Matt & Kim

New wave is hardly a genre asking for today's increasingly chic drum+instrument treatment, but Brooklyn duo Matt and Kim get the greenlight all the same. Unlike, say, the White Stripes, whose minimalist approach strips classic rock back down to its grass roots, Matt and Kim hardly constitute a paradigm shift in jerky, synth-laden pop. In fact, one cursory listen and you probably wouldn't even notice only two people are performing.

Full Review | More Reviews from Publication | Top Rated of 2006

The setup is simple: Kim hammers her stripped-down drum kit into a frenzy while Matt mashes raw, buzzing melodies from a couple old keyboards and shout-sings along. That’s it, both live and now on the self-titled debut. Well, on one track we do get some handclaps, on others, evidence of multitracking in the form of a third hand on the keys, but any more involved additions seem to have been deliberately pushed aside.

Full Review | More Reviews from Publication | Top Rated of 2006