Menomena and All Smiles @ The Troubadour

A night at the Troubadour is always an enjoyable experience. While it may never carry the scenester aura that coats the walls of the ExPlx, it's consistently filled with an appreciative crowd - there for the music. Of course all the historic music which has graced the club's stage is a plus as well.

Plagued by a band wide cold, All Smiles mustered up some lung power and played a decent rendition of their debut LP, Ten Readings of a Warning. Jim's vocals were most effected by the sickness (as you might expect); however, his warm tones remained intact throughout the show - best suited when woven into a piano melody.

Ten Readings of a Warning review with mp3

I am both an old and new fan of Menomena. Thanks to Pitchfork, I immediately became aware of the band's first album, I Blame the Fun Monster, but somehow the songs were never lodged in my ear canals. The LP sat untouched for over a year in my ever expanding itunes directory, until I heard "Wet and Rusting," off Friend and Foe. Quickly realizing my dire mistake, I plowed through Fun Monster again and discovered the true masterpiece inside. Neurons that once sat idle were now firing. Despite this epiphany, I was without Friend and Foe until after the show last night.

I think - startling - is the best one word description of Menomena's live experience. Their musical precision gives the illusion of nearing collapse, but in truth they are masters of negative space and modularization. Instruments were taken in and out of the song at will, and all three vocalists crosshatched various melodies across the songs canvas. When played for a friend he mentioned The Flaming Lips, and it's a great way to describe Menomena's freedom and spirit. While the music is deeply rooted in musical theory and structure, it remains clearly outside the realm of its musical peers. In my opinion Menomena just won best album, live show and cover art for the year 2007. Bam!

[mp3] Menomena - Wet and Rusting