Mapping Out Solid Ground

Perch Patchwork is the first fully fleshed 'album' by Chicago's Maps & Atlases, out through Barsuk (and Fat Cat Records), purveyors of avant garde pop tricksters such as Menomena. you can see what Barsuk are up to - focusing on acts that twist and subvert basic pop structures into a mishmash of genres, often within the one song, thus making something altogether new. But how new is it? And is it shiny - or is it shit?

So this year we saw Menomena bring out Mines, a hotly anticipated (in my eyes) LP that was...well, not shit, but certainly disappointing (again, in my eyes). Maps and Atlases have put out a lot of material in the past 5 years, so this album had a lot of hype riding on it. And I am yet to hear it in its entirety as yet - it comes out in September - but I have to say that the anticipation is much closer to being met here. The fusion of math rock, Don Caballero-esque guitar tomfoolery, and orchestrals, all aided and abetted by Dave Davison's very unique quirks on vocals, makes for a hell of an interesting ride. Im a big fan.

Willy Goldstein, I hope you get this post haste; the rest of you, sample below, and if you likee, pre-order it! They are also playing Cargo in October, keep an eye out for that!!!

Maps & Atlases - Solid Ground

I always knew those old guys on the balcony were cool...

Menomena are about to launch their much feted 3rd album MINES July 27th, out through City Slang and Barsuk. Three years in the making, MINES offers more of the eccentric instrumentation that they are known for, their individual parts coming together to make amazingly catchy gems. They are also playing at Hoxton Bar & Grill at June 7th, showcasing the new gear and dusting off some of their greats from previous LP Friend and Foe. This will be an amazing gig - make sure you get tickets while you can.

Menomena - FIVE LITTLE ROOMS

Mates of State hear it for the Girls

Im not sure if this classifies for 'guilty pleasure' status, but Im a rather large fan of Californians Mates of State. Their album Bring It Back from 2006 was a honey-drenched slice of sunny synth succulence; the husband and wife pairing of Jason Hammel and Kori Gardner are not only cute, but effervescent, their vocals entwining and fusing together into a giddily indulgent tsunami of uber pop; and they are catchy as all fuck. Although I didnt get into 2008's Re-Arrange Us, I still hold their intimate gig a few years back in Brisbane as a personal highlight, and am always interested in anything they have to offer (it says a lot when you start a conversation with "Thank God there was a Mates of State song on the soundtrack of that Adam Brody and Meg Ryan film...")

So two bits of info have been gleaned. Mates of State are bringing out a new album on their Barsuk label (home of previous postees Menomena) in the summer, called Crushes. Its a covers album, including reworkings of tracks by the likes of The Mars Volta, Nick Cave, Tom Waits and Death Cab For Cutie...actually all covers are well considered and are amazing renditions. And whilst a lot of fans salivated over Waits' track Long Way Home, it was the opening track, a cover of Girls' Laura, that took me most by surprise (actually, Mars Volta's Son Et Luminaire was probably the biggest surprise, but Ill leave that one for you guys to discover...). Girls' Album...er, album, was a solid LP that flew under a few folks' radar last year, so the inclusion of its most recognisable track here is a testament to both bands.

Anyway, enough of the waxing, more of the listening!

Mates of State - Laura (Girls cover)

MINE-ing Muppets

Menomena are a band that I fell in love with last year, stumbling across 2007's Friend and Foe, embracing it wholeheartedly, and playing the shit out of it. The energetic, inventive, enigmatic and altruistic (?) Portland duo are renowned for their funk/punk/crunk (their words...) car crash anthems, and their clever, intricate structures are amazing considering the apparently minimal efforts exerted and the bubbling enthusiasm and inherent fun that permeates each track. There are nuggets of pure gold littered everywhere on this LP, a veritable Easter Egg hunt of incendiary musical noodling and tomfoolery that even the most ardent haters can find something here to indulge their sweet tooth.

They have been high on my 'to post' list since the inception of Sonic Masala, but some new snippets of info has finally spurred me into action.

1stly - they are about to release their new album, MINES, in July through Barsuk.

2ndly - it is their 10th year anniversary.

3rdly - due to the two points made above, they are saddling up the horses and, along with esoteric partner in crime Joe Haege (of 31 Knots (very good) and Tu Fawning (not so good...)), Menomena are hitting the frog and toad for their most extensive tour to date. They havent been to our shores since 2007, and whilst dates are yet to be announced, they are in the pipeline, and are well worth getting excited for!

4thly - a smaller but nevertheless awesome piece of info - Menomena, along with musical minstrel mates The Helio Sequence, released a 7" split for Record Store Day, showcasing B-sides from their respective upcoming albums. As I was marooned in a part of the world that was devoid of anything that resembled a passable record store, I missed the boat. I hope you guys didnt! But if you did...

Lastly - here is some choice cuts to feast on. Enjoy, yeah?

Menomena - Pilgrim's Progress

Menomena - Evil Bee

Menomena - Wet & Rusting