$6.00
DBA014
"If Gibby Haynes had never fronted the mid-career Butthole Surfers, they may have sounded something like Miguel Mendez. That's not to say that Mendez isn't in your face -- he just does it in a far more subtle way. This three song seven inch packs an underhanded punch -- the kind the sneaks in and gives it to ya good. Mendez's musical output is best summed up as experimental folk-punk, complete with strange warped loops, backmasked recordings, fritzed-out guitar and almost-catchy vocals.
I was immediately drawn to "Happy Birthday Asshole". While it's punk rock in spirit, "Asshole" is a far cry from being either a steamrolling punk anthem or a distorted reworking of the classic birthday sing-along. The tune almost sounds like you're playing it at the wrong speed, but after double-checking my 45 RPM button, I realized that Mendez had slyly dropped his voice down a few octaves as he stumbled through a gritty mixture of drug-induced sounds and dense guitar. You can make out "he's a jolly good fellow" in between the slurred guitar work and murky ambience, but it's clear that someone was really fried as he dubbed this anti-music to tape. I'm not even sure when "Asshole" ends and "Dumb After All" begins, but an acoustic guitar and unpretentious vocals eventually blaze a trail through the fuzz. "Dumb" is more playful than its predecessor; it even passes for a legitimate, singable song.
The flip side's "The World Wins (The Whirlwinds)" returns to a more unfocused, exploratory approach. The song begins with a heavy barrage of acoustic guitar chords. It's trippy, but retains a singer/songwritery edge. Mendez is much more vocal here, singing several verses over the guitar. However, there's no particularly consistency to the tempo -- it speeds up and then slows down without warning. I can't help but think of The Flaming Lips -- there's something beautifully fucked up, genuine and entertaining to it all. And to think that it even came wrapped up nicely in "Happy Birthday" wrapping paper! It's quite a present, and I didn't even have to wait until March 6th to enjoy it." - Splendid