March 19, 2008
MNTHLY CRSH: MGMT
Not since PRML SCRM’s XTRMNTR have I had as much fun typing about band. MGMT’s (pronounced “management” “Em-Gee-Em-Tee” — I stand corrected) Oracular Spectacular was buzzed about quite a bit earlier this year, so I snagged a cheap copy on Amazon MP3. After a quick listen, I thought “it sounds exactly like a Dave Fridmann-produced rock album should sound like” — like something from outer space — and quickly moved on. A few weeks later I randomly spun it up on the ‘ol iPhone, but this time I found myself hooked on it like a junkie. I don’t know what changed, but I’m really glad I gave it a second look — a couple of the songs gave me a case of earworm like I haven’t had in months.
Closer listens to the album revealed some delightfully Stones-y roots: the psychedelics of Their Satanic Majesties Requests and the dancier elements of Emotional Rescue play well alongside the spacey, freak-rawk of The Flaming Lips, and it sounds fantastic. I’ve since listened to the album in its entirety quite a bit, but the one track I’ve spun to death (and yet still aren’t tired of) is “Kids,” an upbeat, syncopated stomping slice of dance-rock that brings all of the album’s elements together perfectly. Give it a spin yourself and get hooked:
Download: MGMT, “Kids” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)
Like what you hear? Grab Oracular Spectacular on the cheap at Amazon MP3.
March 19th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Great review, but despite what you’ve read elsewhere, the band’s name is not “pronounced management.” It’s M-G-M-T. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qt5t-__nopc
March 22nd, 2008 at 10:52 am
I’m with you on this one. Great album some of my favs are weekend wars, kids, eletrtic feel. Nice post.
March 22nd, 2008 at 11:02 am
Yeah so Sam walks in one day, big purple velvet hat on, solid gold cane, platform boots with fish in them, and hands me a little innocuous disc, saying “the first taste is free, my brother…” These MGMT guys are produced by Dave Fridmann, and I happen to love The Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev, so I figure, what’s the harm? I mean even if I like it, I can stop anytime I want, right? …Yeah right. I entered “Time To Pretend” into my iTunes on March 3rd. Three weeks later, looking at my stats, I’ve played it 93 times. Like Sam says, it’s been a while since an album has been this pure audiocrack for me. Last year I listened a lot to Malcolm Middleton and Kate Nash, the year before it was Regina Spektor, Camera Obscura and Band Of Horses, before that was Rilo Kiley and a late blooming Neutral Milk Hotel. This MGMT album has been in nearly constant rotation at my store, a wonderful trip over a suspension bridge held up by the twin towers of “Time To Pretend” and “Kids”. It’s kinda like T-Rex being produced by Thomas Dolby, beautifully analog while still managing to be thoroughly modern. And so I’ve got an early entry in my “best of ‘08″ list. Sam, I’ll have that TV over to your place later, so please call off Big Vic and his baseball bat.
March 28th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
What about MSTRKRFT, then ???
April 1st, 2008 at 5:26 pm
MGMT is playing at a charity at USC in los angeles on April 18. check it out on the kroq website… http://www.kroq.com and you can buy tickets at http://www.uscderbydays.com
pumped cuz i missed them when they played at the echo…rain and long line sucked. get busy cuz all the proceeds go to charity….weeee