Outsiders

Like:
Menomena, the trio from Portland is one of the most creative on the indie scene, beautifully crafting songs dealing with a reasonable level of wild experimentalism without losing the grip on musical appeal. Though Menomena’s songs feature a fair amount of synth and keyboard and the extensive use of percussion, drums and guitar is frequently built on loop samples (using a computer software programmed by one of the band’s members), their songs feature that essential rock feel which seduces not only your ears but also your entire body, since when listening to some of their songs you may feel an incredible desire to shake yourself loosely to their uber-addictive groove and phenomenal rhythm. It was not by chance that they were invited to write music for an experimental dance company of their hometown.

Menomena – “The Monkey’s Back” (from I Am The Fun Blame Monster!)

Menomena – “The Pelican” (from Friend and Foe)

Not Quite Like:
The three boys from British band Klaxons love combining a little bit of rock with tons of glowing electronica on their songs, which have as a result some exciting tunes crowded with sparkling guitars riffs and sci-fi like keyboard chords. But most of the time this unceasing excitement on the melodies composed by them is just too much. It seems they can’t control their eager desire to put just about everything which may produce sound on a melody at the same time: guitars, drums, bass, keyboards, synthesizers and even the voice of the three guys is often splattered together on more than half of the lenght of every song released on their debut album. I hope they develop a sense of balance on time to write new songs for their second album because if they keep their music the way it was done on the first release, people will get tired of them way too soon. Meanwhile, while we don’t discover what will be of their schizophrenic style on this yet-to-be-released album, make sure you have a good amount of aspirin pills at home if you decide to listen to Myths of the Near Future for two or three times in a roll – specially when wearing headphones.

Klaxons – “Two Receivers” (from Myths of the Near Future)

Klaxons – “It’s Not Over Yet” (from Myths of the Near Future)

Dislike:
Higly praised by the indie music press as one of the coolest things on music scene, the guys from Animal Collective are often labeled as experimental, and sure they are. Problem is that they are specially skilled on always turning their experimentalism into drowsy, liveless, anemic music. Virtually all melodies composed by the music group is made of a cyclic melodic motif that sounds as if it was recorded while the band was uncontrollably floating on the air surrounded by synthsizers and keyboards constantly babbling swirling sounds on the course of their destiny to, I don’t know, some dream-like land, not like Alice‘s or Dorothy‘s but Michael Jackson‘s. It’s psychedelic, nostalgic, minimalist daring music made by avant-garde musicians, the band’s admirers would say. I dare to say that it is just bad psychedelic, nostalgic, minimalist never-end music made by nerdy boys. It’s like masturbation, folks – without the orgasm.

Animal Collective – “Brother Sport” (from Merriweather Post Pavilion)