It was at the end of 2007 that I first heard the original versions of a few songs by some band called MGMT. The recording quality wasn't great, but one song, 'Time To Pretend' was pretty ace. By that point this and the other songs had already been re-recorded and released in the US on their album 'Oracular Spectacular', its UK release the following year made them chart stars. To be fair to the duo, they never asked for this and have repeatedly said that the songs they wrote whilst at college weren't ever expected to be heard by the wider public, let alone become as omnipresent as 'Kids' and co.
It should therefore have been no shock that the follow-up didn't contain radio-ready pop hits, or that the album was aided by Spacemen 3 legend Sonic Boom (who's generally about as uncommercial as you can get). For their self-titled third the band have stayed true to their beliefs and made weird and wonderful music the way they want, not, perhaps, the way the public or record label want. One of the album's more accessible tracks is single 'Cool Song No. 2', and it's almost unrecognisable as being the same band. The song has depth, attention to detail, soul, and a good sprinkling of WTF, plus the production is of a high standard; this is no ramshackle indie nonsense. It's ace, but it's ace for fans of alternative music, so I guess they can kiss goodbye to a few more casual fans but see their reputation as a great band cemented further.
MGMT's website
Buy the album
Catch them live:
SEP 21 VIRGIN MOBILE FREE FEST, COLUMBIA, MD, US
SEP 26 LIVE MUSIC HALL, COLOGNE, GERMANY
SEP 27 AB, BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
SEP 29 CIRKUS, STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN
SEP 30 SENTRUM SCENE, OSLO, NORWAY
OCT 1 VEGA MAIN HALL, COPENHAGEN, DENMARK
OCT 3 ASTRA KULTURHAUS, BERLIN, GERMANY
OCT 4 GASOMETER, VIENNA, AUSTRIA
OCT 5 KESSELHAUS, MUNICH, GERMANY
OCT 6 KOMPLEX 457, ZÜRICH, SWITZERLAND
OCT 8 OLYMPIA, PARIS, FRANCE
OCT 9 DOCKS, HAMBURG, GERMANY
OCT 10 VREDENBURG LEIDSCHE RIJN, UTRECHT, NETHERLANDS
OCT 12 O2 ABC, GLASGOW, UK
OCT 13 CIVIC HALL, WOLVERHAMPTON, WEST MIDS, UK
OCT 14 O2 APOLLO MANCHESTER, MANCHESTER, UK
OCT 16 FORUM, LONDON, UK
OCT 19 OLYMPIA THEATRE, DUBLIN, IRELAND
NOV 10 FUN FUN FUN FEST, AUSTIN, TX, US
NOV 12 PEABODY OPERA HOUSE, ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, US
NOV 13 ORPHEUM THEATRE MADISON, MADISON, WI, US
NOV 14 LC PAVILION OUTDOOR AMPHITHEATER, COLUMBUS, OH, US
NOV 15 EGYPTIAN ROOM AT OLD NATIONAL CENTRE, INDIANAPOLIS, IN, US
NOV 17 7 FLAGS EVENT CENTER, DES MOINES, IA, US
NOV 18 ROY WILKINS AUDITORIUM, ST. PAUL, MN, US
NOV 19 ARAGON BALLROOM, CHICAGO, IL, US
NOV 20 THE FILLMORE, DETROIT, MI, US
NOV 22 PALACE THEATRE, LOUISVILLE, KY, US
NOV 23 ORPHEUM THEATRE, MEMPHIS, TN, US
NOV 24 TABERNACLE, ATLANTA, GA, US
NOV 26 CONSTITUTION HALL, WASHINGTON, DC, US
NOV 27 GRADY COLE CENTER, CHARLOTTE, NC, US
NOV 29 DURHAM PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, DURHAM, NC, US
DEC 2 STAGE AE, PITTSBURGH, PA, US
DEC 3 ELECTRIC FACTORY, PHILADELPHIA, PA, US
DEC 5 ORPHEUM THEATRE, BOSTON, MA, US
DEC 7 SOUND ACADEMY, TORONTO, ON, CANADA
DEC 9 METROPOLIS, MONTREAL, QC, CANADA
DEC 13 BARCLAYS CENTER, BROOKLYN, NY, US
DEC 28 - JAN 1 THE FALLS MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL,LORNE, AUSTRALIA
DEC 29 - JAN 1 THE FALLS MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL, MARION BAY, TASMANIA, AUSTRALIA
DEC 31 - JAN 3 THE FALLS MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL, BYRON BAY, AUSTRALIA
JAN 3-4 SOUTHBOUND FESTIVAL,BUSSELTON, WESTERN AUSTRALIA
JAN 8 OSAKA HATCH, OSAKA, JAPAN,
JAN 9 DIAMOND HALL, NAGOYA, JAPAN
JAN 11 STUDIO COAST,TOKYO, JAPAN
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