The Mind Spiders - The Mind Spiders
Album Review: The Mind Spiders – The Mind Spiders
By Evelyn Anne Clausen
Mind Spiders want to punch you in the face, and you’re going to like it. Don’t worry, though; after the initial assault, they’ll buy you a beer and tell you how cool you are. At least, that’s how I feel after listening to The Mind Spiders, the first release from Texas punk rockers Mind Spiders.
Lead by front man Mark Ryan, formerly of Denton, TX punk band The Marked Men, Mind Spiders gleefully emulate the best of early punk music, mixing with appropriate and appreciated doses of contemporary indie-post-punk. The effect is fun and fresh, even for a genre that has seen its best years.
The album opens with the aggressively played “Go!” which rips into your conscience with mischievous joy. The tracks that follow are a mix of Ramones-esque three chord punk songs, surf-rock vocals, fuzzy garage-rock and trippy sci-fi sound effects. Tracks like “Read Your Mind” and “Slippin’ and Slidin’” slow things down a bit, but keep the fuzzy sound, sounding like a cross between later Fugazi and Jerry Lee Lewis. “No. 3” picks the energy up with a solid three-chord punk song and the album closes with the alien laser-gun sounds mixed with soft vocals that makes up “Close the Door.”
The Mind Spiders is an album that proves punk is not dead. In fact, this album reminded me of how much I miss that punk-meets-garage rock sound that made a comeback in the early 2000’s. It’s a gritty, honest, cheerful kind of music that picks you up and carries you somewhere you might not have gone on your own. The Mind Spiders may not be pretty, but it’s a whole lot of fun.
Editor’s Note: Evelyn Anne Clausen is a contributor to DeadJournalist.com. Her reviews can be seen on this site on a regular basis. You can follow her on Twitter @evelynanne or via her Web site easbrain.com.
