Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

Why isn't anyone bringing up the Violent Femmes? It's because the Violent Femmes aren't cool. The Talking Heads are cool, which is why anyone who wants to knight a new band Artful and Cool reaches for the Talking Heads mantle. But if a lot of these acts, CYHSY especially, just embraced the Femmes' jokey irreverence (or even the irreverent side of the Heads), the world would be a better place (they're already singing like Gordon Gano anyway). As it stands, Clappy is just a bunch of wimpy hipsters whose idea of creativity is a couple of aloof, affected tricks. Check the intentionally distorted opener, which all but announces: We're here to vaguely, halfheartedly hold your attention. The rest is a gaggle of chimes and tchotchkes — tweaky keys, Ritalin drums, bass lines that are as practical as a carburetor and about as interesting. (Thanks for the eclectic arrangements, fellas, the DRM on my Sufjan Stevens MP3s just expired.) This band is on magazine covers because they're total DIY — F the man! Bummer is, if you were worried about crass major-label high jinks, why'd you make a paean to the four most reached-for retro records of the moment — Remain in Light, Crocodiles, Marquee Moon, White Light/White Heat? And why isn't Violent Femmes on that list? — Garrett Kamps