Casionauts
Bailamos Morimos Juntos! (2005, Omega Point)

If the pioneers of electro-clash were old enough to be dead right now, they’d be turning in their graves. Ok, ok, so it’s not bad like that, but it’ll take a hardcore fan to fully accept this disc. If you like frenzied synth-pounding, crazy caterwauling, and punk rock rhythms, you might just be able to let yourself go and have a seizure to this music. Equal parts Faint, Tub Ring, Prima Donnas, and Polysics offer a nice jumble of noise and cyborg rock.

It’s got the rants, the screams, and the raves of most electro-rock, and a lot of it does come across with honesty and energy. However, the heinous lyrics almost make you double-take while you’re writhing along with the chaos. “I Came Here To Kick Ass And Chew Bubblegum (And I’m All Out Of Bubblegum)” spends it’s load in the title alone, but nevertheless makes a complete, if not awkward mantra.

“A Horse Is A Corpse Of Course Unless Of Course That Horse Is The Wonderful Mr. Dead” is a standout track, because when the band belts out “We’re going burn this place to the ground!” they do so with enough intensity to make it believable. The rest of the disc is standard fare though, and most songs coming in at 4-plus minutes is a testament to the band’s loose playing style, as opposed to the largely concise songs of punk. The Casionauts are recommended to those who can’t get enough electro in their clash. They don’t offer anything new, but it won’t turn any fan of the genre off.

-Mark 6/29/05