The Printz

Feel like wasting some money? That’s my review for The Printz, but I’ll keep going for printz and giggles. I’ll start by saying that I used to really like Beck’s first major-label album; now I can’t even remember the name of it. The Printz is essentially a well packaged, 14-track album of “Loser.” I was once told that “Loser” was the song of my generation. That’s great. Way to keep a guy down. If we really are slackers, kids, let’s get a better song.  

Back in January I began seeing The Bumblebeez 81 turning up on a lot of hipster end-of-the-year lists, specifically, at the top of Karen O’s list. I checked the ol’ trusty Internet and couldn’t find a single release from them. Eventually, I found out that you had to be someone to know the beezness. As pretentious as it was, I found it intriguing.

Eventually, M2 had a special on them, saying that they sampled everything under the moon and that their album was coming soon, courtesy of Mister David Geffen. Sounds promising. Then came the video for their single, “Pony Ride.”

All of the sudden I’m 14 (or so - remember, the details of my generation’s theme song are hazy). The fuzzy bass line: obviously sampled from a 70s funk record. The vocal treatment: straight from The Beastie Boy’s size 3-1/2 shoebox of tricks. There’s a melody there, but I just can’t pick it out - the rap vocals and “Brooklyn, Brooklyn!” lyrics (no joke) are just way too chic. Oh, Karen O, what have you done? Go hang with Carrie Bradshaw already.

There are a lot of facts to be told about this album, and I’m pretty sure that I know a lot of them. I desperately wanted to figure out what it was about The Printz that made so many people vouch for it. After studying up on the band, I decided that it’s all just a fluke. So now I’m stuck with all of this useless info about a bad rap/rock album. I’ve decided to just leave it all alone; there’s really nothing interesting to tell, Anyone reading this review should feel lucky that I’ve filtered out a bad (yet often hyped album) album.

It’s this simple: if you’ve heard the song “Loser,” are familiar with The Beastie Boys and have ever heard someone trying to rap at a frat party, then you’ve already heard The Bumblebeez 81.

I guess I’m sorry that I didn’t really say much about The Printz. I’m 24, and I’m a loser, but, really, I’m smarter than this. You are, too. I guess I can see The Bumblebeez making people feel really hip and modern, kind of like that Len album did a few years ago. Len who, you ask? I think they were also called The Gorillaz or something. Save your money.   4/10

Written by G. William Locke