Music
All-Time High (And Low) Scores
Best of 2009
Best of 2008
Best of 2007
Best of 2006
Best of 2005
Best of 2004
Best of 2003
Best of 2002
Best of 2001
Best of 2000
Best of the Decade
Upcoming &
Recent Releases
75
2562
54
30 Seconds to Mars
62
50 Cent
71
AC/DC
70
The Album Leaf
52
Kris Allen
68
Tori Amos
66
Animal Collective
84
Animal Collective![]()
77
Annie
57
Apse
63
Asobi Seksu
59
Bad Lieutenant
83
Julianna Barwick![]()
82
Beach House![]()
72
Beak>
72
Bibio
65
Justin Bieber
76
Biffy Clyro
74
Blakroc
75
Mary J. Blige
78
Blockhead
52
Bon Jovi
54
Susan Boyle
57
The Bravery
39
Chris Brown
64
V.V. Brown
70
Basia Bulat
79
Chew Lips
74
Citay
65
Clipse
66
Cold War Kids
75
The Cribs
58
Dashboard Confessional
81
Dave Rawlings Machine![]()
70
Delphic
78
The Doors
58
Echo & The Bunnymen
73
Edan
59
Editors
69
Eels
80
Felt
74
First Aid Kit
69
Flyleaf
83
Four Tet![]()
82
Ben Frost![]()
82
Fucked Up![]()
83
Charlotte Gainsbourg![]()
63
The Gilded Palace Of Sin
68
Githead
65
Joe Goddard
58
Good Shoes
72
Gucci Mane
75
Holopaw
82
Jesca Hoop![]()
79
Hot Chip
72
The Hot Rats
88
Ray Wylie Hubbard![]()
54
Hurricane Chris
66
Allison Iraheta
59
Jay Sean
82
Freedy Johnston![]()
57
Nick Jonas And The Administration
73
Norah Jones
49
Juvenile
58
Ke$ha
62
R. Kelly
66
Alicia Keys
68
Kid Sister
81
King Midas Sound![]()
63
Lady Antebellum
76
Lady GaGa
71
Adam Lambert
78
Lawrence Arabia
61
Leona Lewis
74
Lightspeed Champion
36
Lil Wayne
82
Lindstrom & Christabelle![]()
77
Lissie
78
Los Campesinos!
70
Lostprophets
73
Magnetic Fields
72
Massive Attack
64
John Mayer
71
Paul McCartney
58
Katherine McPhee
86
Memory Tapes![]()
72
Midlake
88
Motion City Soundtrack![]()
63
Mr. Hudson
53
Mudvayne
75
Oh No Ono
70
OK Go
72
Ola Podrida
61
OneRepublic
80
Owen Pallett
80
Pantha du Prince
90
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers![]()
80
Phantogram
60
Pit Er Pat
63
Priestess
70
Radian
79
Corinne Bailey Rae
54
Rakim
79
Real Estate
77
Retribution Gospel Choir
76
Rihanna
64
Rjd2
65
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez
77
Sade
77
Gil Scott-Heron
72
Shakira
82
Shining![]()
61
Snoop Dogg
62
Snow Patrol
71
The Soft Pack
80
Spoon
64
Ringo Starr
59
Stereophonics
76
Angie Stone
79
Surfer Blood
74
Switchfoot
75
Them Crooked Vultures
74
Robin Thicke
50
Timbaland
79
tUnE-YaRDs
80
Vampire Weekend
79
Laura Veirs
79
Tom Waits
78
Wale
65
The Watson Twins
66
Kanye West
76
The Whitefield Brothers
64
Robbie Williams
80
Yeasayer
62
Young Money
75
Neil Young
61
Rob Zombie
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
I Am The Fun Blame Monster

Universal acclaim
Based on 14 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 24 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >
Album Info
Label: Muuuhahaha!
Release Date: 20 June 2003
Discs: 1 disc
Genre(s): Indie, Rock
Summary
The quirky, Portland, Ore.-based indie rock trio recorded this highly-regarded genre-twisting debut album with the aid of a homemade software program.
Also By This Artist: Friend And Foe
Also On The Web: Official Menomena Site [Highly Recommended] Order Online: CD Baby
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Tiny Mix Tapes
This is one of the albums of the year: completely out of left field and completely solid from start to finish.
Read Full Review >Delusions of Adequacy
One of the most surprising, challenging, and important albums of the year.
Read Full Review >Pitchfork
Suffice to say, Menomena are a hugely creative band, and with I Am the Fun Blame Monster, they've managed to make an album that's extremely accessible yet entirely unconventional.
Read Full Review >Dusted Magazine
While it makes no effort to conceal its intellect, it solicits an under-the-table emotional connection the Seas and Cakes of the indiesphere simply will not allow.
Read Full Review >Stylus Magazine
I Am the Fun Blame Monster is totally vibrant, totally groovy, and once again, totally awesome.
Read Full Review >Logo
It will take at least ten listens before you hear everything thats going on, and ten more to understand it, yet this is far from impenetrable; it boasts a melody line that any pop princess would sell her plastic soul for, and prompts the idea that Knopf and his cohorts have been hanging around a crossroads doing just the same.
Read Full Review >Under The Radar
While the production techniques are so ingenious as to occasionally outshine the melodic content of the songs themselves, these are first and foremost pop songs. [#8, p.115]
ShakingThrough.net
A promising debut from a band more clever than it is musically accomplished.
Read Full Review >All Music Guide
Menomena clearly thinks of itself as a clever bunch of musicians. Maybe next time around they'll be more interested in sharing their wit with their listeners rather than just alluding to it.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this album is 9.0 (out of 10) based on 24 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
jay k gave it a7:
A promise of things to come..worth checking out but friend or foe is the one for me.
Nels J gave it a10:
I have no idea how anyone could deem this album "boring". Inventive and highly unconventional, this is a beautifully crafted album that clearly had a lot of time put into it. The first album in a long time that has kept me on my toes throughout the entire thing.
[Anonymous] gave it a10:
beautiful pop!
[Anonymous] gave it a4:
Sorry... but its boring :(
Ian R gave it a 9:
yeah, this is really that awesome i think.
drone gave it a 10:
Incredible, fabulous, wonderful, amazing. Pretty darn close to perfection.
wacky man gave it a 9:
Highly innovative and original!
