The next time I am involved in a conversation centered around naming great singer-drummers:

Levon Helm (The Band)
Karen Carpenter (The Carpenters)
Mickey Dolenz (The Monkees)
Kelly Keagy (Night Ranger)
[feel free to add to this list]

I will not hesitate to name Danny Seim of Menomena. Though the other two members of this Portland based super-power trio, pianist Brent Knopf, and bassist Justin Harris, also share in the singing duties.

This sometimes funky, somewhat punky, super-poppy album is the much-anticipated follow-up to their debut, "I Am The Fun Blame Monster" (an anagram for The First Menomena Album) released in 2003, and a short 3-song instrumental release called "Under An Hour" in 2005. But this is their first effort released on Barsuk Records.

Friend and Foe is filled with catchy melodies, fun harmonies, delicate pianos, and tasteful guitar with plenty of strong hip-hop-based percussion and solid bass to provide a firm foundation on every track. Although just a trio, the band achieves dense layering on every track with the addition of bells, hand-claps, organs, and saxophone. They are also no stranger to multiple vocal tracks on each song throughout the album.

Menomena also frequently get described as "art" and "experimental" as much for their recording style as for the results of these recordings. The group's "fourth" member, is a Digital Looping Recorder, DLR or Deeler for short. This is a computer program created by Brent Knopf to record and store impromptu material. The songs start out as a Deeler session, with Seim playing a drumbeat. This is passed around to other members who continue experimenting by layering sounds on top of it. In fact, the band members never once played together while recording Friend and Foe. They separately added layers to these sessions at different times, in different places, until one decides the layering is done, and a track is born.

The results are surprisingly cohesive and homogenous for such an irregular process, and undeniably full, rich, and delightful. I think their biggest challenge will lie in trying to re-create this experience on stage as just a power-trio. I look forward to finding out, along with other Menomenauts (what their fans call themselves) as their tour kicks off again in March.

Friend and Foe hits the shelves Jan 23, 2007. In the meantime, you can find out if there is any menomenaut in you by streaming this soon-to-be released album here:

Friend And Foe

I think you'll dig it.