good/interestingly moody/hypnotic
author: Nicolas Regalbuto
It is a really nice mood record with interesting production. That lead singer has a nice voice, you kind of have to strain to hear the lyrics, but when you decipher them it's pretty worth it. Money well spent.
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These cheap seats are plush!
author: jakejacobs808
Honestly, this album is superb. The lyrics are witty and sly. And the music has a really cool sound that varies throughout the album. It has interesting samples that play well with the instruments and voices. I like song 5 best. It is amazing how it blends in from song 4. The title is a bit long though. The instrumentals are versions of song 2 and 5 but they sound great on their own as individual songs so I can see why they put them on. I can see influences of Radiohead and the Pixies to Massive Attack and Morcheeba. Song 3 is the hardest song with crunchy guitar chords, wild drums and looped Beach Boys style vocal harmonies. Overall this is a cool album with an interesting blend of styles. I would definitely be intersted to hear more from these guys.
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"17 Minutes in the Cheap Seats" succeeds as an original, exciting, and powerful
author: Sean Luke
Blending psychedelic guitar, droning vocal and seemingly random samples, break beat drums, and fragile voices, "The Management" is an extremely talented group. Their songs are easily recognizable, and their style is so signature and new it's hard to ignore. Some of their songs are pertinent and have thoughtful meaning, such as "i know the radio", a song supplemented by the vocals of a what seems to be a 50s-era sample, saying "He was too busy dreaming of being a star". Some of the vocals samples seem to be jibberish (heavily processed with what seems to be delay, reverb, and echo) but most are full of character, and some are sequenced to tell a story.
One thing you have to know about "The Management" is that they have *skills*. In most of their songs, all of their tastes, styles, and ideas meld into an awesome amalgation. It's beautiful. I recommend this CD whole-heartidly. The only reason I'm not giving them a 5 is because there are a few minor mastering problems, only 8 tracks, and I am expecting more from this group. By all means though, pick it up. Each member has at least one major contribution to the CD. The bass in "emergency dogs" has a funky groove. DJ Centipede compliments the songs with turntables and beats. The vocals are well thought out and bring a great variety of harmony and dissonance. The guitar, while sometimes a little off, are for the most part an integral part of the songs. I look forward to more.
Bravo, "The Management", bravo.
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Cheap Seats Are Not Second-Rate
author: Aaron Pevey
Pretty much every "trip-hop" album sounds identical. There's a beat, a melody if you're lucky, and sound effects. The Management, though, are not run of the mill. In fact, when I first heard them I thought they were an English band so different is there sound. The vocals by Micah Berek are almost dreamy and remind one of Coldplay, while the music is inventive and feels (in a way) like a lost Vangelis record.
This is an EP well worth having. It's relaxing, exciting and creative all at once: a can't miss record from a band that looks to really be at the beginning of an artistic career.
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