Felix Da Housecat
Devin Dazzle And The Neon Fever
(Emperor Norton)
Although I've been accused of not allowing myself to have any fun, I'll admit that underneath my evil hardened exterior lies a big softy that shakes his ass to the beat sometimes and even does the robot (breakdance bastardization style) on rare occasion. In all my royal unfunkiness, I have to admit that this newest album by Felix Da Housecat is the kitty's meow. With production and other contributions from James Murphy (DFA, LCD Soundsystem), The Neon Fever, and many others, this is silly and fun album that's hitting stores just at the right time.
Felix Da Housecat has been around for ages, but if Devin Dazzle is any indication, he hasn't lost a step. The opening track of "Rocket Ride" pops with old-school programmed beats while buzzy synths and guitars hammer out riffing melodies that get stuck in your head while The Neon Fever sing semi punk-rock style over the whole thing. It's like a goofball version of Le Tigre, but it works quite well. Murphy adds over-the-top soulman vocals to "What She Wants" and the whole thing bumps along like some funked-out post-house headtrip while "Short Skirts" again busts into semi-aggressive female grit-funk courtesy of vocals by The Neon Fever again.
There are a couple places where the album stumbles (it's hard to fault the album for being too over-the-top, but "Hunting Season" takes the cake and then some), but overall the release is a technicolor blast that pairs hooky guitar and keyboard riffs with plenty of four on the floor beats and sing-along vocals. With the futuristic theme and album artwork that features a keytar (the hilarious offspring of a keyboard and guitar) with lightning bolts, it's obvious that this release isn't meant to be a something that's disected and carefully pored over for lyrical content and deeper meanings. Bump.
Rating: 7
