EP Review: Automatic Music Explosion — This Is…
“We wanna play your high school,” announces their MySpace page.
This one gave me a real chuckle (and not the condescending kind, either). From the leadoff drum beat of “Take Me Home” (ripped from the Bay City Rollers’ “Saturday Night” and any number of sports cheers) to the faux-snotty vocals that recall Redd Kross, the four-song EP from Los Angeles’ (where else?) Automatic Music Explosion hits all the right notes. For fans of — for a lack of a better label — bubbleglam, you can’t do much better than this in 2008. In this decade, few groups would record an EP to use as bait to gain the attention of producer Mike Chapman. Chapman was responsible for the glammy pop of early 70s acts like Sweet and Suzi Quatro, and later worked with Blondie, the Knack and Toni Basil (among others). If any of those names elicit a guilty smile, you’ll probably dig this.
The brief This Is! disc sports songs of teenage lust, punctuated with cries of “yeah yeah yeah” and “1-2-3-4!” At first glance, the lyrics are powerpop-dumb. But this quintet is no bunch of idiots. Listen to the open couplets of “C’mon C’mon” for proof. They manage the neat trick of being innocent and filthy at the same time, recalling Eric Carmen’s work with The Raspberries. Yes, this stuff is retro, but it’s reaching back to a subgenre that isn’t terribly well-remembered (‘cept by fanatics like me) so it sounds as fresh as most of what’s served up these days. For fourteen minutes, it’s pure pop goodness. Keep your ears open for the Chapman-produced full-length.
About the Author
Bill Kopp
With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day since 2018). The 4500-plus interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he taught a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- more than 30 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: Great Concept Albums will be published in 2024. Read even more about him here.