Birth of the Cool
Dog Men Poets
(self-released)



On their self-released record, Birth of the Cool, Dog Men Poets display seemingly sincere attempts at worthwhile musicianship; it’s just too bad that the songs on the record are so incredibly bad, and the vocals utilized to sing them are downright nauseating.  Basically the band rehashes the same style the Red Hot Chili Peppers dished out twenty years ago, all underscored by lame attempts at Dave Mathews Band style frat party jamming.  

Geeky white boy approximations of hip-hop, funk, in tow, DMP kill whatever buzz they set out to create early in the record, but insist on damning themselves even further by carrying out their atrocities over nineteen (yes, 19!) songs.  The title track, segueing into “Hold On” drags on over 6 minutes of the same verse/chorus/verse with no bridge.  It’s as if the band has nothing to say, so why not repeat it on every song?  

Vocalists Brouillet and Matt Barker think they’re funny on songs such as “MILF” (“I see you driving in your s- uuuuu- veee / dropping off your kid at the el-e-men-tar-eeeee”), but the joke’s on them throughout.  Oh the whine their voices create is migraine inducing.  And if those two aren’t bad enough, the band employees a white drummer by the name of Ras Christopher, decked out in rastafari dude duds.  We can only hope this brain-damaged gaggle of a band doesn’t take itself too seriously.  And yet the guys do display adept abilities on their respective instruments.  What a waste.

By David Elliott
dallasmusic.com
staff writer