Christmas - Menomena

Merry Christmas!

“Evil Bee”* – Menomena – Friend and Foe

Menomena is one of those bands that reminds me here and there of any number of bands, but without ever failing to sound like Menomena. When I listen to Friend and Foe, I hear Radiohead, Elbow, the Flaming Lips, Morphine (OK, “baritone sax”), a touch of Floyd…but whatever influences Menomena have, they warp and twist them into a new, unique beast that is way more than the sum of its parts.

Menomena do the “loud-quiet-loud” thing to great effect, although it may be more accurately described as “drums-no drums-drums.” I haven’t been this spellbound by a drumming performance on an album since I first heard Who’s Next. Danny Seim is an absolute animal, and more often than not, the tone and feel of any given moment of any given song on Friend and Foe is dictated by what Seim is doing (or not doing) to his kit. Check out “Muscle’n Flo” below to see what I mean.

“Evil Bee” is the crowning achievement on an album loaded with great material, though. I love every moment on this song, from the subtle slow build to the triumphant climax, the shifting instrumentation and harrowing lyrics. “Oh to be a machine, oh to be wanted, to be useful.” There’s something depressingly profound in that thought; I don’t think I’ve heard a better lyric all year. The video lives up to the song as well, full of allegory and subtext about the plight of the worker in addition to just looking incredible.

If allegory and profundity isn’t your thing, try the “Rotten Hell” video, which is a cafeteria food fight filmed in slow motion. That’s just as brilliant, but in a completely different way.

Oh, and “Boyscoutin’” has a whistling part! Another one for that playlist…

“Rotten Hell”

“Muscle’n Flo”

*”Evil Bee” and most of Friend and Foe are not on Rhapsody, unfortunately, so I’m putting the one song on the album that is on Rhapsody on the Rhapsody advent playlist, “Wet And Rusting.”