I'm Still Excited!! featuring Mark Duplass on vocals and keyboards, Craig Montoro on guitar and John Thomas Robinette III on drums. Oh if only the music they chose to put out was 1/10 as exciting as their biography they could very well be the next Rapture.

Unlike their long-named counterparts, Godspeed You! Black Emperor and ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead, this band has nothing to offer the listener except empty pop expressions that aren't even catchy and are often forgettable.

There's nothing wrong with a short, sweet pop song, but the problem with Volcano, I'm Still Excited!! is that the listener is left feeling unsatisfied. As one reviewer puts it, "[the songs] are more like unfinished bedroom projects than proper songs."

Despite the 16 grating tracks, there is only one that can be considered passable. A cross between The Shins' "Saint Simon" and Mates of State's "A Duel Will Settle This," "Mostly On An Island" is perhaps the album's only redeeming factor. Sadly, most listeners won't get that far to even hear it.