THEY MEAN US

The Ladies, the newest musical experiment on the block, was formed by two of the new millennium avant-geniuses Zach Hill (of Hella fame) and Rob Crow (from Thingy). They Mean Us, the band's 2006 debut, is their only official release to date.

One thing that can be said about The Ladies that cannot be said about many other bands is the fact that as hard as you try, you will find absolutely no ties or similarities to any other bands on the music scene right now. Hill and Crow have combined their unique talents to create a piece of music that truly stands out from the rest. The opening, Black Caesar/Red Sonja is a pure rush of in- your-face, calculated adrenaline. The next significant track on the album, Vacation, Asphyxia, Vacation, is the main reason why this band is included in the Math Rock category. Math rock is such a diverse subject that it is hard to pin down the exact cut and dry sound, but a great example of the collage of sounds needed can be found here. Empathy On A Stick is another rush to your head as the subtle yet roaring vocals blast out of the speakers. Now I'm not big on short musical interludes, but I need to draw attention to the 0:27 Black Metal In The Hour Of Starbucks. The heavy metal freak-out works as an amazing segue into another heavy song, Nice Chaps, Buddy. And Them, the second to last song is a great little rocker, not as in your face as the previous songs, but it is still great nonetheless. The big finale, Mandatory Psycho-Freakout, falls flat on its face compared to the rest of the album. The bulk of this short album's time goes to waste, unfortunately as the band tries for an ambitious avant-garde finale but fails in the end.

A great debut album with almost no mistakes up to the final song, but seeing that the entire final song is a waste and it is almost half of the album's running time, I only feel compelled to give this effort 3 stars. Look for great things in the future!