Grandaddy - Excerpts from the Diary of Todd Zilla

Genre rock Publisher V2 Records External Links Official Website V2 Records

The genius of Grandaddy has always been in its passive-aggressive class-war aesthetic. Hailing from a part of California where showing intelligence can get you hurt, former pro skater Jason Lytle and crew subverted Grandaddy's message of optimism in the face of crushing mulletdom in their pleasant synth-pop. Trouble is that the message was so subverted that nobody knew it was there half the time, and Grandaddy, more often than not, came off as a bunch of MTV-approved, beardy, post-ironic losers. Being signed to pseudo-indie alterna-farm V2 Records certainly has not helped the band's credibility at all.

Despite all the amputations, though, Grandaddy has managed to come through on occasion. Songs like "Now It's On" are memorable moments in which Lytle awakes from major-label slumber and injects a palpable sense of purpose into his band's music. Unfortunately, it appears to be too little too late. Excerpts from the Diary of Todd Zilla takes a great title and wastes it on these lethargic tunes.

Aside from "Florida," Excerpts from the Diary of Todd Zilla is like a sensory-deprivation tank without the extra added bath thrown in. I haven't seen Jason Lytle skate, but if he skated like he plays music, I'm surprised his career-ending injury didn't come sooner. As it is, the band is ending its run with the release of the upcoming full-length album The Fambly Cat (seriously, what is with the jokey album titles? Sheesh!). Which is kind of a shame, as it would be interesting to see if Lytle shakes himself out of his slumber long enough to maintain some consistency now that the band is no more.