MGMT show promises hint of anticipated third album
MGMT cast a spell on the indie world with the hypnotic hooks and catchy anthems of its 2007 major-label debut, “Oracular Spectacular.”
The Grammy Award- winning “Electric Feel” and the Grammy-nominated “Kids” were omnipresent in every form of media involving music, most notably when the band sued the former president of France for using “Kids” without their permission while simultaneously pushing anti-piracy legislation.
MGMT followed its “Spectacular” success with the more obscured and psychedelic “Congratulations” in 2010, which consciously didn’t spawn any “Kids” or a single of similar magnitude.
Now the band is primed for its highly anticipated self-titled third album, due in June, and speculation abounds about which direction MGMT will take.
Rather than writing with the full band as they did on the more guitar-heavy “Congratulations,” MGMT’s core duo, Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser, spent the better part of 2012 shut in a cabin recording studio in New York with endless synth loops, sequencers, keyboards, drum machines and guitars, hammering out the next album.
The two have said in interviews that the music is getting even weirder and that their label, Columbia, has no illusions about them turning into a Top 40 band.
MGMT is reported to have been playing songs from the new album on their current tour, which lands Tuesday at the Knitting Factory Concert House, 919 W. Sprague Ave. Tickets are $30, through www.ticketweb.com.
Survival of the fittest
Mobb Deep survived a feud with 2Pac, survived a feud with Jay-Z, and last year survived what has been referred to as possibly the shortest breakup in rap history.
Last summer, Havoc of Mobb Deep made it public that he was parting ways with his partner in rhyme, Prodigy, and that the long-running rap duo was going on indefinite hiatus.
The news came on the heels of Twitter drama and a leaked sound clip of Havoc allegedly dissing Prodigy at SXSW.
Rumors continued to swirl that Havoc even went as far as recording a dis track that was subsequently removed from his solo LP, “13.”
The hype died down, though, at the turn of the year when the infamous duo announced it was reuniting for a 20th anniversary tour, which stops Wednesday at The Red Room Lounge, 521 W. Sprague Ave. Also on the bill is Kagah, Cordell Drake & Mista Snipe, Pest, Jaeda, Swindle of Certified, Wildcard and Flying Spiders. Tickets are $25-$35 through holdmyticket.com.