STOD: I want more splatter. Their tracks are well-played and well-recorded. But I can’t shake the icy feeling of Jawbox or the cooler climes of “calculation rock.” Because when I saw them live, it was like that part in the Green Berets where John Wayne’s fellow marine gets whacked by a bamboo booby trap. Jungle sneaking. Snap. Eek. Blood and bullets flying. That’s the image I have of STOD in my “happy rock place.” Android Hero: I want more anxiety. Their tracks are well-played and well-recorded, in the vein of Nomeansno, where the complexity is a gateway drug to tension. But where Nomeansno seems about to become unhinged at any second and have your stereo explode, the edges to Android Hero are well defined. Anxiety will be the loose, nervy wiggle that turns into a hook for repeated listens. I do, however, have a soft spot for any songs about thrift stores.
–todd (Mustardpack, mustardpack.com)