Punknews.org LogoPunknews.org

Sign In | create an account

 
Staff IconMixel Pixel - Let's Be Friends (Cover Artwork)

Mixel Pixel

Let's Be Friends (2008)
Mental Monkey

Reviewer Rating:


Contributed by: Jelone
(
others by this writer | submit your own
)


Published on July 18th 2008


Things that rule: Cartoons, ’80s music of the synthy variety, doodles, laid back tuneskis with the playfulness of The Moldy Peaches or The Velvet Underground, video game cartridges. Ways to describe Let’s Be Friends by Mixel Pixel: Please see above. A multimedia trio that crafts delightfully poppy tunes with a Sega Genesis-bent and dresses with a neo-hippie slant, Mixel Pixel entertains even without a visual context.

Containing a half-hour’s length of songs, Let’s Be Friends charms without overstaying its welcome. Opening number “Whatever Happened to One” establishes the interplay between co-vocalists Rob Corradetti and Kaia Wong immediately. The song relates the bragging, strutting, and awkward attempts at being cool that accompanies flirting. “My parents are dead / They’re up in the sky,” Corradetti says in an attempt to wow Wong with his dark past. “My parents divorced when I was five,” she counters. Later, on the title track, the two confess to each other that they were bullshitting for the sake of sounding deep. “If I didn’t get struck by lightning would I still be interesting?” Corradetti asks.

I appreciate this kind of lyrical frankness. Mixel Pixel weaves hipster stories within first person narratives that completely sidestep New York City pretentiousness. Not that reading heavily into the band’s songs is necessary. One could just as easily coast on the musical arrangements. Like Of Montreal with less of a Beatles/I’m-gonna-whip-out-my-cock obsession, Let’s Be Friends delivers experimental indie pop that remembers to include catchy choruses. Dig those atmospheric guitar/bass lines and Technicolor vibes. Now to see if the images sync up with the sounds.





People who liked this also liked:
Lemuria - PebbleRestorations - Strange Behavior [12-inch]Wire - Red Barked TreeOnly Thieves - Heartless RomanticsThe Get Up Kids - There Are RulesPJ Harvey - Let England ShakeTalons - Hollow RealmBouncing Souls / Hot Water Music - Split [7-inch]Bitter Pills - Bitter PillsSmoke or Fire - The Speakeasy

Please login or register to post comments.
What are the benefits of having a Punknews.org account?
  • Share your opinion by posting comments on the stories that interest you
  • Rate music and bands and help shape the weekly top ten
  • Let Punknews.org use your ratings to help you find bands and albums you might like
  • Customize features on the site to get the news the way you want.
    muktar (August 11, 2008)

    i have concluded the same as my preceder.

    dev (August 10, 2008)

    I took one look at their website - linked from this review - and have decided to pretend this band doesn't even exist.

    penis (August 10, 2008)

    needs more cowbell

    Features

    Exclusive Streams

    Newest Reviews

    Punknews.org Team

    Managing Editor

    Adam White

    News Editors

    Kira Wisniewski
    Brittany Strummer
    Andrew Waterfield
    Katy Hardy
    Matthew Baldwin
    Armando Olivas
    John Flynn

    Video Editor

    Chris Moran

    Social Media Editor

    Justin August

    Copy Editor

    Amelia Cline

    Reviews Editor

    Joe Pelone

    Interviews Editor

    Richard Verducci

    Publisher

    Aubin Paul

    ISSN 1710-5366



    © Copyright 1999-2012 Punknews.org



    Other Places to Go

    Punknews.org Flickr Pool