Ok, I’ll get this out of the way right at the start. I got my degree in Computer Science. I enjoy programming. It’s fun. With that in mind, it was inevitable that I would like this album. They actually wrote software to help them write music. Programming and music, my two loves combined into one. It was, indeed, a joyous occasion.

However, when I told some friends about this process of writing music, they seemed skeptical and felt that this was getting around the so called ‘true process of writing music.’ Which apparently means to sit with your guitar, piano, or any other instrument of choice and pound out some sounds until you think something sounds good.

Perhaps it’s because I love computers, but to me this idea makes perfect sense. Work with a sound bank, organize some sounds until you get an arrangement you like, and then learn to play it with a real instrument. This way you could have a completely objective point of view about how your music sounds. One would also not be limited to what instruments are at hand, or if one’s playing ability were good enough to actually play the piece. You could try anything and see how it sounds instantly. In a way, the sky really would be the limit.

And that is exactly how I feel about this band. With ‘I Am the Fun Blame Monster’, their first full length, they have made an album that is very poppy, yet very original, unique and instantly catchy. Something many bands try their entire lives to do. These guys have done it on their first try. And they have created a formula that will allow them to experiment with any possible arrangement.

If you would like more information on this band, check out there website http://www.meomena.com or get the cd here cdBaby

- Tyler Craft