ometimes I really despise technology. Although it does wonders for many industrialized nations, it also manipulates the poorer ones, leaving them to create products that are made at dirt cheap prices while their creators are left to live in the same dirt environments. My brother is currently working in a “modernized” town in China; he says the sun never shines, children and adults defecate in the streets, and manufacturing workers usually die before the age of 50. Of course, the United States was very much like this in its beginning stages. A manufacturing mecca for our European superiors, conditions were very similar in our infancy. After jumping into a couple of World Wars at opportunistic times, we came out as top dog, throwing away our isolationist viewpoint for that of an elite superpower. So, the transition from a manufacturing economy to a service market developed in the mid-20th century allowing us to take advantage of those third world nations. With the current development of genetic engineering it won’t be long before humans develop into superior beings, as well. Quite a world.


One of the bands that translate this resourceful world into music is Grandaddy. The Sophtware Slump is the aptly titled second release from this Modesto, California-based band. It's a magical album that creates amazing textures of sound via reverb-drenched guitars, keyboards, tape loops, studio effects, and other electronic goodies- a surreal look at our modern world and its need for technology with lyrics about robots, air-conditioned TV lands, microwaves, toasters, and other household appliances all sung by Jason Lytle.


This album has received a great deal of press since its release in 2000, so I won’t bore you with too many details. From its beckoning introduction “He's Simple, He's Dumb, He's The Pilot” the album takes me from one extreme to another. Sometimes I want to grab a six-pack and sit in the bed of a pickup truck while watching the sun go down from the beach. Then, there are the other times I simply want to cry. It’s an amazing album full of inventive samples and special effects which take you on a journey of sound. There really isn’t anything bad I can say about the album, although it isn’t something I could listen to over and over again. Its one of those albums I use as background music when I want to contemplate life.


Grandaddy's sound since their freshman effort Under the Western Freeway has grown and matured. This album features less concentration on guitar dynamics and more emphasis on technological sound. I had the good fortune to see them in concert, wondering how they could pull off a decent show with such a lo-fi sound. But honestly, they do it quite well combining a video feed (and perfect timing) as a backdrop to their sound. One of my top albums for 2000.