A winning combination of Glam, Indie Rock and balls-to-the-wall classicism, MTET have perfected the sneering smartass blurt of the New York Dolls, the howling sonic shitstorm of the Stooges and the fuzzed-out Blues impressions of the early Stones, all done with a singular sense of stylistic translation. Highlights of the quintet’s set were their two-minute marvel of professional observation “Industry Standard” (propelled by a frenetic soundtrack and punctuated by the anthemic lyric, “The record company buys my cocaine”) and their stirring spin on Alice Cooper’s “Raped and Freezin’.” The thing that sells the Ego Trip’s manic presentation is their stellar musicianship in the service of songs that at face value seem relatively simple but are actually incredibly nuanced. Top it off with a leering sense of humor and stage presence and you have the basement grandeur of the Matt Truman Ego Trip. See you next year, I hope to hell.
From their name to their outrageous stage antics to their frenetic songcraft, there's nothing remotely serious about the Matt Truman Ego Trip, even when they combine Marc Bolan and Another Green World-era Brian Eno on "Cowboy and the Dinosaur" or out-Stones the Garage-era Stones on "Industry Standard," featuring the irresistible line, "The record company buys my cocaine." If the Matt Truman Ego Trip gets any better than this, they'll require their own planet ... and deserve it.
Dig It: The Stooges doing a tribute to The Rolling Stones doing a tribute to the New York Dolls doing a tribute to The Stooges. (BB)
By Eric Davidson
cmj.com October 2007
Available photos of this Bowling Green, Ohio combo imply that their costume budget only allows for gas station shades. Or maybe it proves they're only half-kidding with the rock star 'tude that permeates every riff and shout on this self-released debut. There're no devil horns, acid-washed jeans or whatever else them big-city irony-metalers are sporting for these dudes. Because when you reside in a small college town near enough to Toledo to know boredom is no joke, and if you're close enough to Cleveland to have a scholar's knowledge of classic rock deep in your genes, the need to mock what you supposedly love seems a waste of time. Hence, the Matt Truman Ego Trip wastes no time in getting down to the decadent rocking. Yalping out a fist-shove singalong chorus like "The record company buys my cocaine," ignores (humorously glorifies?) the fact that record companies can't afford much more than covering lunch at Subway these days. It's the rhythm of the words, the kicking of the riffs and the delight of the crowd that seems to most interest this fivesome. Speedy arena jumpers ("Ruin," "Ohio") are total cheap tricks. "Toni Wants To Fight" is Kiss-ed bumble boogie, that meager costume budget be damned. And their expected if still solid Stones-y slow-downs ("Chrissie") and dredged up titular declaration of, "I Don't Wanna Grow Up," are only as cheeky as, say, Redd Kross--which is pretty cheeky, like ass cheeks shaking and face cheeks getting red from all the shits 'n' giggles.
From the rolling, sermon-like vocal diction to the crashing percussion, Industry Standard is a perfectly worthy soundtrack to the best mohair-clad go-go movies; not to mention the awesome confessional, ‘the record company buys my cocaine.’
"I gotta say I absolutely love I Don't Wanna Grow Up“
- Caroline Boyce (widow of Tommy Boyce of Boyce & Hart)
“excellent music!”
- Little Pocket Records
“So I'm at this show the other night and I go to leave but right before I do I throw a full can of beer at the lead singer and hit him square in the balls. If that ass-clown wants to spend all night NOT being Matt Truman that's his perogative but I'm not just gonna stand there and take it, you know? “
- Mary Prankster (Cult Hero)
"...listened to your songs while checking out your EPK man and DAAAAMN! The Matt Truman Ego Trip band has to be one of the best bands I've heard on our site. I'm going to play this in the office and I can assure you that you will have a bunch of new fans from our staff here in Boston."
-Patrick from Sonicbids.com
"Industry Standard is really a shit kicking tune... True traditional industral motor city sounding rock."
-Gary Rasmussen (Sonic's Rendezvous Band, The Up)
"I CAN'T STOP WITH THE COMPACT DISC. OVER AND OVER AND OVER. I'M TRYING TO STOP SINGING 'TOP 40' AND FUCKING 'OHIO' IS ON AGAIN AND NOW I'M SINGING 'OHIO'...IT'S KILLING MY SEX LIFE. I'M ABOUT TO CREST AND I YELL OUT "O-HIO!" UGH, GOOD GRIEF. BEST BAND EVER "
-Dave Malosh (The Meatmen, The Paybacks, Wölfbait)