Suicide Squeeze
2003
The Magic Magicians
About This Album
The Magic Magicians' eponymous second album may have the same eclectic vibe as their debut, but this time John Atkins of 764-HERO and Joe Ben Plummer of the Black Heart Procession head in such a strange, experimental directions with their pop, that it pays off. Like fellow-West Coasters Ugly Casanova, the Magic Magicians skewer their pop with abandon, from the horn cacophony on "West Coast Harbor" to the dark and spiraling riffs and Strummer-esque vocals of "The Cab and I." It's really quite confounding, and sounds as unique as the Black Heart Procession and 764-HERO without sounding much like those bands at all. Sure, it's less-polished than either of those acts, but that is part of the Magic Magicians' charm -- they've got a rough, nervy, lo-fi take on power rock that has the weird immediacy of the Microphones' Mount Eerie. Unfortunately, some listeners may take this as inaccessibility, but when the Magic Magicians hit their mark -- the thundering, Afghan Whigs-sounding "Wet Pills, Pt. 1" and the dubby "Action" -- they create a disorienting swell that would fit well with avant-popsters like GoGoGo Airheart, No Knife, and Pleasure Forever. ~ Charles Spano, All Music Guide
Track List (try tracks 2,4,8 and 9)

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