Waterbugs & Beetles

Pop at its best and most original.:
If the best of pop is seemingly underground and indie for some strange reason these days, then dig down and find out where you can get Waterbugs and Beetles, the album. An album in the true Beatles sense where all the songs are singles and keepers. Dig it, because it's honest pop from the head and from the heart. And even the bawdy naughty parts of this album are totally cool. If you like Robin Hitchcock you'll like this album. If you ever liked the White Album, you'll dig this album. Very lyrical, very melodical...and not a stitch logical. The title tune alone will bug your ears out. Anton's been reviewed worldwide but we're very lucky to have him around Northern Calif. much of the time. Especially when he creates tunes like these on Waterbugs and Beetles. mmw

Anton Barbeau Breaks Pop Conventions:
I first heard "Waterbugs and Beetles" last January, when I bought it from Anton himself after a show. I was instantly hooked. I had to tape the album, listen to it in my truck about 8 hours a day, and then make all of my friends listen to and/or buy it. It's that good. It's got quite a bit of Beatles, some XTC, and a whole lot of Anton. It's vulgar, danceable, pensive, thought-provoking, sexy, weird, creepy and literate fun. Anton's that boy who's been reading lots and lots of really good books and sitting around his room playing the guitar all night. He rocks. He also makes you think. Plus, he's fun to listen to. What's not to love?

Scruffy Sacramentan shines like a superstar:
Despite my rating, I wouldn't say this is the perfect Anton album since it includes some aural doodling that could have just as well been left off. ("Slimy Cello Piece" being a prime example.) However, that leaves 15 actual songs that are just as vivid and engaging as anything else Anton has released during the past decade. "MTV Song" is a terrific bit of paranoia that makes great use of Psycho-like guitar punctuations, and "Tad Song" is a hilarious in-joke that proves bad press should not discourage the truly gifted to rise to the occasion. Much more could be said about the other tunes, but you'd be better off listening to them than reading what I have to say about 'em. Took me a while to really appreciate this despite already being a huge Anton fan, but anyone with a craving for catchy lo-fi pop should do well to gorge themselves on this tasty (and often unapologetically tasteless) treat.