THE SENTIMENTALIST
" There are a few refreshing things about General Miggs: their lack of pretention, and the fact that they're genreless, for starters. Call them smart. neo-punk Americana or retro-modern art rock, but nothing comes close to describing their elegant dynamic sound. Thunderous horns ring in 'The Crawling Song' while 'Have A Laugh' is the bittersweet tale of breaking hearts, a shimmering tune that's got it all, from lovely crooning to twangy guitars and a sort of Morrissey-does-rockability vibe. Their music is all about crispness, achingly beautiful melodies and a passionate intensity and it's what makes this band stand out from all the genreless scenesters. This four-song EP is just a hint at what's to come. "

Hitsession - by Doug Cornell
It's been a crappy year for rock and punk music. There have been a handful of stellar releases, but for the most part, weeks go by without anything being released that's compelling enough to purchase.

Thankfully, every now and then something special shows up in my mailbox. This week's pleasant surprise is in the form of a CD-R, complete with hand-scrawled writing and a paper sleeve. But good things don't always come in fancy packaging.

General Miggs is a four-piece alternative rock outfit from Brooklyn, New York. These guys create infectious, clever music, with guitars, percussion, pianos, horns, and voices. Imagine Cake with more melody and energy and you'd be in the same neighborhood as General Miggs.

The CD opens as a flurry of horns open the slightly-disjointed track, "The Crawling Song." A syncopated rhythm forms the foundation for clear vocals and blasts of trumpets. This is the sort of sound that isn't heard much these days in modern music, as General Miggs isn't the sort of band that just plays it safe. The song evolves into a complete blast of sonic mayhem, as the guitars, percussion, horns, and vocals all combine into a magnificent crescendo. A truly amazing song.

Things get a little folky as minor chord acoustic guitars open "Broken Hoof." While the Decemberists have been getting all sorts of praise from the indie crowd, General Miggs is more successful with this sort of historical Americana music. "Broken Hoof" is entirely likeable, especially as the band sings "Whooo-Hoooo" during the chorus. Also commendable is the nearly hidden tinkling of background piano.

The General gets rambunctious in "Cure Me," which could've been a bonus track on the recent release by Thunderbirds are Now, "Justamustache." Guitars and percussion attack each other with murderous glee, while the vocal melody keeps the song together. "Had a Laugh" slows the pace to a strange waltz, as guitars bite into chords on the upstroke and the percussion beats out a steady, insistent rhythm. "Marco and Frankie" begins with a soft drum pattern and guitars, but hold on, because the intensity is turned up without warning just seconds into the song. The pattern of softness vs. demolition is repeated to great effect throughout the track.

Closing the demo is the epic track (clocking in at 7:52) "Shyest Girl in the World." This track follows no set pattern, as the tempo rapidly switches from sleep-inducing to full-tilt caffeine injection. Guitar picks scratch at strings like fingernails on chalkboards, and the percussion is simply outstanding. Suddenly the vocals turn soft and melodic, although it is nearly impossible to understand what is being said.

Given half a chance, General Miggs has the potential to be a break-out act. They don't follow any pre-conceived trends and are willing to allow their music to range from intense melodies to raw energy. I expect great things from these guys.

The Philler - by Phil Ramey
Since the release of their debut, Adopt-A-Throwaway, in April of 2004, Brooklyn band General Miggs spent no time away from the writing process. With the addition of guitarist and horn player Josh Dillard, the group went into the studio during the first months of 2005 and emerged with their currently unreleased six song demo.

With its dynamic energy, 6 Songs is clearly a descendant of General Miggs’ earlier work on Adopt-A-Throwaway and the BC Records Compilation. In the place of noisier jams and strained vocals of the previous releases, however, is an increased presence of musical drama as well as the occasional segment featuring vocal harmonies.

I have no way of knowing just how much the addition of Dillard affected the band’s approach to songwriting, but opening track "The Crawling Song" includes a heavy dose of the new member's horn playing. Whether it is trilled notes, an overarching melody, or simply reinforcing the rhythmic punches present on the track, the horn offers a distinguishing sound that manages to carry over even on tracks that don't prominently feature the instrument.

"Broken Hoof" and "Have a Laugh" carry a somewhat similar sound to that presented in "The Crawling Song", but those longing for the bands somewhat more raucous sound will find solace with the final tracks of 6 Songs "Marco + Frankie" and "The Shyest Girl in the World". Ultimately, 6 Songs is the work of a band still exploring its capabilities and they are clearly capable of crafting some engaging compositions. It will be interesting to see how they evolve as they build a body of work for their next full-length.

Mystery and Misery
“One thing General Miggs is not, is a clean-cut indie buzzed band from the
NYC with their crowds standing still and their arms crossed.” What they are, to me, is a melodic, almost punk sounding band, but with punk energy and call and response worthy vocals. I like it. These mp3s lack the post punk song by number routine that many bands on myspace.com seem to have.

Said The Gramaphone
So when a song as good as this one is submitted to me by a band I've never heard of, I cry for days on end, inconsolable for having realized that I am so lucky, while others suffer in a variety of ways. I am, after all, a deeply modest man.

"Broken Hoof" is unrelentingly catchy. Through verses, bridges and choruses it never loses its momentum, never loses its strict shuffle. The drums and bass play at chaos like clowns play at being drunk: pretending to fall over each other though they are in complete control, pretending to be crude and clumsy though they are supremely elegant. During the first bridge, at 1:23, a steel drum is introduced and manages to sound simultaneously exuberant and aching. The same could be said of the brilliant vocal performance, an unadorned and persistently energetic presentation of the melody.

BrooklynRock - by Mark Kirby
Art Punk Post Punk Rock and Roll. Music comes in many packages, but, like food, you can want in fresh and tasty. When you buy or make a meal, you want it cooked and seasoned. You want the finest ingredients prepared with care and presented when ready. In a band you want the same thing. Not some placebo band feigning of innocence to mask vigourous ingnorance and an anti-intellectualism that hates any kind of uplift or challenge or work. You want the real deal, and General Miggs, a young group from Brooklyn, is it. They are a thinking person's post-neo punk wave 21st Century rock. Can we call it new rock? Whatever. Here is a rock band that has taken the sounds and forms of what has gone before and, disdaining the artistic shield of PC preciousness and lacking self consciouness or the art project mentality of some groups, crafted something different enough and familiar enough to work. Best of all, their CD, Adopt-A-Throwaway, has passion and fuck it innocence that make there music stand out and sound real. That is, the first and last thing you notice about the band - not including their sound and songs - is the lack of artifice, of the studied distance that mars bands that are part of the music industry.

And yet, for those who want content, something for the mind that is fresh, stimulating and inspiring, there is plenty here. "Jo Jo" comes right at you like the overture of an opera, with a condensed preview of what is to come. The intro starts with a heavy waltz rock drum beat - real drums recorded in a room, not a technical-wiz-studio creation - then a feed back squeal heralds a dissonant guitar riff of pure urgency. Bass enters, then the song breaks down as guitar and bass call and respond with percussion coloring here and there. Then the song kicks in with full power as vocals enter and the whole thing takes on the momentum of a bus careening down a hill, but with the driver in full control. The off kilter arrangement has the guitar solo at the end. Yes, this ain't the same ol' same old. "Loose Tooth" brings the fresh power tunefulness of punk bands back in the day that had sure handedness and intense energy. A vocal melody with a nice hook, gives way to feedback and overtone laden guitar explorations over a driving beat, then back into the verse and an anguished ending. These templates pop up in many of the General Migg's songs. "Disappear and Repair" is a mini opus of sophisticated structure and ultra power pop (pop in the sense of a tune that can be hummed and a sing-along chorus).

Not to be pinned down, they flip the script with a surreal variation of the ballad. Taped noises - is it TV, is it radio? - start and a slow, druggy, dreamy song emerges with sparse, plucked guitar and groggy vocals. The last cuts are pure General Miggs: strong riff oriented song writing, tight playing, and urgent, passionate feeling. I look for flaws, and I don’t see many, if any. They put their stuff out there and say it loud and proud. These guys make music that could stand tall in any era, be it punk the first, second or third time around, the grunge era, post-punk circa 1980 or today. Can’t ask much more than that.

CrashinIn
NYC loves rock. We all know that. It always has. It's in our blood. Why else do you think there is so much fuss to try and keep CBGB's from closing? These boys know that and don't disappoint by giving us a dose of old school NYC rock that spilling out of this debut album.

Amazon.com
General Miggs, a young group from Brooklyn are a thinking person's post-neo punk wave 21st Century rock. They are a rock band that has taken the sounds and forms of what has gone before and, disdaining the artistic shield of PC preciousness and lacking self consciouness or the art project mentality of some groups, crafted something different enough and familiar enough to work. Best of all, their CD, Adopt-A-Throwaway, has passion and innocence that make there music stand out and sound real. That is, the first and last thing you notice about the band - not including their sound and songs - is the lack of artifice, of the studied distance that mars bands that are part of the music industry.