Big Head Todd and the Monsters

Big Head Todd and the Monsters are peddling some seriously boring rock and roll these days. Although few (wisely) cared to take notice, they were one of the lesser-known contributors to the poop-slide of Mellencamp junkies in the early ‘90s (Hootie, Gin Blossoms, Blues Traveler) that lead to the post-grunge, honky invasion of the late ‘90s (Matchbox 20, Verve Pipe, Tonic). Always known as more of a jam band than many of their contemporaries, on Crimes of Punishment the band pay more attention to the downtime many jam bands use to tie their wanking together (known to the rest of us as verses and choruses.) This doesn’t work so well. The band only seem able to offer either painfully bland slow songs or Peter Gabriel playing ZZ-Top-esque rockers. Neither mode offers a tune worth the ink it would take to spell its name.