Big Head Todd and the Monsters Measures Up

Big Head Todd and the Monsters have been around a long time. In fact, this year is the 20th anniversary of their first album, Another Mayberry. But the songs don't feel old. You could discover one of  BHTM's 11 albums in a used CD store tomorrow and feel nearly each and every track resonate with some part of your life, or, with the lives of those around you. That's because BHTM's music tells stories - about women, families, lovers and loneliness.

But what makes their music is not its subject matter (show me a band who doesn't sing about love and loneliness). It's the strong, poetic lyrics set up by Todd's passionate vocals and the driving, funky, ripping band that brings the songs, and their stories, to life.

Unlike some bands that sound great in the studio, but ho-hum in concert, Big Head Todd and the Monsters are electric live. The passion of their songs lights up the stage and doses the crowd with their sultry intensity. It's this that has made BHTM a festival crowd favorite, and a small-club sell-out nationwide.

But, no. It doesn't seem have have given them "big heads."