I cant remember when any recent band excited me so much and amazed me crazily. Menomena's craze started when a friend of mine shared a link of 'I say Fever' album Intuit by the band Ramona Falls. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ga0ohgZFVqc Discovering Brent Knopf's Ramona Falls (this being the individual project taken by Knopf) took me to Menomena. Check out the Ramona falls website - http://ramonafalls.com/.
Also worth a peek is this interview of Knopf - http://comeonchemicalsblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/interview-brent-knopf-of-menomenaramona.html.
The album art used for Ramona falls and its video is totally mystical, pagan something like the Aztec art. Check out the Theo Ellsworth website here - http://www.thoughtcloudfactory.com/, he being the creator of the Ramona falls album art. Really amazing work. Craig Thompson is another artist who has made the album art for Menomena's album Friend & Foe and Mines. Check out his site at http://www.dootdootgarden.com/
Sketch of the album art in 'Friend and Foe' by yours truly
The music of both these bands is so new.. the flow so unexpected and lyrics so refreshingly new , catering to my senses perfectly. I simply love the intelligent verses and what they convey. its just not some boring much abused topic of all songs - love. They have fished into the ocean of emotions. I would just say, this band is one filled with smart asses.