Review of the Play Every Day CD in Pop Matters, July 2001:
Fans are a funny lot. Or maybe it's the younger fans that are a funny lot. I frequent a few major label bands' message boards online and time after time I see these kids yelling "sell out" or complaining that such and such a group was so much better two album ago from five years before when they were only 10 years old. I never could relate to that stuff. To me, you make your music and you sell your albums. I suppose having grown up as a kid at a time when indie label album were not as easily accessible didn't give me any such "sell out" perspective. No. That's not it at all. I guess I've always been one of those fans that always gave a favorite band another chance the next time around if their current album sucked. "Sell out" seems like an ironic term anyway given the fact that successful musicians are basically making money at their craft no matter what kind of music they create.

But you know, with the independent labels come that stigma of the dreaded "sell out" cry from the fans. Do bands like San Francisco's Baby Carrot have to go through this kind of woe? I mean, original drummer Dennis Galway was replaced last year by Oren Williams. Did the fans scream such nonsense about the group being better when Galway was on board? I wonder. But ultimately it doesn't matter at all as Baby Carrot's Play Every Day is a very nice piece of work with all sorts of nooks and crannies that will keep you entertained for a long time.

Granted, when I first played the disc I was not overwhelmed. I can't say that I was really ever a fan of the so-called "math rock" genre, and the first song "Chinese Food & Donut" sits squarely in the middle of any favorite calculator. (Or is that "unsquarely"? You do the math. Ha.) But then I listened some more, and there was something about Dave Powers' oddball guitar riff and his singing that just seemed to fit. I hate to say it, but oft-times you still need a good leadoff track to make your listeners want to hear the rest of your album. So if you're reading this and feel the same way, give "Chinese Food & Donut" at least two or three shots. I promise it'll have you by that point.

From there, Play Every Day experiments with quite a few styles and pulls them off quite well. Power reminds me of Layne Stanley on "Bet a Nickel" and for once I don't mean that in a negative way. As his guitar, Andy Chapman's bass and Williams' drumming all lock down into a thick rock workout after every tightly wound verse, there's a nice sense of release. But just as soon as the song frees itself, it winds back up again and the whole process begins anew. It's an interesting formula that adds a nice sense of musical drama to the Baby Carrot sound.

And speaking of "Kids These Days", the song with said name is a stunning seven-plus minutes of staid rhythm and interlocking riffs. "Don't wake up and start shit / Never fall over flat on your face / Some guy down the block is upset / 'Cause the bus wakes his ass up" intones Power sleepily as he then sings some lines through some distorted filter and the guitar lines ring out again. After that is "Glasses" in which parts of the vocals and guitar riffs are one and the same, making for a kind of claustrophobic sound. A bit unsettling at first, but once again the band plays with that wind up/release method that works so well. Plus it's hard to argue with music like this that keeps throwing curve balls with such great band interaction.

But the band can play the straight up power pop game just as well. "Forgot to Read" is one hell of a tune, and if you need immediate convincing of this band when you pick this disc up, go straight to this tune and press play. The riffs, the melodies, the harmonies all form this sub-three-minute chunk of super pop that you won't forget. Clearly the sweetest spot on the album. But don't be disappointed when the languid "Halfway" arrives soon after. The nicest thing about Baby Carrot is that they can play all these interesting styles within the confines of the trio form. Talent abounds.

You tell me another band who can pull of such delights as "Deciding Time", an eerie Camper Van Beethoven sound-alike circa Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart or Key Lime Pie. Or how about those nice guitars and vocals in "Sandblock" that fly all over the place but never lose their balance within the two minutes and 45 seconds that it takes to complete the song? Let's face it: Play Every Day is one hell of a great sleeper.

So don't let it pass you up. Everything from the solid production on down to the analog/digital mix is sweet. For those that like their familiar pop shaken up every now and then, Baby Carrot is just the band to fit your need. From abstract riffs and rhythms that somehow certainly make sense within the power pop genre to the more obvious and excellent equations, Play Every Day is a unique masterpiece that stands solidly by itself in a world often filled with indie-rock sameness. By the second album, the fans might clamor "sell out" but this listener will be eagerly anticipating any new avenues that Baby Carrot might like to explore. - Jason Thompson

Review of the Play Every Day CD in Lost at Sea, July 2001:
On Play Every Day, Baby Carrot's debut full length after an apparent eight years of existence, it is captivating to think of how the band got to the point of where the album is. Eight years is a long time folks, and you can almost visualize these guys from Frisco cooped up in their dank garage just waiting for the right time to unleash their little beast of pop.

Baby Carrot has an off-kilter but coherent blend of big riffs, math precision, and tender acoustic stumbling with vocalist Dave Power as the role of the friendly nerd next door; the guy you hear earnestly trying to sing over the undulation of the lawnmower, his gentle voice almost afraid to be heard. Bassist Andy Chapman fills the low end of the record with crunch and grit as drummer Dennis Galway holds the architecture in place with reserved steadiness.

At times, the songs shift into power chord assaults that lend themselves to robustness of Mudhoney- or even Nirvana, but quickly sputter into more advanced time shifts, poppy hooks, down tempos, and straight up minimalism.

While Play Every Day isn't mind blowing by any stretch of the word, it still gracefully exudes the term "econo-rock" by never getting too overboard or self-indulgent with its instrumental prowess (a quality a lot of bands lack). Each member plays a vital and independent role in the sound as a whole; a well nutritioned exoskeleton that makes up each of these oddly constructed pop songs. - Trevor Naud

Another Review of the Play Every Day CD in The East Bay Express, June 1, 2001:
Bet on this local bunch as having a better than one-in-ten chance to become the next Yo La Tengo. Neither nasty rabbits nor timid bunny-hoppers, the Babes cut their pop with oomph, sugar with spice; you get that buzz without feeling like you just downed an entire Partridge Family-size box of Cocoa Puffs. Guitars sting and swirl, bass sets up a pleasantly deadly undertow as the drummer champs at the bit, vocals slip by clipped and dreaming, with the requisite measure of Stipean mumble. And the songs seem to be about actual stuff! Plus, the all-acoustic hootenanny number is right at the end, so you can flip it off if you don't care for it. Nine out of ten avant-barflies agree: Baby Carrot is as fresh and crunchy as its namesake. Pull some out of the ground today! --David Hill

Review of the Play Every Day CD in The East Bay Express, May 4, 2001:
Play Every Day is a platter that merits more attention than it'll get just around here. There's some good ol' power-pop thrown in amid the buzzing guitar and sweet la-la-la backup vocals of "Forgot to Read," but more of the disc is full of molasses-flowing, burbling guitars, wry vocals, and lush and jerky arrangements. "Bet a Nickel" is bouncy and noisy-buzzy and sweet and all that is good in indie rock, and other tracks may remind you of Pavement or any number of other bands, but that's just 'cause it's so damn polished--and yeah, because it sounds a bit like those bands, but so what? The driving twists and turns of the distorted and pretzel-rhythmed "Sandblock" or the simple folk-song oasis of "Deciding Time" hint at a mammoth pop savvy that's way too big for our bridges. - Sam Hurwitt

Review of the Play Every Day CD in Delusions of Adequacy, April 2, 2001:
Sammy Hagar was wrong: There is more than one way to rock. There are several, as it turns out, and Baby Carrot has found one that I wasn't aware of. This band is well familiar with pop and classic alternative sounds, but that doesn't mean that they use them in conventional ways. Instead of being foundations for the songs, the pop elements are used as decorations for more math-rock based explorations. Why? Because the man can't tell 'em not to, sucko!

While Baby Carrot is at heart a pop-oriented band, don't expect easy accessibility. It sounds as if the band has absorbed a lot of music during the past decade or so, and much of their tastes have been on the outer edge of accessibility. As a result, there isn't one area you can pinpoint as to where the band is coming from. They've thrown away the map and compass and struck out on their own, but you can tell where the journey has taken them thus far. They've clearly spent some time with math rock, as the different parts in the songs don't always fit together seamlessly, and the band loves to throw in the occasional odd time signature. They've enjoyed the music of Sebadoh and Superchunk, with a particular attraction to these bands' more meandering moments. They appreciate the melodies and the lyrical content of Pavement. Although the band features a stripped down trio sound, that also doesn't prevent them from performing extended instrumental explorations, either. The fact that they've hidden their most pop-influenced songs (one buried in the middle and the other at the end of the record as a bonus track) tells you that these guys are not very interested in being an accessible band. They seem to be trying to close the door on any traces of a straightforward pop sound.

That door swings pretty wide in both directions for the band. Take tracks 5 and 6, "Forgot to Read" and "Halfway." The former is so pop-oriented that it doesn't even sound like it belongs on the record, with its perky chorus and harmonica solo. Then immediately following that is the 6-plus minute 'Half Way," which is a depressing Modest Mouse-like dirge. The press release indicates that these songs were gathered over a period of eight years, which might explain some of the cases of stylistic whiplash that will occur while listening. But something tells me the band likes it this way.

Usually with records that feature different styles, I end up latching on to one particular song that really sums up what the band is all about. On this record, "Kids These Days" is the standout. This long, meandering "day in the life" tale of an indie nerd has it all. The song is a sort of Pavement-math hybrid, featuring quiet and laid back verses that blossom to a majestic, "big payoff" chorus, and the band isn't afraid to stop along the way to explore the scenery. This song should make it on to more than a few mix tapes.

While Baby Carrot is a unique band in many ways, they have made a sacrifice in hiding their catchier moments. Many bands are forced to play math rock: They often lack an adequate singer, and as a result they don't focus on vocal melodies, in favor of providing intricate instrumental heroics and creating more atmospheric songs. What we have here is a band with good vocal abilities and a gift at coming up with melodies. The choice to "math out" is entirely their own, but you might find yourself wishing they would utilize their pop skills more often, simply because you can hear that they'd be really good at it. But they seem to take such great delight in sabotaging these moments that you might not even think about it. Accomplished, challenging, and very quirky, Baby Carrot should be a hit with die-hard indie rock fans who don't want their pop spoon-fed to them. File Under: Pop stranded in a sea of math rock RIYL: Pavement + Sebadoh meet _______ (fill in name of favorite math rock band here) - Nathan

Review of the Play Every Day CD in the SF Bay Guardian, Mar. 21, 2001:
Like those Dave stickers you see all over the Mission and the Haight, Baby Carrot are a local fixture. They've put out a steady stream of singles and EPs since 1992 ­ you see them in 7-inch bins at the record store but always think "I can wait for the full-length." Well, now's your chance, because the power pop trio have gone and released a whole album on their own label. Superchunk and Sugar come to mind a lot more readily in their earlier work, but they've always added math rock dynamics to the rush and push of their metal-edged power chords. On Play Every Day the band have replaced the halfhearted guitar solos of days gone by with a fierce rhythmic skill and fire that brings to mind a rich double espresso more than the sleepy-time compositions of a band like, say, Austin's Paul Newman. On songs such as "Spilt Milk" loose rhythms and minor-key melodies warp into headbanging staccatos. And if the tidal waves of noise on "Chinese Food and Donut" toss you about like a dinghy on the big blue, then "Kids These Days" and "Forgot to Read" have hooks that'll pull you ashore. - Deborah Giattina

Review of the Play Every Day CD in Aquarius Records New Arrivals #109, Mar. 15, 2001:
High quality downer pop from local darlings Baby Carrot, who've been toiling away for several years now, and just may have made their best record yet. Play Every Day contains thoughtful indie-rocking on the order of Rex, Codeine, Karate, or Pavement. Inching towards epic and always dolefully melodic.

Review of the Squeak in my Shoe 7" in Punk Planet #26 July/Aug 1998:
Baby Carrot, 7" Indie rock with an emo-ish feel. These songs are pretty catchy and have an almost punkish feel to them. Good for the punk gone indie. (MD)

Review of the Squeak in my Shoe 7" in Coed Naked Sex #6 spring/summer '98:
Sometimes I wonder why more bands don't sound like superchunk. Then I get 7" like this and realize that a lot of bands do sound like superchunk. This is loud power-pop in an indie fashion. Hyperactive guitars chunk a chunk along with the pretty melodies. This s.f. band has lots of promise.

from Noisepop '98 program:
Festival veterans Baby Carrot have been plying their noisy pop wares around San Francisco's clubs for several years. In ballpark terms, they could be described as a demure Superchunk with some seriously San Diego-type tendencies. They released the "Squeak In My Shoe" 7" last year on Some Guy Down the Street, a cooperative label that they run with a few other local bands (talk about DIY!!). They've recorded 5 songs for a full-length but no word yet on when that slab will see the light of day. Singer/guitarist Dave Power describes the band's sound as indie-pop, adding, "that's really vague, but it covers a lot of ground. We try to do that, too."

Review of the Squeak in my Shoe 7" in SnackCake! October '97:
Baby Carrot are one of the best-kept secrets in San Francisco. They've been around for several years now but have managed to keep a consistently low-profile. Sorry, but if they keep making records like this the cat will be clawing its way out of the bag sometime very soon. The first thing that struck me about this 7" was the vastly improved production. Dave Powers' beefy guitars finally come through and the vocals are mixed at an audible level (something that hasn't always been the case on previous efforts). My favorite tune here is probably "Peal Away," but they're all worthy of your time. Anyone curious about the Now Sound in the City by the Bay should check this out. - Tim Scanlin

Interview in SnackCake! March '97 (includes Baby Carrot family tree!)

from review of the Rock Scientist compilation in SnackCake! September '96:
"... Baby Carrot's 'But the Burning,'...quite appropriately, totally smokes. Watch out for these rising young bucks - I expect great things." - Tim Scanlin

Review of the Big Biter EP in BAM July '95:
Monkey Bite and Omnibus Records joined together to bring you four songs by four bands on one little 7-inch...and what a great idea. Maxiwagon sounds like a power trio with dueling vocalists. The Doormats are punk with a little lead guitar, kind of like Red Rockers or Witnesses. Peppercorn is also punk, and their "Spun Out" is perhaps the EP's highlight, with its perfect Replacements' Hootenanny-era sound. Baby Carrot are the most adventurous songwriters in the bunch, and their "Slept Tight" is a nice slice of indie pop. - Denise Sullivan

from review of the Noise Pop 3 show in SF Bay Guardian February 1, '95:
"Festivities kicked off at Kilowatt last Thursday with a set by Baby Carrot, a trio with a rich, snappy sound topped off by soaring guitars and catchy choruses..." - Neva Chonin

Review of the Big Biter EP in Paperback Jukebox '95:
This four-band EP made my day. Apparently, there's a whole side of NorCal indie-rock I didn't know about, and I think it's just fucking great. My favorites are Baby Carrot with "Slept Tight" and Maxiwagon's "Baby Steps." Maxiwagon sound like a tighter and sharper New Bad Things, and Baby Carrot have a nice restrained pop sound that bursts out at times. Worth every penny.

Review of the On Paper 7" in City Revolt December '94:
Ok, these guys pulled the hoax. Since they made me get up twice to switch the turntable from 45 on the A side to 33 on the B side, I'm going to have to give these guys a shitty review. Kidding. "On Paper" is the usual true-to-heart power pop that hails from S.F. "Fuel in the Sun" on the other hand, lends a melodic twist to the intro. These guys have been together for a few years now and can be seen playing out and about in the S.F. club loop. Drummer Sonny Culbertson cooks up (almost literally) some tight and snappy snare sounds. Cool

Review of the On Paper 7" in Curious Goods '94:
Baby Carrot are very punk rock, but don't expect a tirade of noise with bastardized vocals. Instead they keep things at a basic level, no trills and gimmicks, just the music. "On Paper" and "Clown Around" sounds like a cross between Nirvana and Beat Happening: very uplifting but also humble. This is the complete flipside of the Riot Grrl movement, moreso since none of the members in Baby Carrot are women.

Review of the On Paper 7" in Paperback Jukebox August '93:
This month's DIY award goes to Baby Carrot and their release, On Paper, on MonkeyBite Records. This is great. You got yer crappy sound (drums mixed way too much up front), yer decent, albeit Dino Jr. derivative, songwriting, yer thrown together "punk" cover, and, most importantly, yer youthful enthusiasm. The package is a true example of the anti-corporate DIY spirit which lead to the revival of the seven inch format back in the early '80s.

Review of the Benjamin demo in BAM July 2, '93:
In the same mode as local pop-noise outfits Meices and Flophouse, Baby Carrot provide a blast of grunge guitars and rhythms. "On Paper" stands out, as does an untitled ballad at the end of the Benjamin demo. Baby Carrot currently plays in San Francisco and is definitely worth the fight for a parking space. - Melisa Phillips