RATA TAT TAT TAT

Hailing from New York City, the home of the Super Bowl 42 Champion Giants comes RATATAT. Composed of Evan Mast and Mike Stroud, two Skidmore grads, RATATAT was virgin birthed in New York circa 2001 with the release of Cherry. RATATAT is an electronic group that has captivated indie rock audiences and bloggers alike. Their third album, "LP3," is about to drop. It will be officially released on July 8th, but a few songs have already surfaced around the web. After the release of their ridiculous hip-hop mixtapes and "Wildcat," expectations are running high. In some ways they've almost been set up for a letdown, and the early response has been mixed to say the least. I, however, enjoy the songs I've heard off the new album and I happen to think they're more complex, and that they display the band's growth and maturity. The tracks that have come out are not party tracks like "Seventeen" and they don't necessarily grab you, but if you take an extra few listens I think you'll find that they've got a lot to them.

In many ways their largely instrumental nature makes them a bit harder to get into, and this would normally discourage me from listening to them. The last thing music needs is another Explosions in the Sky type group trying to make the next great rock symphony. Not that I don't enjoy Explosions in the Sky because they can be great in the right setting - like in "Friday Night Lights." Live, they're supposed to be fantastic and I can't believe I missed them three years ago when they came all the way up to quaint Middlebury, Vermont. Plus, they've toured with Daft Punk, Bjork, Interpol, Franz Ferdinand and The Killers. The boys have also rocked out in Japan and one of their hit tracks, "Seventeen," was featured during the dizzying party scene in Cloverfield. RATATAT has also demonstrated tremendous versatility with their mix tapes. Twice now, they've sampled an entire album of hip hop tracks featuring artists like T.I., Slim Thug, Notorious B.I.G, Jay -Z and others. You can get both of mixtapes from their website for free, which you can find right here: http://www.ratatatmusic.com/.

Here are a few RATATAT songs you should definitely check out:

1. Notorious B.I.G. - Bullshit & Party (Ratatat Remix)
2. RATATAT - Mi Viejo
3. RATATAT - Shriller

Also check out Music Fan's Mic for a nice interview with RATATAT and an album review of LP3.

-Ed