While decidedly amateurish and occasionally derivative, The Disco Biscuits' Encephalous Crime contains early signs of guitarist Jon Gutwillig's compositional prowess on songs such as The Devil's Waltz and Basis For A Day. Backing vocalists augment the band's young, thin voices and make the disc more listenable than it would be otherwise. Early versions of the album contain two live tracks from the summer of 1996 (including a respectable cover of Frank Zappa's Pygmy Twylyte). The second printing of the album, from 1999, features a live version of the staple Basis For A Day recorded in 1998 that showcases the electronic influence the band would take on.