The Musical Moron Twins
The Death of the Musical Moron Twins
Entertainment
We spent a year building this house. Now we're going to burn the motherfucker down.
8.2.2004Rob Margetta
Dan Miller
The Musical Moron Twins
The Fire Theft Vs. The Get Up Kids
Entertainment
The Fire Theft is an ethereal, atmospheric collection with lead singer Jeremy Enigk's exasperated vocals high in the mix. The Get Up Kids, on the other hand, are back to their old tricks.
7.6.2004Rob Margetta
Dan Miller
The Musical Moron Twins
Maroon 5 vs. Pretty Girls Make Graves
Columns
One of the clearest things I can say when comparing these two records is that one of these bands will get famous and one will not. And I don't think it takes a genius to figure out which one it will be.
6.7.2004Rob Margetta
Dan Miller
The Musical Moron Twins
Iron and Wine vs. Sondre Lerche
Entertainment
It's the return of two MMT veterans: the folksy genius Iron and Wine and the young Norwegian phenom Sondre Lerche.
4.29.2004Rob Margetta
Dan Miller
The Musical Moron Twins
Ima Robot Vs. Courtney Love
Entertainment
While you can hear traces of all sorts of delightful bands in Ima Robot, Courtney Love's only apparent influence is Courtney Love.
3.29.2004Rob Margetta
Dan Miller
The Musical Moron Twins
Air vs. Basement Jaxx
Entertainment
While Air's Talkie Walkie is minimalist and thoughtful, Basement Jaxx drags you into the club and slaps some glowsticks into your hands with Kish Kash.
3.15.2004Rob Margetta
Dan Miller
The Musical Moron Twins
Saves the Day vs. Brand New
Entertainment
If you're looking to have a financially successful rock and roll career yet retain some credibility as an artist, you obviously can't join a neo-punk band.... No, you need to be an emo kid. You need a bad haircut, a tight vintage tee shirt, a used-looking electric guitar and some angsty-yet-earnest lyrics.
3.1.2004Rob Margetta
Dan Miller
The Musical Moron Twins
Yellowcard vs. The Starting Line
Entertainment
These records are pixie sticks. They're good for a short, sweet burst of energy, but afterwards there really isn't a lot of payoff and you just feel sort of fat. That said, there's nothing wrong with pixie sticks as long as you don't have them all day every day… If every album I listened to was a life-changing epic, I don’t know if I’d have the emotional energy to listen to music as much as I do.
2.16.2004Rob Margetta
Dan Miller
The Musical Moron Twins
Sarah McLachlan vs. Iron and Wine
Entertainment
I don't mean to be insulting, but that's what McLachlan and Iron and Wine have each produced: good, interesting music that you can tune to the background if you're trying to have a conversation.
1.19.2004Rob Margetta
Dan Miller
The Musical Moron Twins
Jet vs. The Distillers
Entertainment
On a purely physical basis, it’s a safe bet that Distillers front woman Brody Dalle could kick Jet singer Nic Cester’s ass. She could probably take on Cester’s three band mates, too. Musically, however, it gets a bit more complicated.
12.29.2003Rob Margetta
Dan Miller
The Musical Moron Twins
A Moronic Look at 2003
Entertainment
What's a music column without an indulgent year-end round-up of the best and worst releases of the year? The Morons, not ones to rock the critical boat, offer up their own, personal heaping helping of the best albums they've seen this year, along with some other noteworthy efforts.
12.11.2003Rob Margetta
Dan Miller
The Musical Moron Twins
Best of: The Chemical Brothers and R.E.M.
Entertainment
Two "Best Of" album that are guaranteed to be better than Journey's.
11.24.2003Rob Margetta
Dan Miller
The Musical Moron Twins
Video killed the morons
Entertainment
Into the deepest, darkest jungle of pop culture: Total Request Live. It’s Pink vs. Christina Aguilera vs. Clay Aiken vs. Outkast.
11.19.2003Rob Margetta
Dan Miller
The Musical Moron Twins
Singles Showdown
Entertainment
This is the kind of song that, in the unlikely event that I am listening to the radio, I wouldn't turn off if it came on the radio but I wouldn't consider buying the album.
10.27.2003Rob Margetta
Dan Miller
The Musical Moron Twins
OutKast vs OutKast
Entertainment
I feel the need to make it clear that I am tragically white. I've never been known to "raise the roof," I don't say the word "dawg" unless it's ironic and the only rap product I've ever purchased was Tone Loc's "Wild Thing" when I was 9 years old.
10.1.2003Rob Margetta
Dan Miller
The Musical Moron Twins
Junior Senior vs. Hot Hot Heat
Entertainment
It's a battle of the party bands as a pair of funky Danes brings their Technicolor dream up against a group of Canadian rockers.
9.16.2003Rob Margetta
Dan Miller
The Musical Moron Twins
Gemma Hayes versus Damien Rice
Entertainment
Irish singer-songwriters Gemma Hayes and Damien Rice reach for different audiences on their debuts
8.21.2003Rob Margetta
Dan Miller
The Musical Moron Twins
Guster vs. O.A.R.
Entertainment
Two bands with rabid student followings in a contest of college champions. Who do you want playing at your student union?
8.4.2003Rob Margetta
Dan Miller
The Musical Moron Twins
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs vs. The Sounds
Entertainment
Two bands, one led by a lipstick-smeared vamp and another led by a Swedish bombshell, have real girl-on-girl action
7.8.2003Rob Margetta
Dan Miller
The Musical Moron Twins
SPECIAL EDITION -- Radiohead: Past and Present
Entertainment
The twins see what rock's royalty is really made of
6.24.2003Rob Margetta
Dan Miller
The Musical Moron Twins
Jack Johnson vs. Ben Harper
Entertainment
Break out the hemp jewelry and vegan entrees and start playing ultimate Frisbee. The twins mellow out thanks to surf-rock master Jack Johnson and the stylistic chameleon Ben Harper.
6.3.2003Rob Margetta
Dan Miller
The Musical Moron Twins
Sondre Lerche vs. Blur
Entertainment
Teenage singer Sondre Lerche's debut album meets a formidable opponent in famed Brit-rockers Blur. Will this acoustic David be able to slay the all-conquering Blur?
5.20.2003Rob Margetta
Dan Miller
The Musical Moron Twins
Fiction Plane vs. Lisa Marie Presley
Entertainment
Lisa Marie Presley has taken full advantage of her father's fame to help promote her poppy "To Whom It May Concern." Joe Sumner has at all costs avoided associating his father's (Sting's) name with the release of the new album "Everything Will Never be ok" by his band, Fiction Plane. Who wins in this battle of the legacies?
5.13.2003Rob Margetta
Dan Miller
The Musical Moron Twins
Idlewild vs. Placebo
Entertainment
Four Scottish blokes battle with three androgynous Brits to see who will be the next big British import.
4.21.2003Rob Margetta
Dan Miller
The Musical Moron Twins
Rainer Maria versus The Raveonettes
Entertainment
Rainer Maria, a band that's established itself along the sidelines of popularity with their combination of male and female vocals, breaks away from its signature sound to face off against promising newcomers the Raveonettes.
4.12.2003Rob Margetta
Dan Miller
The Musical Moron Twins
The All-American Rejects versus Nada Surf
Entertainment
Two bands, the fresh-faced All-American Rejects and indignant one-hit wonders Nada Surf, compete to see which of their records has the best geek rock.
3.24.2003Rob Margetta
Dan Miller
The Musical Moron Twins
Tori Amos versus The Donnas
Entertainment
It's the hard-rocking Donnas up against Tori Amos' weirdness-laden poetic piano rock in a battle of well-established, if less than mainstream female musicians. While The Donnas were more satisfying on a primal level, Tori's musical ability is light years beyond the Donnas’ power chords and horny lyrics.
3.3.2003Rob Margetta
Dan Miller
The Musical Moron Twins
Zwan Versus Foo Fighters
Entertainment
The twins critique albums made by former members of the influential nineties bands Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins. Ex-Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl's band, Foo Fighters, released "One By One," a hard-rocking guitar album. Meanwhile, ex-Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan leads his new band Zwan through fourteen grandiose tracks. Both Dan and Rob agreed that the Foo's album was plagued by filler, while Zwan had some blissful pop moments including the single "Honestly."
2.10.2003Rob Margetta
Dan Miller
The Musical Moron Twins
Badly Drawn Boy versus Coldplay
Entertainment
A head-to-head column describing the merits of two English groups' newest CDs: Badly Drawn Boy's "Have You Fed the Fish?" and Coldplay's "A Rush of Blood to the Head." While Rob preferred the smooth, innovative taste of "Have You Fed the Fish?" because of Badly Drawn Boy's tendency to play with older, sometimes mocked styles of music, Dan sided with the rich, full-bodied "A Rush of Blood to the Head" because of Coldplay's tendency to emote and their memorable sound.
1.20.2003Rob Margetta
Dan Miller
The Musical Moron Twins