F5
July 22, 2004

This album of humor-inflected rock from Norman, Ok ain’t no joke. Here, Chris Wiser and Rob “Dr. Rock” Martin beat down the door with this 10-song take on life in the ‘00s. Wiser works the Hammond B3 like his life depends on it during tracks such as the mellow and unsettling “The Way That it Goes” (imagine Steely Dan on sleep deprivation), “Should’a Come Over” and the filthy and fuzzy “The Way That I Felt Today,” sings his uvula out on the rocker-in-a-rut lament “Cover Band Boyfriend,” the life-as-we-know-it “Buddhist in a Beemer” and the ode to the night before the hangover kicks in, “Bender to Ender”.
Martin does his part as well, adding Latin-inspired tinges to “The Way That It Goes” and powerhouse beats to the dance workout “Cornbread” and living, breathing workout “Ain’t No Crime”. Martin also finds time to lend tracks such as “My Key” a nice, deep pocket that calls to mind ‘70s studio rat artists such as Boz Scaggs and the aforementioned Steely Dan.
While a few of the tracks beg for a little bit of guitar (Wiser fills in some holes rather nicely with saxophone), the duo finds it sown niche early and often on Machos. Paired with the self-titled debut (recorded when the duo was a trio), Dos Machos makes Sugar Free Allstars a band to watch. Sweet.
Sugar Free Allstars will play 10 p.m., Saturday, July 24, at John Barleycorn’s.

- Jedd Beaudoin