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I Am The Fun Blame Monster
by Menomena

Menomena reviews
Critic Score
Metascore: 82 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
9.0 out of 10
based on 14 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 24 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album

The quirky, Portland, Ore.-based indie rock trio recorded this highly-regarded genre-twisting debut album with the aid of a homemade software program.

LABEL: Muuuhahaha!
RELEASE DATE: 20 June 2003
DISCS: 1 disc
GENRE(S): Indie, Rock

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...

100
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
100
No Ripcord
I can’t recommend this album strongly enough.
Read Full Review
90
Delusions of Adequacy
One of the most surprising, challenging, and important albums of the year.
Read Full Review
87
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
80
PopMatters
They sound like no one else.
Read Full Review
80
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
80
Stylus Magazine
I Am the Fun Blame Monster is totally vibrant, totally groovy, and once again, totally awesome.
Read Full Review
80
Logo
It will take at least ten listens before you hear everything that’s 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
80
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]
78
Almost Cool
For a debut, it's a remarkabley inventive and interesting release.
Read Full Review
76
ShakingThrough.net
A promising debut from a band more clever than it is musically accomplished.
Read Full Review
70
Splendid
Menomena is a wickedly creative band.
Read Full Review
70
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
60
Neumu.net
One of the most original-sounding albums in a long while.
Read Full Review

What Our Users Said

Vote Now! 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!

Read more user comments...

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