Monday 19 April 2010

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?



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