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Written by Emily Jones Monday, 18 August 2008 04:16

Though many of the songs are less than a minute in length, they bleed into one another, almost creating the sensation of an epic 20-minute party song.

Feelin' Up, the most recent LP from the Bloomington, Ind. band The Coke Dares, consists of 33 extremely short tracks. On a disc lasting less than 30 minutes, the songs have titles like "I Wish I Could Get as High as Neil Young Does," not to mention the three separate Coke Dares theme songs. But is it more than a gimmick?

It mostly is. Though many of the songs are less than a minute in length, they bleed into one another, almost creating the sensation of an epic 20-minute party song. At the same time, no song outstays its welcome. The songs are catchy and rambunctious slices of punk and classic rock. According to the press release, Feelin' Up was recorded and mixed in two days, contributing to the CD's raw, nonstop energy that infuses every track and makes the whole thing an incredibly fun listen.

Though the members of The Coke Dares are also members of the dissimilar bands Magnolia Electric Co. and the Impossible Shapes, I would be interested in seeing what they are capable of doing next under this name. This CD is great for people with short attention spans, but it makes one wonder if this kind of energy can be sustained for longer than 23 minutes. However, Feelin' Up is a funny, energetic and unusual CD; this band is definitely worth checking out. B+ | Emily Jones