Travis Parno
10/10/08, 11:23 AM
Margo & the Nuclear So and So’s – Animal!/Not Animal!
Record Label: Epic
Release Date: October 7, 2008
In the arena of the music industry, there are only two combatants: the Artist and the Business. Often these two foes are not actually foes at all, instead choosing to work together towards a mutually beneficial plan of attack. Inevitably, however, complications do arise. These hushed battles regularly result in scorned contracts, financial drain, and broken bands. This is the stuff of music legend.
Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s Animal!/Not Animal! is a rare artifact, a Rosetta stone of sorts, that provides a very tangible look into these behind-the-scenes arguments between artist and label. After failing to see eye-to-eye regarding which songs would be included on the band’s second full-length effort, the two sides decided to take a unique approach: release two albums, each showcasing the song selections of each party. Animal! features the songs favored by the band and was released on vinyl and as a digital download. Epic’s picks, found on Not Animal!, can be heard on CD, vinyl, and via download.
The intricacies of Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s can often be difficult to comprehend. The eight-member band throws every imaginable instrument into their tune-filled mixing bowl, together with charmingly (or mind-numbingly) obtuse lyrics, to create a sort of psychedelic/folk/indie/alternative conglomeration. Animal! and Not Animal! prove that the band hasn’t strayed from their musical circus that was first made popular on 2006’s The Dust of Retreat. Still, the question remains: how has their output been affected by their business squabbles?
When one lines the albums up side by side, the differences are not exactly surprising. Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s have laid a comprehensive platter of delectably distant and intricate tracks that will satisfy the most artsy indie palettes. Opening with the murk and gloom of “At the Carnival,” the band shows they’re not hand-feeding us their bittersweet treats. Songs such as “O’ What a Nightmare!” and “Mariel’s Brazen Overture” offer many of the complex flavors that were developed on The Dust of Retreat, especially the plethora of instruments, subtle shifts in mood and tempo, and penchant for impenetrable lyrics. “There’s Talk of Mine Shafts,” a comparatively short track that could be overlooked during the feast, proudly displays some of the air of contradiction that surrounds the band. An ostensibly simple song about two lovers hiding underground from the destruction above, it boasts such nightmarish rhymes as “That hole’s a drag, it’s not my bag/ It’s dark and cold, and it smells like mold.” However, when these words are lovingly tucked throughout a web of plucked, trilled, and suspended strings, it’s absolutely impossible to reject their blatant plainness.
There is, of course, some inevitable overlap between the two albums. “Hello, Vagina,” slogs through electronic buzz and can’t quite get out from under its dreary mood. Persistent percussion saves “A Children’s Crusade on Acid” from suffering similar spoil, while “German Motor Car” grooves with slick guitar work and an enlivened chorus. Much like much of Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s library, “Cold, Kind, and Lemon Eyes” and “As Tall As Cliffs” come dangerously close to ‘plodding,’ but are preserved by the band’s tasty brand of vibrant and varied instrumentation.
Animal! functions as a complete course thanks to the nifty side-dishes chosen by the band. Not Animal! is not quite so well-rounded. With most of the overlap inserted into the first half of the album, Not Animal! is left with some weak legs to stand on. It’s hard to argue with the label’s goals. When dealing with a notoriously inaccessible band, it might make business sense to try to boil them down to something a bit easier to swallow. Unfortunately, this group isn’t so easily watered down. Tracks like “The Shivers (I Got ‘Em)” and “The Ocean (Is Bleeding Salt)” feel intentionally forced, the band’s normally effervescent voice choking on unwanted fare. It’s not all stale, thanks to the muted freshness of “Real Naked Girls” and angular brashness “Page Written on a Wall.” The latter, with its heavy helping of smart aggression, may have been better placed as the complement to Animal!’s “My Baby (Shoots Her Mouth Off)” within the band’s chosen track list.
As individual collections of music, Animal! and Not Animal! each have their merits, to a certain extent. It is somewhat unfortunate, however, that their staying power is eclipsed by their artifactual value. Their utility as objects of study within the framework of the industry will likely echo much deeper into musical history than will their actual songs.
Paper Rival, Sea Wolf, Neutral Milk Hotel, Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground
Official Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/margotandthenuclearsoandsos) | Official Website (http://www.margotandthenuclearsoandsos.com /)
Animal!
1. At the Carnival
2. O’ What a Nightmare!
3. Hello, Vagina
4. I Am a Lightning Rod
5. Love Song for a Schubas Bartender
6. Mariel’s Brazen Overture
7. There’s Talk of Mine Shafts
8. A Children’s Crusade on Acid
9. German Motor Car
10. Cold, Kind, and Lemon Eyes
11. My Baby (Shoots Her Mouth Off)
12. As Tall As Cliffs
Not Animal!
1. A Children’s Crusade on Acid
2. German Motor Car
3. Broad Ripple is Burning
4. Holy Cow!
5. Cold, Kind, and Lemon Eyes
6. Hello, Vagina
7. As Tall As Cliffs
8. Real Naked Girls
9. Page Written on a Wall
10. The Shivers (I Got ‘Em)
11. The Ocean (Is Bleeding Salt)
12. Hip Hip Hooray
Record Label: Epic
Release Date: October 7, 2008
In the arena of the music industry, there are only two combatants: the Artist and the Business. Often these two foes are not actually foes at all, instead choosing to work together towards a mutually beneficial plan of attack. Inevitably, however, complications do arise. These hushed battles regularly result in scorned contracts, financial drain, and broken bands. This is the stuff of music legend.
Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s Animal!/Not Animal! is a rare artifact, a Rosetta stone of sorts, that provides a very tangible look into these behind-the-scenes arguments between artist and label. After failing to see eye-to-eye regarding which songs would be included on the band’s second full-length effort, the two sides decided to take a unique approach: release two albums, each showcasing the song selections of each party. Animal! features the songs favored by the band and was released on vinyl and as a digital download. Epic’s picks, found on Not Animal!, can be heard on CD, vinyl, and via download.
The intricacies of Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s can often be difficult to comprehend. The eight-member band throws every imaginable instrument into their tune-filled mixing bowl, together with charmingly (or mind-numbingly) obtuse lyrics, to create a sort of psychedelic/folk/indie/alternative conglomeration. Animal! and Not Animal! prove that the band hasn’t strayed from their musical circus that was first made popular on 2006’s The Dust of Retreat. Still, the question remains: how has their output been affected by their business squabbles?
When one lines the albums up side by side, the differences are not exactly surprising. Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s have laid a comprehensive platter of delectably distant and intricate tracks that will satisfy the most artsy indie palettes. Opening with the murk and gloom of “At the Carnival,” the band shows they’re not hand-feeding us their bittersweet treats. Songs such as “O’ What a Nightmare!” and “Mariel’s Brazen Overture” offer many of the complex flavors that were developed on The Dust of Retreat, especially the plethora of instruments, subtle shifts in mood and tempo, and penchant for impenetrable lyrics. “There’s Talk of Mine Shafts,” a comparatively short track that could be overlooked during the feast, proudly displays some of the air of contradiction that surrounds the band. An ostensibly simple song about two lovers hiding underground from the destruction above, it boasts such nightmarish rhymes as “That hole’s a drag, it’s not my bag/ It’s dark and cold, and it smells like mold.” However, when these words are lovingly tucked throughout a web of plucked, trilled, and suspended strings, it’s absolutely impossible to reject their blatant plainness.
There is, of course, some inevitable overlap between the two albums. “Hello, Vagina,” slogs through electronic buzz and can’t quite get out from under its dreary mood. Persistent percussion saves “A Children’s Crusade on Acid” from suffering similar spoil, while “German Motor Car” grooves with slick guitar work and an enlivened chorus. Much like much of Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s library, “Cold, Kind, and Lemon Eyes” and “As Tall As Cliffs” come dangerously close to ‘plodding,’ but are preserved by the band’s tasty brand of vibrant and varied instrumentation.
Animal! functions as a complete course thanks to the nifty side-dishes chosen by the band. Not Animal! is not quite so well-rounded. With most of the overlap inserted into the first half of the album, Not Animal! is left with some weak legs to stand on. It’s hard to argue with the label’s goals. When dealing with a notoriously inaccessible band, it might make business sense to try to boil them down to something a bit easier to swallow. Unfortunately, this group isn’t so easily watered down. Tracks like “The Shivers (I Got ‘Em)” and “The Ocean (Is Bleeding Salt)” feel intentionally forced, the band’s normally effervescent voice choking on unwanted fare. It’s not all stale, thanks to the muted freshness of “Real Naked Girls” and angular brashness “Page Written on a Wall.” The latter, with its heavy helping of smart aggression, may have been better placed as the complement to Animal!’s “My Baby (Shoots Her Mouth Off)” within the band’s chosen track list.
As individual collections of music, Animal! and Not Animal! each have their merits, to a certain extent. It is somewhat unfortunate, however, that their staying power is eclipsed by their artifactual value. Their utility as objects of study within the framework of the industry will likely echo much deeper into musical history than will their actual songs.
Paper Rival, Sea Wolf, Neutral Milk Hotel, Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground
Official Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/margotandthenuclearsoandsos) | Official Website (http://www.margotandthenuclearsoandsos.com /)
Animal!
1. At the Carnival
2. O’ What a Nightmare!
3. Hello, Vagina
4. I Am a Lightning Rod
5. Love Song for a Schubas Bartender
6. Mariel’s Brazen Overture
7. There’s Talk of Mine Shafts
8. A Children’s Crusade on Acid
9. German Motor Car
10. Cold, Kind, and Lemon Eyes
11. My Baby (Shoots Her Mouth Off)
12. As Tall As Cliffs
Not Animal!
1. A Children’s Crusade on Acid
2. German Motor Car
3. Broad Ripple is Burning
4. Holy Cow!
5. Cold, Kind, and Lemon Eyes
6. Hello, Vagina
7. As Tall As Cliffs
8. Real Naked Girls
9. Page Written on a Wall
10. The Shivers (I Got ‘Em)
11. The Ocean (Is Bleeding Salt)
12. Hip Hip Hooray