Matt and Kim

It's hard to believe Grand is the product of two art school students from Brooklyn. The music here is so artless, so pop, so hyper, so...suburban. Then again, Andrew WK calls NYC home, and more than a little of his lightning-charged positivity surges through Matt & Kim. But instead of pop metal, the duo crafts peppy cheerleader anthems, lacing them with electro synths and classic bubblegum hooks. A dash of Jonathan Richman's naivete is thrown in for good measure. That's always a good thing.

Matt Johnson is a spastic Brooklyn guy who, with drummer Kim Schifino, cranks out
cacophonous avant-garde nuggets of synth pop, crammed with clattering beats, cheap
pianos and cheaper synths. The results can be exhilarating: "Don't Slow Down" is deranged
XTC-style pop with a monster beat and Johnson yelping in his faux Brit accent, "Don't slow
down/I'm feeling restless!" "Daylight" pairs saloon piano, squawky strings and an... More >