Tomorrow night, two of DCist’s favorite bands are taking the Black Cat’s main stage by storm. What kind of storm? Well if it’s anything like what we’ve seen from these guys in the past, it’ll be a storm of hilarity, energy, and very fancy hair. Because these two bands feature some serious characters with some serious personalities, we asked them to “review” each other’s new albums — The Dance Party’s Friction! Friction! Friction!, which is now available through Dischord, and Middle Distance Runner’s new EP that’s being released all fresh and fancy at this Saturday’s show. If you’re wondering why “review” is in quotation marks, the answer will become apparent pretty quickly as you take a look at what Ian Glinka and Mick Coogan had to say about each other’s work.

Mick Coogan on MDR’s new EP

As the nation again plummets into the throes of moral and economic depression, we here at The Dance Party will conduct a cost-based analysis of the splendid new Middle Distance Runner EP — released THIS SATURDAY AT THE BLACK CAT!

Track 1
“She-goat”
Twee-core at it’s finest. Stephen Kiljoy’s soaring yodel perfectly compliments Allan Chandelier’s frenetic twee riffage. Somebody’s also playing bass and drums. This homage to the Scandinavian gypsy lifestyle marks a sharp departure from MDR’s early pop leanings. Clocking in at just under 12 minutes, this epic will have the listener begging for more!
Value: Moderate

Track 2
“Naturally”
The band boldly chooses to cover one of their previously released songs. Isn’t it ironic, don’t you think?
Value: Low

Track 3
“She-goat” (The Dance Party Remix)
We were honored when the boys asked us to remix “She-goat.” We started by emphasizing the most powerful aspect of the original–the outro. We also removed the vocals for a more natural aesthetic. Then, we removed most of the other instrumentation. The kick-drum heavy remix clocks in at a thrifty 1:15 and leaves the listener begging for more!
Value: High

Overall Value: Moderate
There you have it! You’ll have two choices at Black Cat on Saturday–the new MDR EP, or The Dance Party’s new LP “Friction! Friction! Friction!” Full of driving rhythms, soaring harmonies, and bodacious guitar solos, the new Dance Party record (www.thedanceparty.net) is a smart buy. A Dance Party fan once rolled over and told me, “The Dance Party is like a lick on the back of the neck at 3am.” Agreed! See you Saturday!

The Dance Party