The Pinker Tones
The Million Colour Revolution (Nacional)
Producers, soundtrack composers, and men of mystery, Mr. Furia (Salvador Rey) and Professor Manso (Alex Llovet) are as international as their native Barcelona. Slaphappy use of language (four on this CD alone) and recognizable source tunage make up their musical melting pot – as do contagious left hooks. To wit: "In Pea We Nuts" titters some respectable Herbie Hancockian keyboard riffage only to careen into an Eighties TV groove worthy of T.J. Hooker, and what seems to be a sexy Serge Gainsbourg tribute ("L'Héros") evokes something altogether more Air-y. It takes huevos to launch your CD with the Hawaii Five-0 theme and transition with "Music to Watch Girls By," but their blatant rips and unabashed mimicry – "Karma Hunters" had me at Beastie Boys, and their love song to home-taping, "Love Tape" is so Nineties it's Propellerheads circa Shirley Bassey meets, gasp, Smash Mouth – somehow transcend the ruts of pastiche and collage. (Saturday, March 17, Karma Lounge, 12mid)
