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"Bursting out of a burning trash heap like some mutated, blitzed skeleton in a leatherjacket, Citric Dummies thrash their listeners with a heavy dose of pulverizing punk madness on their latest LP Zen and The Arcade of Beating Your Ass. The Minneapolis based trio have previously released a handful of endlessly infectious records on US and Euro labels like Erste Theke Tonträger, Fashionable Idiots, and Another Label- luring in unsuspecting punks with their aberrant, tuneful noise. Citric Dummies rip turbocharged, catchy songs riddled with big hooks that are inhaled like paint fumes by fans of niche KBD gems and classics like The Ramones and The Misfits. The band has signed with Feel It Records to release their most dialed and corrosive record to date- a pièce de résistance for LSD enthusiasts and jabronis alike.
Produced by Erik Nervous (known for his own project as well as production work with The Spits and Liquids), Zen and The Arcade of Beating Your Ass Is a masterclass in unpretentious and unrelenting party punk. The cover is a clever mockery of Hüsker Dü's Zen Arcade waving a friendly middle-finger paying homage to the punk heroes of yore. Citric Dummies power through 14 songs in 23 minutes in a psychotic frenzy. The songs conjure chaotic and hilarious glimpses into the everyday life of a hesher self-deprecating, taking copious amounts of illicit substances, and kicking the teeth out of the phonies that step in their way. Sonically, Citric Dummies have honed their knuckle-dragging craft, and sound more unique, more evolved, and more like themselves than ever. The arrangements, riffs and lyrics are meticulous yet effortless, like they've practiced so much the music flows through them, spike in vein. Zen and The Arcade of Beating Your Ass is the manifestation of these three droogs stepping off the fleshy escalator and into the gaping void of pure rock n roll elation." -Sims Hardin (u2isagovernmentdrone)
Our take: Minneapolis’s Citric Dummies returns with a new album, their fourth, on a new record label, also their fourth, Feel It Records. Despite hopping between labels, Citric Dummies has remained sonically consistent across their discography. They live in that Dillinger Four-esque space between melodic punk and hardcore, their music fast, hard, and loud, but with hooks and pop song structures lurking beneath the mayhem. For me, though, the main attraction with Citric Dummies has always been the lyrics. The album title—Zen and the Arcade of Beating Your Ass—gives you an indication of where they come from lyrically… it’s like they’ve binged on punk and pop culture for years only to barf it up and dance around in the slop. Choice song titles include “I’m Gonna Punch Larry Bird” and “Doing Dope at Chucky Cheese,” but it’s not just silliness… “Tubing Down a River of Anxiety” and “My True Love Is Depression” hint at deeper themes, albeit viewed through the same wise-ass lens. Citric Dummies’s unique sound makes easy comparisons impossible (they have a song on one of their previous albums called “We Don’t Care Who We Sound Like”), but anyone with an ear for music that’s dense, catchy, powerful, and whip-smart should give ‘em a try.
Produced by Erik Nervous (known for his own project as well as production work with The Spits and Liquids), Zen and The Arcade of Beating Your Ass Is a masterclass in unpretentious and unrelenting party punk. The cover is a clever mockery of Hüsker Dü's Zen Arcade waving a friendly middle-finger paying homage to the punk heroes of yore. Citric Dummies power through 14 songs in 23 minutes in a psychotic frenzy. The songs conjure chaotic and hilarious glimpses into the everyday life of a hesher self-deprecating, taking copious amounts of illicit substances, and kicking the teeth out of the phonies that step in their way. Sonically, Citric Dummies have honed their knuckle-dragging craft, and sound more unique, more evolved, and more like themselves than ever. The arrangements, riffs and lyrics are meticulous yet effortless, like they've practiced so much the music flows through them, spike in vein. Zen and The Arcade of Beating Your Ass is the manifestation of these three droogs stepping off the fleshy escalator and into the gaping void of pure rock n roll elation." -Sims Hardin (u2isagovernmentdrone)
Our take: Minneapolis’s Citric Dummies returns with a new album, their fourth, on a new record label, also their fourth, Feel It Records. Despite hopping between labels, Citric Dummies has remained sonically consistent across their discography. They live in that Dillinger Four-esque space between melodic punk and hardcore, their music fast, hard, and loud, but with hooks and pop song structures lurking beneath the mayhem. For me, though, the main attraction with Citric Dummies has always been the lyrics. The album title—Zen and the Arcade of Beating Your Ass—gives you an indication of where they come from lyrically… it’s like they’ve binged on punk and pop culture for years only to barf it up and dance around in the slop. Choice song titles include “I’m Gonna Punch Larry Bird” and “Doing Dope at Chucky Cheese,” but it’s not just silliness… “Tubing Down a River of Anxiety” and “My True Love Is Depression” hint at deeper themes, albeit viewed through the same wise-ass lens. Citric Dummies’s unique sound makes easy comparisons impossible (they have a song on one of their previous albums called “We Don’t Care Who We Sound Like”), but anyone with an ear for music that’s dense, catchy, powerful, and whip-smart should give ‘em a try.