Magic People - You Are The Magic People (Mister Records (probably), 2009)

Magic People - Your Dude


I threw that "probably" up there in the title because this album technically isn't out yet. Magic People have put out a few albums on Mister Records and I'm going to take a wild guess that You Are The Magic People will also appear on Mister. Just a hunch. But please don't threaten/attack/murder/sodomize me if I end up being wrong.

I had the opportunity to see Magic People open for The Skull Defekts at PA's Lounge in October and while I enjoyed their set, I wasn't blown away by anything I heard. When I saw them play live, there was only two of them. Al Deaderick manning the keyboard and drum machine with John Manson pulling duty on vocals, bass, and a kick drum. It was minimal industrial stuff but perhaps too simple of a setup for my taste in that genre. Enter You Are The Magic People to completely change my mind about these local dudes.

This record is fucking awesome. First of all, they've enlisted a couple other people to play some more instruments such as a full drum kit, guitar, saxophone, and various electronic and percussion shit. And it makes all the difference in the world. Coupled with solid production, this rounds Magic People out and overall makes them sound fuller and more professional than they did live.

I mentioned Magic People had an industrial feel, which is true, but in the gritty DIY way that Neptune has become famous for. They also have that strange humor found in some Neptune songs, although it's more overt on Magic People. But Magic People are no copycats. They certainly have their own sound, partially due to the distinctive synthesizer (which Neptune most certainly does not use).

I have a lot more respect for Magic People after hearing their as-yet-unreleased somewhat-self-titled album. It's a super tight record that's just really fucking good. Something that shouldn't be kept hidden from the rest of the world, as is so common with "local" music. When You Are The Magic People gets it's eventual release, it will most likely be pretty limited so keep an eye out for it before this shit sells out. 'Cause it will.