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People are going bat-shit bonkers for these guys/this album and I’m not sure why because I think it’s kinda boring.

I’ve had Menomena on my periphery for several years now but I’ve never invited them in to my music collection. The band’s last album, Friend and Foe, came very close and I could even go as far as saying I like several of the songs on that album. But again, I didn’t like them enough to bring them in and include them on my iTunes mix. So naturally, when this album came up for review I was pretty gosh darn hesitant to do a review. But no one else jumped on it so here I go:

I fucking love this album. Dead serious here you guys. I love this album so much that I am seriously considering downloading Friend and Foe the second I finish this review.

With Mines, Menomena has released something they can be truly proud of. The songs are manic and boisterous and groovy and crazy and most of all really fun to listen to. It’s amazing that just three dudes are producing the sound explosion that comes out of your (insert preferred listening device here) speakers.

Without a doubt the best song on here, and the one that will likely seal the deal for you if you are on the fence about Menomena, is the single “Five Little Rooms.” If you listen to the song and can’t get into the bass/sax combo then I feel sorry for you because that shit is murderous it’s so good.

I highly recommend this album. I’m not sure if my love of this stems from the awesomeness of the album or from the fact that its awesomeness caught me so off guard but either way I am digging it – in a major way.

Big Boi and Andre 3000 are at their best when they are together – or so I thought. Before listening to Big Boi’s new album, Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty, that’s what I would have said. But now, having given Sir Lucious Left Foot a good 10 or so listens, I can say this is the best album that has come out of the Outkast camp in years. Years. Of course it does help that the last good album to come out of the Outkast camp was Stankonia, 10 years ago.

This album is refreshing. This album is smooth. This is the best Summer album I’ve heard. The beats are great and Big Boi’s flow and rhymes only prove to the world that there is a sever shortage of Big Boi.

Not every song on here is a winner but with 17 tracks, that’s bound to happen. The lead single “Shutterbug,” “Be Still,” “Night Night” and “Daddy Fat Sax” are true stand outs. And most of the rest follow closely behind.

I recommend this album as the perfect Summer soundtrack for everyone – except Mel Gibson. That asshole is a fucking racist asshole and should never enjoy an awesome thing for the rest of his life.

Yes Giantess is synth-pop band from Boston and its debut album, Siren, while a respectable freshman offering the album is kind of a let down. A year or so before the album came out the band released the track “Tuff ‘n Stuff” and it was great. The song (which also appears on Siren) was energetic, spastic, clever, maybe even a little ironic but most of all it was a fun, well crafted pop song. Since I heard that song I’ve eagerly awaited the band’s debut but now that it’s here I’m left a little disappointed.

The 80s’ synth-pop genre is making a huge comeback at the moment and while there are a number of band’s that are doing it right (La Roux, Passion Pit), Yes Giantess comes real close but doesn’t quite have that extra little awesomeness to make it onto the radical list. (You like that little extra use of 80s’ vernacular there?)

There are really only two or three real stand out tracks here. The rest of the album is rather generic and feels rushed and forced. The lyrics for the most part start to come across more and more juvenile as the album progresses (they use “girl” only once or twice less than the Backstreet Boys) and the beats are all the same. It’s honestly really hard to differentiate between the bulk of these songs and as much as I hate to say it, the synthesizers and beats gets old quick.

The best tracks here, and the ones definitely worth downloading, are “Tuff ‘n Stuff,” “The Ruins” and the 80 anthem-esque closer “House of Leaves.” I’d suggest giving the full album a couple of good listens before picking up any of the other tracks.

Evelyn Evelyn is an album by two conjoined twins named Evelyn and Evelyn – kind of. In reality the album is written and performed by the duo of Amanda Palmer (of The Dresden Dolls) and Jason Webley. I’m not sure how and why the Palmer and Webley decided to do an album in the guise of two conjoined sisters but it really doesn’t matter because the disc is sitting right here in front of me regardless of reason.

Considering this isn’t exactly the most “serious” album, the songs and production on Evelyn Evelyn are really quite good. Knowing this wasn’t exactly the most “serious” album I expected much less and more along the lines of a Weird Al album or a Kelly album. But I guess the musicianship of Palmer and Webley transcends the “joke.”

The songs are interspersed with the story of the twins as told by the twins. While these narrations are kind of funny, kind of clever and kind of entertaining, they really just distract from the songs. And once you’ve heard the story you really don’t want to hear it again. So you ultimately end up skipping several tracks after the first listen.

As I said, the songs are quite good. The opening song, “Evelyn Evelyn,” is the best on the album. The song slowly waltzes around the piano and bells while the strings fade in and out with the turns. The other highlights on the album are carnival barking “A Campaign of Shock and Awe,” “Have You Seen My Sister Evelyn?” and the country ballad “You Only Want Me ‘Cause You Want My Sister.”

The main problem with this album, and as I alluded to earlier, is that there is very little staying power here. Like most clever and humorous albums the songs get old quick and the law of diminishing returns takes over pretty fast. I’ve listened to the album about five times now and I have very little interest in really listening to it again. The songs may server better included in a mix but not the narratives. Those I could do with out again.

I suggest checking out the album for sure but buying it? I’m not sure I can say it’s worth it. I really do like most of the songs so it pains me to say that but I can say the exact same thing about every Weird Al album and that album by Kelly.