Trying to Escape the Bigotry, by Electric Needle Room

Trying to Escape the Bigotry

by Electric Needle Room

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1.	Everyone Wants Your Money 03:12	lyrics	buy track
Well you're trying to run but you can't get away You can hide for years but in the end they'll get their prey They're the I.R.S. So you'll pay your taxes and you'll pay all of your bills Then you'll go see the doctor and he wants you take pills So there's insurance Everyone wants your money Hahahahahaha Nope, this ain't funny Even when you're broke they'll keep asking for more And charge interest, they don't care, they're not poor They are corporate. They're the government.
2.	Nobody Cares About Me Anymore 03:44	info	buy track
3.	Mediocre Bands 02:46	info	buy track
4.	You Make Me Feel Sunny (free) 04:11	info	download
5.	All of My Ancestors Were Wrong 04:20	info	buy track
6.	Hollywood 02:37	info	buy track
7.	Middle of the Ocean 03:44	lyrics	buy track
Went down in the middle of the ocean Don't know if I will make it Make it I try to swim but I'm still sinking This is it, I won't try anymore Anymore I was rowing my boat gently down the stream And soon enough there was a waterfall ahead Down I went but I still held onto that boat The river widened and then I saw no land Went down in the middle of the ocean Don't know if I will make it Make it I try to swim but I'm still sinking This is it, I won't try anymore Anymore My boat drifted out into the great green sea and soon there was nothing but water around me I tried to row back but the tides just laughed They said "Man, with you there ain't no going back."
8.	Give/Take 03:12	info	buy track
9.	Bull Crap 03:25	info	buy track
10.	Here To Stay 03:22	info	buy track
11.	The Wicked Nosehair 03:38	info	buy track
12.	Myspace.com 03:28	info	buy track
13.	We Will Rewind 03:46	info	buy track

about

The inside cover of Electric Needle Room's Trying to Escape the Bigotry lists the definition of "Bigot" as "any person who is utterly intolerant of a differing creed, belief, or opinion." Once this definition has been stated, the band leaves you with a simple question: are members/brothers Matt and Steven Beat bigots themselves?

The answer (thankfully) is a resounding yes. Quirky, irrelevant, and utterly satirical while still maintaining a lighthearted sense of tomfoolery, Bigotry is exactly the kind of tongue-in-cheek fun I've come to expect from this duo. Their last album, 2004's My Socks Don't Match, was gently layered synth pop that walked some ironic tightrope between complete goofiness and legitimate sadness. Several years later, ENR have upped the ante considerably, with things being alternatively more dorky yet more serious as well. Did I mention that this stuff is well-crafted, hook-laden, sugary-sweet synth-pop of the highest order? Would-you-like-more-hyphens? No you wouldn't, and no I didn't, to answer both questions in reverse order. But in all honesty, this is a band that is pretty much the epitome of the goodness synth-pop can have.

Quiet guitar chords soon washed in wavering, gooey distortion is what you'll get from the start with "Everybody Wants Your Money," and what a fun start! This cut somehow combines infectious pop music with anti-taxation lines and catchy sing-alongs. The "awww-shucks" demeanor of my personal favorite song, "Nobody Cares About Me Anymore" works wonders; just try not to sing in your most depressive vocal imitation everytime you hear this angst-y beat festival of internet isolation. "Mediocre Bands" is so tongue-in-cheek it at times runs the risk of biting itself despite the joke, but the band mixes clever self-hate, twinkling piano lines, and grooving synth beats into a wonderful mix. The wistful "You Make Me Feel Sunny" is a folksy ballad about love and its redeeming powers; gentle and kind, it is definitely effective only when you feel as happy as the song itself. Regardless, it is good and has a measure of the Beatles' early, naive optimism to it. The downright-silly "All of My Ancestors Were Wrong" effectively blames human history for all the world's ills, which in all honesty is such a great idea for a synth-pop song I have no idea why no one has thought of it before. Shimmering and convicted, the song is oddly serious despite its whimsical nature, and shows the unique idenity this band will carve for itself slowly-but-surely over time.
"Hollywood" is a jangling keyboard ballad to channel surfing and old movies; nostalgic and fun, there is a very 90's feel to this...I could see it being a song on the Adventures of Pete & Pete soundtrack. The country-influenced "Middle of the Ocean" slowly ambles by in a decent but unremarkable pop-structure. Militant and with tons of repeated vocal lines, it is a bit too straightforward for its own good. The ratchet beats and general quirk of the toy-store music anthem that is "Give/Take" is an excellent piece of unique ideas, proof that to this day synths can still be forced into producing unusual or unexpected noises. "Bull Crap" kicks off with legitimate drums---just straight percussion!---before launching into a mix of jaunty anger and blissful disbelief. I'll leave the topic quiet so that some of you can be surprised, and trust me, it is a truly amusing one. "Here to Stay" is a twisting, taunting breeze of a song; it is so absurdly goofy it might be borderline irritating, but I think in a way that is part of the appeal---this is definitely one of those "guilty pleasure" type songs. The awesomely named "The Wicked Nosehair" is a psychedelic, lush ode to yes, a nosehair. A freakishly winding descent into Sgt. Pepper-worthy freakouts makes this one a surprisingly grand track, and an underdog fave to be sure. "Myspace.com" mocks everyone's favorite dirty obsession, and ironically captures all the retarded idiocy that that site has, while still focusing on the few things making it a worthwhile venture. "We Will Rewind" closes things with a sombering, poignant ballad focused more on quiet reflection and less on the band's earlier shenanigans. It ends the CD on a very professional note, and shows that if Electric Needle Room so wish they could move well beyond the chuckle-pop that is their forte.

All-in-all, good stuff. Electric Needle Room have something for everyone; the quaint independence of indie cred, the well-produced sheen of radio-friendly pop, the experimental quirk of legitmate avant-garde sensations---Hell, they even throw in casio keys! This odd mix of serious music and biting/sarcastic lyrical satire is a potent one indeed, and here's hoping that Electric Needle Room don't Escape the Bigotry anytime soon.

credits

released January 30, 2007

Matt Beat, Steven Beat

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Electric Needle Room Lawrence, Kansas

Electric Needle Room are an indie pop band based in Lawrence, Kansas. It is mostly a solo project for Matt Beat, but his brother, Steven Beat, also helps with percussion. Emcee DL, Bryan Poole, Dave Thomas, and Chris Huggard have all helped the band with live performances throughout its history. ... more

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