September/October 2008 Issue

Music Review: Chemical Chords

Stereolab’s latest album finds the sextet in a friendly groove. Don’t miss the title track.

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For nearly two decades, this playful French-English ensemble has run the gamut of electronica, from bubblegum fun to artsy abstraction. Chemical Chords finds the sextet in a friendly groove, crafting alluring neon melodies that recall old masters such as Burt Bacharach and Brian Wilson. Flanked by tinkling harpsichords, shimmering synthesizers, and assorted other keyboards, singer Laetitia Sadier conjures dreamy melancholy in tunes such as “Neon Beanbag” and “Cellulose Sunshine.” It’s hard to imagine a more enthralling display of brooding romanticism than the title track, which could pass for the score of a ’60s caper flick.

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We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

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