"A number of questions have plagued the DIY ethic in the recording industry, none more so than the question of packaging: how do you produce a really cool CD case on a budget? While the question may seem like a trivial one, it's difficult for reviewers and music lovers to get excited about a boring cover. Milquetoast packaging seems to imply a milquetoast product. The problem, however, is being addressed in a creative fashion by bands like the Mercury Dimes and the Tallboys on Dime-O-Mite! and Yeah Buddy. Both groups have concocted attractive packaging out of cardboard of all things. Folded together like a cut out from a doll book, the retro product perfectly suits the music within and furthermore, intrigues the listener to give these CDs a spin.

...The Tallboys, like Yeah Buddy's less colorful cover, are a much more straight-forward string band. It's unclear whether "Tallboys" refers to the band (all boys, though there's no photo to identify them as tall) or a beverage size preference. Either way, the Tallboys have a vivacious style made for dancing with fiddler Joe Fulton, guitarist Rob Adesso, bassist John Hurd, banjoist Charlie Beck, and mandolinist Paul McGowen all cutting loose at the same time on the "Cumberland Gap" and "Chilly Winds". And while the band seems to prefer upbeat numbers, they're nonetheless capable of turning in a crackerjack version of "Henry Lee". One might complain that the production, especially on the vocals, is a bit bright, as though someone was playing with the reverb knobs in the studio. Still, the brightness works quite well on fun nonsense like "Quit Kickin' My Dog Around".

With each album's simple, cutout design, it probably isn't surprising that there are no liner notes. Unlike many traditionalists, neither the Mercury Dimes nor the Tallboys offer any information on the origins of the chosen material. This probably matters less than the fact that individual contributions - who sings on a particular track, for instance - are never noted. This doesn't make the music any less enjoyable, but many folks - including this reviewer - like to know who's singing and who's playing which instrument.

With this small complaint out of the way, it's still easy to endorse both the Mercury Dimes' Dime-O-Mite! and the Tallboys' Yeah Buddy. In fact the bands, one mellow as a Sunday afternoon after a big lunch, the other custom made for a Friday night free-for-all, compliment one another nicely."