Morning 40 Federation - Self Titled

As quests for 21st century recombinants of 20th century music forms go, Morning 40 Federation is one of the more imaginative ones, integrating traditional New Orleans jazz, funk, film noir-ish creepiness, and an appetite for trashiness into a format that's more alternative rock than anything else. The vocals are delivered with the sardonic diffidence of a jaded carnival barker, and a sense of ironic joie de vivre permeates the proceedings. To be a wet blanket about matters, though, why isn't this as fun or moving as it could have been? Well, the mix is often as sludgy as a bayou swamp, and while in some senses that might be perceived as appropriate for this kind of thing, at times it's thick enough to make you feel like you're drowning in it rather than wading through it. (When much of the murk clears on songs like "9th Ward" and "One in the Bottle," the surge in cogency is palpable.) Also, while the greasy on-the-prowl mood is kind of cool, some the songs are kind of too similar to each other to stand out. Too, the record's so long (and some of the individual cuts definitely go on for too long) that it can turn a little sour, much like a stopover at a speakeasy can wear out its welcome after one too many drunks knocks over your beer. It's suitable enough music for when you're in a rather prickly decadent frame of mind, with unpredictable musical turns throughout, especially in the insertion of brassy passages that bring to mind particularly wobbly New Orleans festivities.

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My Apologies for the uhh gap? Prehapes? WoW really does get addicting :( , anyways I bought this cd a few weeks ago, its so purday. Figured a share would be nice, i'll try to upload more. till then toodles!