Search - Judybats :: Down in the Shacks

Nice little album that that you don't have but should!

M. Tillman | Atlanta, GA USA | 08/11/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The Judybats made some pretty great pop songs that most people didn't get a chance to hear in the early 90's. An earlier song from theirs called "Kindness Kills Me" (which I highly recommend you finding) got me hooked on to them. This album is more refined than that song, but it flows very nice and even if some of the lyrics aren't meant to be happy, I always found this album just giving off a good vibe. It just makes you appreciate quality music and just feel good all over. Go get it and be happy you did!"

"Poor bruised world" indeed

William Timothy Lukeman | 10/23/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For me, this is the best Judybats album in their all-too-small catalog. They had a distinctive sound, filled with great melodies, and a special energy & wit that was unlike most other alt-rock bands of the time ... yet they could also delve into more contemplative & melancholy territory. Sometimes that melancholy was just below the surface of the bounciest songs, such as "Our Story" or "Saturday." If I had to try & define their sound, I might suggest a cross-pollination of the B-52s' humor & several Southern jangle-pop bands, such as Let's Active or REM. But that's just a rough suggestion.



It's a shame that the music of the 1980s is largely relegated to images of big hair, bad clothes, and a handful of Top 40 hits. There was so much more going on behind that one-dimensional media facade, and the Judybats were right in the middle of it. But they didn't fit into some easily defined niche, and their label wanted something more mainstream from them. So these days all of their work is out-of-print, sad to say.



Still, the low prices for their used CDs make them easy & inexpensive to sample. And it's well worth it. Once these songs get into your head, they'll stay there for a long time, and leave you wondering why more people didn't appreciate just how good the Judybats were. Highly recommended!





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Has there been a more underrated group?

R. Wallace | Chicago | 07/18/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I got this over 14 years ago and I've never stopped listening to it. This is a rare accomplishment and it's a crime that something like this could be out of print. (I mean, is XTC's "Skylarking" out of print? And yet, some of Robyn Hitchcock's work is out of print. Why is that? Oh,well ...) One of the best recordings of the decade. "Native Son" is almost as good, but if you haven't heard the Judybats, start here."