But people still need to be warned about certain things, such as quasi-successful New York indie-folk-pop dude Darwin Deez and his album Darwin Deez. I can't believe I acquired this happy little turd through my own volition; I'm struggling to rationalize the decision. My best explanation: I had not availed myself of MGMT's Oracular Spectacular until this year; I came across Deez at roughly the same time that I was listening to MGMT; Deez knows them and kinda has that same weirdo-froofy style that MGMT has. Thus, I have Darwin Deez.

That's some lame and lazy logic, I know. And hoo-boy did this album upset me instantly. The first words from Deez's mouth? "Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are/There's a million little lights when the sky turns black tonight." The song bops along in its merry, handclappy way, and Deez implies that stars, scars, humanity and freckles share something metaphysical. Didn't his friends tell him to try harder? I'm sorry if I ever happened to poke fun at obtuse Dischord lyrics.

The rest of the album's lyrical content, summarized by song title and pivotal line:

"Deep Sea Divers" — "You're bringin' me down"
"The City" — "Why can't you call me back?"
"DNA" — "I am down to six or seven chromosomes"
"The Suicide Song" — "I don't need a reason why, does anyone?"
"Up In The Clouds" — "I'm sorry that I let you down, down to the ground"
"Bed Space" — "You don't sleep here anymore"
"The Bomb Song" — "People are sick"
"Radar Detector" — "You are always looking out for me"
"Bad Day" — "Every day oughta be a bad day for you"

Who's all grumpy-wumpy? He wrote a songy-wongy! New York sucks! That said, Deez's music, in its own minimalist way, isn't offensive. The guitar tunings are curious; the riffs are crisp; the rhythms are pleasantly locked-down. It's all intriguing enough that I find myself wondering if I should just accept him as some sort of extrapolation of, say, the Pee Wee Herman aesthetic. No, Pee Wee was a character played by a professional actor. Pee Wee was complicated.

Maybe Deez's tunes are distillations of pop-punk's eternal-teen mindset? That might be closer to the truth? Hell no, it's not. Pop-punk dudes tend to be supremely self-aware, even if they're barely literate. So maybe Deez is making fun of hyperverbal '90s bands like Cake? Nah, these songs are hardly arch.

See how frustrating this is? It almost has the reverse effect of making me feel sympathetic toward him, because it is possible that he is secretly clever. But I refuse to believe that. In the end, Darwin Deez is a relentlessly harmless cryptohippie. We absolutely do not need any more of those. Kiss my ass, 2010, for bringing this album into my life.

Happy Tuesday! I never liked Tuesdays, but I’ll make an exception this morning since Phoenix was nothing short of wonderful last night, playing to a packed house at DAR Constitution Hall. Though upbeat "Rally" didn’t make it on set, they did manage to fit in the ever-so-kinda-depressing "If I Ever Feel Better," so I forgave them. Oh, Thomas Mars, tight pants, plaid, chucks, failed irony–what more could a girl ask for? (I don’t discriminate on account of tight pants.)

Reality stars are in trouble all over the place it seems. Former Rock of Love’s Bret Michaels is still in critical condition after being rushed to the hospital last Thursday after suffering from an excruciating headache. And TV producer, and co-creator of MTV’s Pimp my Ride, is barred from leaving Mexico, while the death of his wife is still under investigation. Well, there's still wrinkly old boozers to keep you entertained.

America’s Got Talent is holding auditions via YouTube. Time to revamp Duck Duck Goose! You could be the next Justin Bieber.

For the love of fuckin' a, Kevin Williamson's Scream 4, 5 and 6 may be in our future. How many times do you have to stab someone before they stop coming back? Even Dawson gave up.

I don’t know what happened to Kelly Clarkson, but Gossip Girl’s in-house 'rocker chick' Taylor Momsen could use some food before she goes Amy Winehouse on us. And looks like Glee may give Britney Spears and Courtney Love some aid.

Southland revived for 10 more episodes! And Keri Russell, starring in the new Fox comedy Wilde Kingdom, will be a recipient of the 5^th Annual Mothers Who Make a Difference Award–ah, Felicity’s all grown up, seems like just yesterday we were in hideous over-sized sweaters, caught between Ben and Noel.

Richard A. Clarke and Robert K. Knake's new book warns of future security attacks via cyber space. Facebook down?! Twitter too?! AND Gmail?! There's nothing left.

And for your ‘fuckyeahmashups’ of the day, try out MGMT vs. LCD Soundsystem. Just do it.

Looks like the gloom’s finally lifted, and the sky’s stopped pouting. Do something nice for another human today, even if it hurts.

Photo by videocrab. Creative Commons Attribution License.

"The one thing that I find is really driving the underground music scene is the Pitchforks," says singer Martin Cesar. "It's whether you get a good review or not. In our case, we sort of got what some people would call a 'high bad' review. So it didn't generate anything." Which means you very well may have missed Think About Life's 2009 album, Family (Alien8), and its 10 tracks of upbeat and ecstatic pop music.

These are carefree dance songs for punctuating perfect summer days and nights. It's fun-loving music to sate the pop appetites of kids waxing nostalgic for the days before MGMT decided it was the Flaming Lips.

A marked departure from the lo-fi twee-punk of Think About Life's 2006 debut, Family may end up being but a step in the group's evolution. After a couple lineup changes—Greg Napier replaced Matt Shane behind the drum kit and Calia Thompson-Hannant came aboard to handle bass and spare vocal duties—Think About Life's first album is nowhere to be found in its live set.

"We're focusing on Family because we decided that we wanted to go for a new approach for a lot of the songwriting and the songs to play," Cesar says. "We just want to move forward, and we've started writing new songs right now. We're concentrating more on the new stuff."

The group has sprinkled a few new tunes into recent live sets, so expect to hear some funky, ecstatic songs along with cuts from Family. Drawing inspiration from Matisse paintings, Cesar says he has big hopes for the new tracks. "Personally, I want to create something that is a bit more focused and a bit more melodic," Cesar says. "It's all about expanding from what we had on Family."

If Think About Life hasn't established much of an American fanbase, its current jaunt could change that—not that the band tailors its music to fit any locale's tastes. "We're not trying to make one form of music that really connects itself to one part of the world." Cesar says. "The beauty of this project is the fact that we're actually experimenting and trying different things. Some songs come off with pop arrangements, and some a bit less. Within that, there's still sort of the adventurous, trying-new-things aspect."

Think About Life performs tonight with Dragonette at DC9.

*MGMT releases its "Flash Delirium" music video. There's old ladies playing wooden instruments, talking throat-slits filled with eels, and puppets. The usual.

*Diesel is releasing a special Iron Man 2 cologne in anticipation of the film's May 7 release. The bottle is shaped like a red fist, but nerds will notice one particular problem: the image on the box is of Iron Patriot, not Iron Man.

*Lady Gaga claims she suffers from insomnia because her music is always on her mind. She states, "My passion is so strong I can't sleep – I haven't slept for three days."

*The Jersey Shore cast is officially setting up camp in Miami, further proving that MTV doesn't know how to leave well enough alone. (Though, admittedly, as a fan of 16 and Pregnant, I thought Teen Mom would suck; it's awesome. Watching it out of morbid curiosity and/or being an actual fan? Same difference.)

*Rip Torn pleads not guilty to bank trespassing charges from January. I almost wish he was booked just so we could get another one of these gems.

*Stephenie Meyer announces she's putting out another Twilight themed book. This chick is like herpes. Just when you think it's gone...

*The New York Times reports research has shown that Oscar winners live four years longer than their fellow nominees. No word on how long their marriages last.

TODAY: MGMT, Congratulations—leaked March 2010; out April 13.

Two things you should know: One, YFPT loves—loves!—the title of the new MGMT album. Is it a cheeky reference to the solid taste in music that the band thinks you’ve displayed when you go out and purchase (or download, heh) the album? Is it a pat on the back for a self-deemed job well done? Is it a handshake to be received once you’ve made it through the 12-minute opus the band’s stuck smack dab in the middle of the album?

Congratulations. Congratulations. Congratulations. Nope. Despite our best efforts, our zen approach to shining up our crystal ball has drawn a blank.

Maybe this’ll help?

Nope.

Here’s the thing, this new MGMT album is pretty great. But on it, the band–which, you’ll remember, had “Kids” blew all the fuck up a couple years back–has trended away from its electro side and toward its proggish psych-pop side—a move that may make things a bit less radio-ready then they were the last time out. We salute that.

And we’d like to think that Pitchfork will agree. But, back in ’07 reviewer Eric Harvey told the band that “electro-glam seems the ideal toward which” they should strive. Along with that pat on the noggin, he gave the band a 6.8.

And that brings us to two: To be frank, we also would have missed the MGMT turn-around.

Perhaps a mea culpa is in order?

So (things becoming clearer now). A-hem: YFPT is calling for an 8.2, and a positively glowing review that extols the band’s newfound sophistication.

Happy Work Week! Say, anybody find a wallet in Dupont Circle on Friday containing everything that makes me whole? You can keep the cash, just give me back my Bruigher Beard Club membership card.

Oscar was a grouch to James Cameron, far as the big-ticket prizes were concerned. In the end, Avatar took what it deserved, which were the art awards. Kathryn Bigelow doubled up on Cameron, 6 to 3, inspiring vicarious pleasure in the embittered divorcees who’d been feeding off the Battle-of-the-Exes media narrative. For more on Oscar night, read anything else.

By the way, everything I said in this post was right. Not just about the Oscars, either.

Speaking of shameless self-indulgence, Quentin Tarantino didn’t win take home Best Director for Inglorious Basterds. But don’t fret: I have high hopes for Q’s rumored joint with Chris Tucker, who apparently still gets invited to parties.

After the jump: MGMT requires that its fans have high left-brain function.

Speaking of cult directors, sometimes the ones who make the worst movies are the most revered! WaPo reprints a thin treatment of this phenomenon.

Speaking of bad movies that people like me find inexplicably appealing, remember Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist? Remember how the organizing premise of that movie was that this uber-hip band was sending all these uber-hip kids on a ridiculous treasure hunt designed so that only the uberest, hippest of earn the privilege of seeing them perform? MGMT remembers.

In other music news, Rihanna made out with a robot.

And if you send one angry letter this week, let it be to CBS records, on behalf of Bill Withers. Sasha Frere-Jones explains.

Sorry if this roundup was a little chippy—I lost my wallet on Friday, see, and my Bruigher’s Beard Club card was in there.

*Sundance starts today! Briefly noted: Film on Proposition 8, Mormons screens in Utah(!); Banksy paints the town in anticipation of Exit Through the Giftshop; Nowhere Boy, film on John Lennon's adolescence, to screen (video); this year's judges include Karyn Kusama and Parker Posey; Snoop Dogg, Nas, and Slightly Stoopid to perform; James Franco plays Allen Ginsberg in Howl (more of a stretch than David Cross, methinks); the Boston Globe tackles last year's best shorts; the Salt Lake City Tribune spends 9 graphs explaining why we shouldn't try to predict "buzz" films, predicts 6 "buzz films."

*ON SALE NOW: Hitherto unseen Lucian Freud self-portrait now on market. And it's a steal: "It is only the third time a self-portrait of Freud, now 87, has become available through an auction and it is expected to fetch between £3m and £4m when Sotheby’s sells it next month," the Independent reports.

*MGMT releases new record, Celebration, sans single. "Does this make the band the new Led Zeppelin?" asks the Guardian. And less irrelevantly: Will this shut Celebration out of iTunes?

*After Billboard predicted last week that Vampire Weekend's Contra was "on track to have U.S. No. 1 album," certain individuals declared the "mainstreaming of indie" complete. Now, the Times reports that the band's second record has moved 124,000 units, seizing the number one spot over...Susan Boyle, who sold ca. 77k. Trailing those two is Ke$ha (67k). Someone get these three onstage together—we could smash more YouTube records than those baby videos!

*The LA Times' Todd Martin declares Eminem's Relapse a shoo-in for the Grammy; 94% of readers agree, putting Em over Common, Q-Tip, Mos Def, and Flo Rida. If Martin's right, I'll be about as bummed as I could be about any Grammy. (Which is to say, mildly; my take on the record here.)

*In this week’s paper, hitting streets today: Reviews of Imperial China, Major Stars, Myra Melford, Creation (the new Chas. Darwin biopic starring Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connelly), and a three-fer of theater reviews: Stick Fly, In the Red and Brown Water, and I Am My Own Wife.

Perhaps you've heard there's a lot of free shit going down this weekend. If you haven't, well, there's a lot of free shit going down this weekend. Most of it revolves around the Kia Soul Collective tour, which has set up shop in a warehouse at 3330 New York Ave. NE, with free parking as well as a free shuttle from Union Station. Wale performs in the space tonight at 7 p.m., with DJs Stereofaith, Reed Rothchild, and Chris Burns spinning from 4 p.m. Tomorrow night belongs to Dan Deacon, The Creepers, and Nouveau Riche DJs; the music starts at 8 p.m. And MGMT is headlining an 8 p.m. show Sunday night following DJ sets by DJ CA$$IDY and Dave Nada. To get tickets to this last concert, however, you have to test drive a Kia first, which you can do all weekend, if that's your thing.

And Future, Army Of Me (in an acoustic iteration), Laughing Man, and The Mighty Heard are all performing outdoors at the H Street Festival on Saturday, all along H Street NE. Brightest Young Things is also hosting a free party that night in the Rock & Roll Hotel's upstairs bar. Baller.

Dischord Records is now distributing releases by Windian Records, a new label started by The Points drummer Travis "Cobruhhh" Jackson. The band's new Beat In Hell 7", whose 6-minute B-side is about four times longer than every other Points song, is available now.

This is a few days old: Dischord and DeSoto Records are rereleasing Jawbox's 1994 career highpoint For Your Own Special Sweetheart, and they've included a few bonus tracks from the very rare Savory+3 EP. The remastered album drops Nov. 23.

The Velodrome dance/not-dance party is back from summer vaycay this weekend.

Local way-beyond-left-field hip-hop band The Cornel West Theory has a release show at Liv next Friday for its new album, Second Rome, and apparently the eminent Princeton African American Studies professor and group namesake will be there.

Image courtesy of Dan Deacon's MySpace page.