The uber geeks

Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s - Talking In Code

Song: Talking In Code
Artist: Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s
Album: The Dust of Retreat

Wow. What can I say? I’m surprised I didn’t hear about this 8-man/woman band sooner. In my defense their album was only released a few weeks ago, but they had buzz prior to their album release, so I guess there is no excuse.

Thankfully, Nick over at From The Foliage made a comment about the band that peaked my interest. Just the name is enough to draw some attention, but when he passed me over a place to sample the song “Skeleton Key,” I was immediately hooked on this band. Instantaneously, I picked up their album over at the iTMS, and I must say that this is one heck of an album and this song in particular, along with “Skeleton Key,” are among my new favorites and will get hours of play in my rotation.

Usually bands that have such a unique name and such a unique arrangement of instruments that assemble their songs, rely on these to be different from other bands, and a lot of times, sacrifice quality vocals. This is not the case with MATNSAS, who remind me a lot of Snow Patrol and, I’m sure to the chagrin of many, a whole hell of a lot like a bunch of the songs on Brand New’s sophomore album, “Deja Entendu.”

“Talking in Code” in particular stands out on the album, which at times can run into itself. This is largely due to the stirring vocals towards the end of the song. It’s a powerful and satisfying ending to an song that already had you hooked from the beginning. Lead Singer, Richard Edwards’ earnest vocals are heartfelt when he cries out:

I’m sleeping alone
in a house I call home
cause if your touring your mind
you’ll get lost everytime
you’ll sing me sad songs to keep me awake
in that bedroom that we hid away
Baby, I’m long gone.

The entire album has a biting, sarcastic quality (and sometimes silly - see: Paper Kitten Nightmare) that, as I have mentioned so many times in the past, is something I can’t get enough of. I like clever lyrics that seem to be “nice” in nature, but are really a slap in the face of whoever the song was written about and, in reality, anyone you feel like applying the song to.

This is another album that undeservedly and inexplicably gets the dreaded Parental Advisory sticker. I’m really at a loss here. There is only one song, “Jen Is Bringin The Drugs,” that has anything advisory worthy in it. If you skip that song there is absolutely nothing that will raise any eyebrows or concerns of parents. How does this little known album get a PA and the platinum-plus Rage Against the Machine’s “The Battle of Los Angeles” doesn’t, when it talks about murder, rape, pedophile priests, and has a bunch curses thrown in. Granted they speak against all of these things, but Schindler’s List was still R, wasn’t it? Whoever is responsible for administering this really needs to come up with a fair standard of rating albums.

In any case, this is a band that is deserving in recognition in 2006, and this is easily one of the best new albums of the new year. The album hits much more than it misses. The vocals are sketchy in spots, purposefully I’m sure, and the lyrics are some of the best I’ve heard in recent memory. For $7.99 on the iTMS store, you can’t go wrong.

With more and more bands having strange names and producing quality music, I say long live the odd-name revolution.

Recent features

• Coheed and Cambria - The Velorium Camper II: Backend Of Forever
• The Format - Give It Up
• Leah Andreone - Break Your Fall

Song of the week

Sara Bareilles - Between the Lines
Sara Bareilles' "Between the Lines" is the Song of the Week for April 20 to 26.