Ned Raggett

Ned Raggett

Ned Raggett is a library assistant, freelance writer and music journalist. His work has been published in Allmusic, the OC Weekly, Plan B, Metal Edge and The Quietus, while pieces have also appeared in Dream, Arthur, as well as Stylus, The Broken Face, Fake Jazz, Freaky Trigger, Careless Talk...

 of Allmusic wrote that on this album the band "display both an ambition and a sense of range that any number of early 21st century American groups described in similar terms would be wise to follow". Michael Metivier of PopMatters

PopMatters

PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...

 writes that the album "is a lot to digest, and slightly more of a blessing than a curse" and suggests "you might find yourself taking the album in smaller doses". He does go on to write "Each song is a barrage of hooks and nuanced performances" and "Elizabeth Lindau’s violin shines throughout the album" and that the band's "value to the pop music scene continues to grow as it broadens both its geographical and musical reach".

Track list

1. "Microphone Song" – (4:20)
2. "Firenze" – (4:17)
3. "Slow Down Chicago" – (4:04)
4. "Impostors" – (5:31)
5. "Shadowcat" – (7:28)
6. "An Apology" – (3:25)
7. "Heads Hurt Better" – (5:41)
8. "Just a Star" (feat. Edith Frost
   Edith Frost
   Edith Frost is an American singer-songwriter who describes her music as "pensive countrified psychedelia". Born in San Antonio, Texas on August 18, 1964, Frost moved to Brooklyn in 1990 where she played in the country bands the Holler Sisters, the Marfa Lights and Edith and Her Roadhouse Romeos...
   
   ) – (5:16)
9. "Sympathetic Vibrations" – (4:00)
10. "Busride" – (5:39)
11. "Money Making Money" – (3:47)
12. "The Things You Don't See" – (4:09)
13. "All This Dust" – (3:26)

We Were Mixed Up

While waiting for their next album to be released, the band released a free-download remix album

Remix album

A remix album is an album consisting mostly of remixes or re-recorded versions of a music artists' earlier released material.One of the earliest remix albums was 1971's Aerial Pandemonium Ballet by Harry Nilsson, which was released by Nilsson after the successes of Everybody's Talkin and The Point!...

 in 2008.

Reception

Ian Mathers of PopMatters

PopMatters

PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...

 writes that "the styles here veer from dub to disco to folk to orchestral to rap to electro country to just about any other spin you could put on these sounds" and "whatever you like about the band, there’ll be treasure here, and that ought to keep us all favourably inclined to the band until they get some new material together".

Track list

1. "Microphone Song" (The Claps' "You Want It All But You Can't Have It" Remix) - (6:52)
2. "Firenze" (The Crash Davis Spectacular Mix) - (4:07)
3. "Slow Down Chicag"o (Promqueen USA Remix) - (5:17)
4. "Impostors" (Office Remix) - (5:30)
5. "Shadowcat" (Scare Quotes Remix) - (4:56)
6. "An Apology" (J. Schnable's Lonely Robot Voice Mix) - (5:35)
7. "Heads Hurt Better" (Heads Better Hurt Mix, Tuckpointed by Bitmoth) - (3:33)
8. "Just a Star" (Multi-Panel Remix) - (3:01)
9. "Sympathetic Vibrations" (Justin Petertil's Freq. Mod. Mix) - (3:54)
10. "Busride" (DJ STV SLV's Crank Dat Busride Mix, feat. Pop It Off Boyz) - (3:44)
11. "Money Making Money" (Jordan Cohen's Money Making Dub) - (3:44)
12. "The Things You Don't See" (We Can and We Must Remix) - (6:13)
13. "All This Dust" (Eric Ziegenhagen/Geoff Buesing's Dusty Cough Remix) - (3:28)
14. "Microphone Song" (Michael F. Gill's Narration Mix) - (6:43)
15. "Slow Down Chicago" (bill van loo's El Trains Remix) - (4:42)
16. "Just a Star" (Seth Vanek's Milquetoast Mix) - (4:54)
17. "Sympathetic Vibrations" (Sighup’s Shared Memory Mix) - (5:43)
18. "Busride" (Tombot's Circulator Edit) - (6:12)
19. "Slow Down Chicago" (boo boo allá Remix) - (4:55)

The Fakeout, the Tease and the Breather

The band's second full-length album was released May 8, 2010.

Track list

1. "Becoming You" – (6:59)
2. "Mexico City" – (4:33)
3. "Mountains of Molehills" – (4:23)
4. "I Don't Know Where I Was Going with This" – (4:36)
5. "Magazine (Songwriter on a Train)" – (4:55)
6. "Appreciation" – (5:08)
7. "Shortcut" – (5:00)
8. "Reading the Map Upside Down" – (5:00)
9. "Choosing Sides" – (3:50)
10. "Throwaway" – (5:30)
11. "Plan Your Escape" – (5:48)

"Slow Down Chicago"

The song "Slow Down Chicago", which has been included in all three of the band's releases, was featured in the theatrical trailer for Diminished Capacity

Diminished Capacity

Diminished Capacity is a comedy film directed by Terry Kinney and starring Matthew Broderick, Virginia Madsen, and Alan Alda. It was released at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and opened in theaters in July 2008...

. The band's violinist, Elizabeth Lindau, has said of this "it is totally hilarious to see Matthew Broderick

Matthew Broderick

Matthew Broderick is an American film and stage actor who, among other roles, played the title character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Adult Simba in The Lion King film series, and Leo Bloom in the film and Broadway productions of The Producers.He has won two Tony Awards, one in 1983 for his...

 and Alan Alda

Alan Alda

Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo , better known as Alan Alda, is an American actor, director, screenwriter, and author. A six-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner, he is best known for his role as Hawkeye Pierce in the TV series M*A*S*H...

walking in slow motion to your song".

Members

• Jeremy Beckford - Guitar, vocals
• Sarah Kneebone - Piano, keyboard, vocals
• Elizabeth Lindau - Vocals, violin, percussion
• Brian Palmieri - Drums
• Matt Priest - Lead vocals, bass, trombone, percussion
• Ryan Tracy - Keyboard, piano, bass, vocals