steering clear of the mainstream
since 2001

june 2010

review
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info opinion

Miami Ice Machine

"S + Cuba: The Anthology" CD

Supercompuglobal

Genre: dance-punk, indie rock

Sep 3 2008

Miami Ice Machine play their own brand of danceable and wacky dance-punk, fitting in somewhere between early Dismemberment Plan and Pavement. Despite being limited to three members, they exude a whole lot of energy, cramming their songs full of enthusiasm and general tomfoolery. Take exemplary "We Don't Take Platinum Master Card," on which an unerringly danceworthy rhythm is combined with an infectious guitar part and ultra-expressive, Malkmus-esque vocals. The result is not unlike a song off The Dismemberment Plan Is Terrified, if a little less polished and smackingly melodic. Some songs drag down the pack: "So Goddamn Humid" is deflated and unmemorable, and, despite a funny ending bit, bland closer "Mist of the Jungle" really doesn't add much to S + Cuba. The best songs feature vocalist "The Ice Machine" at his most flamboyant, with the guitars and drums typically following suit. JSBX influenced "Cake Shaped Like a Payphone," for example rocks hard and sticks to the mind like glue, while exuberantly infectious "Disco One" boasts some great falsetto vocals and a brilliant chorus. Since all but one of these songs is less than three minutes, and more than half are less than two minutes, S + Cuba breezes by pretty quickly, but it makes its mark. Almost impatiently urgent, Miami Ice Machine have created an undeniably fun album that's hard not to like - at under twenty-five minutes, it doesn't let up and it doesn't really need to. Recommended for indie rock enthusiasts who like a little fun in their diet.

miami ice machine's myspace

84%

youuuuuuuutube!: "going to golgotha" live

Matt Shimmer

[Vitals: 13 tracks, distributed by the label, released 2007]