*Duo N.A.S.A. are pretty much the equivalent of star-fuckers in DJ form. The completely outrageous guest list on their debut clusterfuck The Spirit of Apollo works more like a boastful Blackberry contact list than an LP. That actually wouldn’t be such a big deal, but it’s only amplified when you realize that the music isn’t all that great in the first place. Certainly an eclectic blend of genre fusing, there is something a little too scattered at work here. It has the proposed central theme of “WE ARE ALL ONE, DUDE” down, but lacks anything at all resembling a central voice. Just a whole lot of shit thrown at the fan. There are some passable moments (even if the novelty of the random pairings of stars wears thin real quick) but it’s mostly just a long, lumbering waste of time.
*Yeah Yeah Yeahs are now streaming their new single “Zero” from the upcoming third album It’s Blitz! on their myspace. Guitarist Nick Zinner has been saying in interviews that Karen told him to leave the guitars at home this time around, and just bring some of those vintage synths that the indie kids love so much. And apparently that’s exactly what he did. “Zero” is a bit hard to swallow at first. It seems like a slick, shiny version of something you know is filthy--and, at times, that's just what it is. It’s YYY’s at a whole different level, bringing the grime of their preconceived identity to a point of faux redemption. But there’s something about “Zero” that may attract more flies than before. “Get your leather on,” Karen demands--and that’s before she gets your name. The 8o’s pulsing synth accompanies the disco timed percussion, as a sharp melody takes over the show momentarily while Karen moans in the background. “Zero” is far too slick to be the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and far too visceral to be anyone else.
