new year, new method

We’re going to try something new here at M|H. Instead of letting promotional MP3s pile up in our inbox for a few weeks until we can make a worthy post out of them, we’re going to start posting them on Twitter. So, follow us! http://twitter.com/staceylansing . It’s a good way to get free stuff, see what we’re doing on our sister site (Date With the Night), and see what other things we find interesting.

In the same vein, you can ask our editor, Stacey, questions at http://formspring.me/sllansing . You have the option of asking anonymously, so fire away!

we came here to take you out

CSS first hooked us in late 2006 with their insanely catchy video “Let’s Make Love and Listen to Death From Above”. They hit the mainstream with their placement in an iPod commercial, and next week they will release their second album, Donkey.

Much like the band’s last release, the 80s, drinking, dancing, and partying play lead roles in the both the sound and lyrical content of the album. This should come as no surprise, as the first track “Jager Yoga” declares “we came here to take you out!” Furthering CSS’s agenda are the vaguely disco “Move” and “Let’s Raggae All Night” – a song with nothing remotely raggae about it, but with the key line “if you are my friend you can make dance beats for me / just for me.”

While partying may dominate CSS’s repetoire, they aren’t a one-trick pony (or donkey, for that matter). “Rat is Dead (Rage)” takes on some darker subject matter, and “Left Behind” is a bit more subdued and heartfelt than their usual fare. “Believe/Achieve” is sexy as hell, despite the often creepy lyrics (“I’m gonna take your eyes / use them as a seed”), but the best track on the album is “Beautiful Song”. Having some of the most coherent lyrics on the album, its fast-paced doubled guy/girl vocals and catchy instrumental melody lines make it a stand-out cut.

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Donkey drops on 07/22/08.
Click here for downloads and more.