Excerpts from the Diary of Todd Zilla is an EP by American indie rock band Grandaddy, released on September 27, 2005 through record label V2.
| Excerpts From the Diary of Todd Zilla | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| EP by | ||||
| Released | September 27, 2005 | |||
| Genre | Indie rock | |||
| Length | 31:14 | |||
| Label | V2 | |||
| Producer | Jason Lytle | |||
| Grandaddy chronology | ||||
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According to frontman Jason Lytle, the EP was "a way to fill the gaps of time while recording [Just Like the Fambly Cat]".[1] The EP received a mixed-to-favorable response from music critics.
Title and theme
editThe EP's title reflects frontman Jason Lytle's frustration with his hometown, Modesto, California, and has been described as "not so much a farewell as a fuck off to the town".[2][3][4] The name comes from something Lytle saw on the vanity license plate of a large truck in Modesto.[5][1] In Lytle's words, the EP "was a nice opportunity for me to produce some whiney little complaining songs about my hometown. I think it's pretty blatant; it's pretty stripped down in terms of the message."[3] It was recorded simultaneously with Just Like the Fambly Cat, and Lytle planned to leave Modesto as soon as the album was complete, stating "In Modesto, it's like gravity is a lot heavier. There's something that just makes you feel like you're doing all you can just to keep your head above water, when in fact there's not a whole lot going on."[3] He recorded the EP as "a way to fill the gaps of time while recording the new album. I just thought I could throw together some old songs and some newer ones and a really new one".[1]
Recording
editTodd Zilla was recorded on 8-track equipment at one of Lytle's two home studios.[4][3] Its eight tracks do not appear on the band's fourth full-length album, Just Like the Fambly Cat. Some of the songs had been written much earlier, as far back as ten years before, as Lytle stated: "There are years-long gaps between a lot of these songs, and mostly they were just annoying me because they were sitting around doing nothing."[6] Everything on the EP was written and recorded by Lytle with the exception of drum tracks by Aaron Burtch.[3]
Release
editExcerpts from the Diary of Todd Zilla was released on September 27, 2005 by record label V2.[6] A limited-pressing vinyl edition was released by record label Devil in the Woods, containing the bonus track "Hidden Health Announcement".
Reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | favorable[7] |
| Drowned in Sound | 5/10[8] |
| Hot Press | favorable[9] |
| The Michigan Daily | favorable[10] |
| Pitchfork | 5.6/10[4] |
| Spin | B+[11] |
Excerpts from the Diary of Todd Zilla received mixed-to-favorable reviews from critics.
Marc Hogan of Pitchfork gave it 5.6/10, calling it "a goofy, sloppy mini-album, cramming familiar Weezer fuzz, stoned piano ballads, playful analogue synths, and misguided Bad Company references into a little more than half an hour".[4] Gareth Dobson of Drowned in Sound gave it five out of ten, calling it a "mixed bag".[8] SPIN gave it a B+ rating, calling it "richly illustrated, grim but empathetic, epic yet humane art rock".[11] In the view of Joey Lipps of The Michigan Daily, "it falls short of the captivating quality of their previous recordings".[10] Shilpa Ganatra of Hot Press opined that the EP represented "a wander into the field of revolution rather than evolution".[9]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Jason Lytle
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Pull the Curtains" | 2:59 |
| 2. | "At My Post" | 6:08 |
| 3. | "A Valley Son (Sparing)" | 4:50 |
| 4. | "Cinderland" | 3:20 |
| 5. | "F**k the Valley Fudge" | 3:39 |
| 6. | "Florida" | 4:37 |
| 7. | "Goodbye?" | 5:41 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 8. | "Hidden Health Announcement" (contains a locked groove) |
References
edit- ^ a b c Long, Joe (14 November 2005). "Jason Lytle: The Grandaddy Landscape – Glide Magazine". Glide. Archived from the original on 4 December 2008. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
- ^ Rowland, Marijke (23 September 2005). "Grandaddy's Newest Inspired by City's Sprawl". The Modesto Bee. p. H5.
- ^ a b c d e Rubin, Joey. "Excerpts from the Misery of Grandaddy | PopMatters". PopMatters. Archived from the original on 16 December 2014. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
- ^ a b c d Hogan, Marc (25 September 2005). "Grandaddy: Excerpts from the Diary of Todd Zilla EP | Album Reviews | Pitchfork". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 18 March 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
- ^ Steininger, Alex (August 2005). "In Music We Trust – Interview: Grandaddy: Jason Lytle Talks About Grandaddy's Last Record, His Mood, and Why It Is Hard to Make Money As an Independent Musician". In Music We Trust. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
- ^ a b Kaufman, Gil (21 September 2005). "Grandaddy Can't Wait to Leave Home – But They Have to Finish Telling It Off First – MTV". MTV. Archived from the original on 24 December 2014. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
- ^ "Excerpts from the Diary of Todd Zilla – Grandaddy | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
- ^ a b Dobson, Gareth (20 October 2005). "Album Review: Grandaddy – Excerpts from the Diary of Todd Zilla / Releases / Releases // Drowned in Sound". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 8 July 2012. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
- ^ a b Ganatra, Shilpa (5 October 2005). "Excerpts from the Diary of Todd Zilla | Music Review | Album | Hot Press". Hot Press. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
- ^ a b Lipps, Joey (16 November 2005). "Grandaddy Coasts on Latest EP". Michigan Daily. p. 5. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
- ^ a b "Quick Cuts: Grandaddy Excerpts from the Diary of Todd Zilla". Spin. October 2005. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
External links
edit- Excerpts from the Diary of Todd Zilla at Discogs (list of releases)