Menomena - more than a year after the fact

I must be slowing down in my old age. It's become way harder for me to keep tabs on what the kids are listening to these days... even in the advent of all these helpful music networking sites!

A friend of mine casually mentioned that I should listen to Menomena's "Friend and Foe" (if I hadn't already), and sure enough I had not. At first none of the songs really grabbed me... then I latched onto "Muscle'n Flo," which rocks some KILLER drums, and an oh-so-perfect organ bridge (which, in combination with Arcade Fire's "Intervention" has quickly replaced handclaps as my instrument of choice to make any song instantly better).

After I managed to ween myself off of the incessant replays of said track, I found a couple more songs that I found myself listening to over and over... and over ("Wet And Rusting," "Rotten Hell," "Pelican"). Next thing I know I'm kicking myself for not being able to include the album on my best of '07 list—especially when it easily bests any of my Honorable Mentions.

The rhythm section on "Friend and Foe" is absolutely phenomenal. And I haven't been this into the rock-sax since the heyday of Morphine.

If you're one of the few sad saps, like myself, who has not yet had the long overdue pleasure of hearing "Friend and Foe", then PLEASE, hit up your local mp3 dealer of choice and give a listen.