Review & Free Download: Marijuana Deathsquads “Music Rocks I & II”

Marijuana Deathsquads have been a constantly changing live juggernaut for the last few years in the Minneapolis music scene. They released a LP that did a fairly good job of capturing the live chaos, but it didn’t fully catch the pulse as to what makes the band so great. They have released a few other songs, particularly the frantic “John Cage Match,” which opened the door to a certain extent, but they have come as close to capturing the lightening in a bottle with their just released Music Rocks I & II. The zonked synths and electronic noise manipulations are syrupy thick, the vocals are wobbly and distorted and the drumming is commanding and a powerful centrifugal force. Some tracks (“Grapes” “GhostCop2”) sound like classic MDS, ebbing and flowing into a thunderous vortex of numbing static and yelping vocals. Others like “Remembories” and “Wave” have lush melodies (for MDS, at least) and venture closer towards a classic song structure than anything the band has put to wax yet. The juxtaposition of the two sounds makes for a compelling narrative and a sense of an overarching theme to the record. (The band do suggest listening to the songs as a whole piece, fyi)

While they could have been content on being one of the best live bands around, Music Rocks I & II shows the collective has rounded the corner in a way that allows them to capture their sound in a controlled setting. Even if you have never experienced the hypnotic fury of a live MDS show, Music Rocks I & II come about as close as possible to experiencing their glory in the comfort of your own home. You can download Music Rocks I & II HERE and see the band tonight at Icehouse for the final night of their Music Rocks residency.