Meh-NAH-meh-nuh? Meh-NOH-meh-nuh? Meh-noh-MEE-nuh? A nonsense word, an inside joke, or derived from that fantastic old school Muppet Show sketch?

Whatever it is, it's not much of a telling name for a band with such a wide array of musical backgrounds and interests. Their debut I Am the Fun Blame Monster! was characteristically all-over-the-map in its creativity, but erred on the side of goofy and even a little obtuse. Then came Under an Hour, a score of three lengthy pieces set to accompany a modern dance troupe. By turns delicate and proggy, it was a considerable musical achievement but not the type of thing to register on every blogger's musical radar.

2007's Friend and Foe did that trick though, picking up all kinds of positive reviews, daily mp3 blasts, and a number of prominent live shows. Opening track "Muscle'n Flo" kicked things off with a grooving bass, yelped classically-indie vocals, and a piano-line straight out of a Sigur Ros suite or a Phish breakdown -- no mean feat. Elsewhere, "Rotten Hell" teetered between a gutter sing-a-long and a dynamic, ecstatic bridge. Pitchfork loved the hell out of it, and the AV Club called it a "demolition bumper car ride" (errr...in a good way).

But it seems it's the live setting where they really thrive. The band's strong jazz training gives them a sense of improv most indie rockers wouldn't dare to dream of -- much less take on the road with them. Drummer Danny Siems may be the pick of the bunch -- spazzy and maybe even flailing, he's the backbone but also responsible for the group's dynamic delivery. The only question is whether or not they can make their intricate songwriting suites hold up in a live setting, whether those great big horns and timely riffage play out without the effects of a studio recording.

You'll have to see for yourself, but our guess is that with musicians this good, it might actually be harder to fail.

Menomena is at the Black Cat tonight with Illinois and His Mischief. $12, 8 p.m.