Don't Feed After Midnight

The first time I heard Mogwai, I was in the dorm room of a guy I was dating. He had two cratefuls of great, strange vinyl records: the Swans, Lungfish, Arab Strap, Oval...essentially he was a fan of Discord and Matador's catalog. By the time I heard this Scottish band, we had spent weeks sitting on his bed listening to everything from deep Carpenters cuts to Aphex Twin. As a side note, "Come to Daddy" is not good make out music. From his collection he pulled out a green record with a cover that looked like a flower, or some part of the female anatomy, depending on your state of mind.

Mogwai are certainly a strange band - but not strange bad like some might say bands like, oh...U.S. Maple are - but by juxtaposing their deafening (they were rumored to have ruptured a girl's eardrum at a concert once) rising cresendos with music that is nearly impossible to hear, you're bound to get a unique sound. And perhaps, because there have been a handful of bands to copy their trademark sound, Mogwai have abandoned it. Just wait until you hear the new record that's coming out this March. It's fabulous, but I went in expecting to hear that blend of loud/soft/loud and it wasn't there. In its place is a layered, lush record ideal for hanging out in your college dorm with your significant other when the last thing you want to do is study for another god-awful final.