Media Review

Margot And The Nuclear So And So's

The Dust Of Retreat [Remastered] (CD)

Artemis
website | mySpace

Overall Rating:

9.0

Music Quality: 9.0

Production: 8.5

Originality: 9.5

Artemis, you've done well. You've done real well. Sure, I often get excited about new bands. However, I can't remember the last time my response was quite this good. The band seems to have this endless amount of energy, because throughout each and every song the passion is simply unabating. Each track is just as great as the next, leaving me to wonder..."Is this for real?"

Margot and the Nuclear So and So's, who hail from Indiana, are riveting - to say the least. They've got 8 members, three of whom employ instruments like the trumpet, the cello, and the keys. Sounds like a mess, right? It's a beautiful, purposeful, and directed mess. They know exactly where they want the music to take you, and they do it with grace and an artistry so unfeigned. The band brings their Midwestern charm and combines it with some acoustic based alt-country, lo-fi folk music, and some indie rock inclusions. My raving about this band is completely sincere - they've struck gold. Their compositions are fresh and original, while still maintaining the band's ability to appeal to a rather sizable audience. Richard Edwards, the architect behind the band's arrangements, sits at a precious 22 years old. His voice adds a raw, youthful sincerity that wonderfully complements his ability to weave an intricate web of stories and narratives through his lyrics.

Edwards has his share of solemn, humorless subject matter. He talk of drugs, the "rich white kid blues", lost loves, and some of what seems to be self-loathing. However, the band tries not too take themselves too seriously. "Paper Kitten Nightmare" is evidence all too befitting of this. As with the subject matter, there is quite a bit of variance in the bands instrumentation as well. "Quiet As A Mouse" and "Barfight Revolution, Power Violence" are filled with electric intensity while "Jen Is Bringing The Drugs" consists of just Richard and his guitar. In all honesty though, the band is able to make their biggest impression through their mid-tempo, jovial tracks such as "Vampires In Blue Dresses", "On A Freezing Chicago Street" or my absolute favorite - "Bookworm".

The oppurtunities are limitless for this band. They were signed after a mere year and a half of existence, I believe. This is no small feat, my friends. Any you way you cut it, it's just too hard to overlook a band that has their heads on straight and their hearts in the right place. If you're looking for something absolutely real and authentic, you know where to look.

reviewed by Liz Jones