Dark Meat - Universal Indians

Dark Meat – Universal Indians

Vice, 2006

Acquired: Love Garden, New, 2007

Price: $17

After seeing Dark Meat for either the first or second time, I immediately ran down to the record store the next day and picked this up on vinyl. It was right after it was reissued on Vice, whenever that was. Have you seen Dark Meat live? Surely you have, at least if you live in Lawrence. They’re here often enough to the point where they play the Jackpot and I go “Oh, Dark Meat is playing tonight, I’ll stay in and watch “30 Rock” and catch them next time.” And really, twice is fine with me because nothing is going to live up to that first time when 12 dudes and dudettes took the stage in white robes with crazy forehead facepaint and proceeded to melt my face off. I know, I know, everyone uses “melt my face off” to describe stuff these days, but that’s how it felt. Although that was like, 2007. Now I’m thinking maybe I should sell this record because I know I’m probably never going to listen to it. Don’t get me wrong, I dig it, but I mostly bought it for the monster jams “Freedom Ritual” and “Well Fuck You Then.” The rest of it is a little too jammy, too southern, and too hippy-psychedelia for me. It does come off as a communal effort though, which I like. Now, if only they were as tight as King Khan & the Shrines…