Congratulations is the second album from duo MGMT, one of the many great bands from hipster mecca Brooklyn. Following 2007's effortlessly catchy debut Oracular Spectacular, they worked with producer Pete "Sonic Boom," member of legendary psych-rockers Spacemen 3. They describe Congratulations as “a collection of nine individual musical tours de force sequenced to flow with sonic and thematic coherence.” Say what? The new album is meant to be a complete body of songs rather than an album with standout singles, so if you expect another “Time To Pretend,” “Kids,” or “Electric Feel,” turn away right now. The production is ranging from '60s psych rock to '70s theatrical over-the-top compositions and is drenched in an obsession with Ray Davies, Syd Barrett, Ziggy Stardust and Marc Bolan. It’s a stylistic departure, a statement against the overwhelming rise to fame, and not wanting to meet expectations on the second album.
To add another feather in our cap in terms of Unsound Festival content, we give you this fantastic tune by Derek Plaslaiko. “The Unforeseen” borders between tribal techno and electronic mating ritual, as its relentless rhythm will stay in your head for days upon days. Along with being a resident at Brooklyn’s “Bunker” at Public Assembly, he will be spinning at The Bunker as part of the Unsound Festival lineup. For more infoand and the MP3, hit this up post-jump.
The influx of artsy types over the last decade or so has gone and set the stage or Shamanic art – and it is what it sounds like.
Put aside your phobia of visual art in general – drug inspired art specifically – and head down to the Observatory (543 Union St.) to see works from the likes of Erika Somogyi and her cohort.
Perhaps a cautionary tale of what happens when one spends too much time in front of the TV and gets sucked into the world of technology, “Keep Slipping Away” is the latest video from the Brooklyn trio and brings out Ackerman’s maniacal tendencies. His obsession with sounds and images is all-consuming and seems to be the cause for his decaying on-camera romance. When it looks like you’re a lobotomy patient, would you expect a happy ending?
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