Ciao My Shining Star: The Songs of Mark Mulcahy (2009, Shout! Factory)

The individuals who recognize Mark Mulcahy by name are few in number. Even the monikers of his bands, Miracle Legion and Polaris (which were essentially comprised of the same members), raise a few eyebrows among college rock scholars and alt rock enthusiasts. But there are hordes of people who know Mulcahy's music without realizing it, and one thing he has to thank for that is the evolution and widespread use of cable television during the past three decades.

Once upon a time, there was a quirky, short-lived farce known as The Adventures of Pete & Pete, a sitcom featured on Nickelodeon that possessed humor far ahead of its time. Any kid who grew up in the early 1990s knew of Big Pete and Little Pete Wrigley's peculiar situations, and how their friend Artie (the strongest man in the world!) and unconventional guest stars like Iggy Pop made it even more idiosyncratic. But another unique feature of the show was the music. “Hey Sandy,” the trademark opening theme, was performed by Polaris, who was considered to be the show's house act. Because of this, the band also lent their jangle pop sound to several other tracks from the show, standing ground alongside musicians such as Stephin Merritt of the Magnetic Fields and shoegazers Drop Nineteens.

Now, while this particular set of tracks may mostly live vicariously through Youtubing by nostalgic young adults, Mulcahy's music (including both songs from his bands and his own solo catalogue) struck a soft chord in the hearts of many reputable college, indie, or otherwise alternative musicians. Such influence provides a basis for the album's existence and a reason as to why artists as renown as Dinosaur Jr. and Thom Yorke participated in a project that culminated into the finely tuned Ciao My Shining Star: The Songs of Mark Mulcahy, a compilation released late last month on Shout! Factory.

Although hallmarks like “Hey Sandy” and “Summerbaby” don't make it onto this album, strong takes on Mulcahy's discography make up for their absence. The National's cover of “Ashamed of the Story I Told” is all their own, with Matt Berninger lending his distinctive baritone vocals to accompany a ghostly cello. “All for the Best,” Thom Yorke's contribution that also serves as the album's opener, shares similarities with his work from 2007's The Eraser and provides a more experimental take to a song that could otherwise prove bland. Even newcomers David Berkeley and Sean Watkins provide refreshing adjustments to Mulcahy's work, giving the album a wholehearted and folky feel. Thus, as a whole, Ciao offers musically phenomenal material.

However, while Mulcahy's songwriting may soar a bit above average, it was in no way revolutionary for its time. He did not glide down the golden path to indie rock success as his colleagues, and since his more profitable period in the nineties, he's been managing his own label in a hole of obscurity and occasionally appears on MOJO Magazine samplers. If this album had featured lesser known names on a more concealed label, a review of the compilation would have never made it to Pitchfork. The starpower behind half of this work is what makes this collection of songs so substantial, and with these specific contributions, that's enough to form a sensible tribute album.

Fans crazy with reminiscence for those Pete & Pete days will have to wait for the jangle pop era to begin again. But for now, we only possess Mulcahy's back catalogue, and a set of choice songs provided by artists who seek out the well-hidden flair in Mulcahy's songwriting and make it shine.

The Flaming Lips - Embryonic (2009, Warner Bros.)

In terms of genre, the Flaming Lips have remained unclassifiable throughout most of their career. Their early days were spent creating a uniquely psychedelic sound that was perfect for oddballs on college campuses that drew comics and regularly dropped acid. Their first full-length album, 1986's Hear It Is, was a sloppy record at best, but it was something different, and something to contrast with the harder, more structural beginnings of classic alternative rock. Twenty three years on, the Lips have acquired a reputable place in music as prolific, lovable nutjobs who manage to surprise us with every release (or really, nearly anything with their involvement). From Wayne Coyne's live spectacles to the surreal 2008 flick Christmas on Mars, it's hard to say what's actually expected from them. Embryonic, their well-anticipated album released on October 13, continues this trend in a fashion that is sure to strum a chord in the hearts of those who long for what the Lips were before they won those Grammys.

Those individuals looking for duplicates of Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots or At War with the Mystics (and the people who only know the Lips through those albums, for that matter) will be disappointed. Embryonic not only surpasses these albums by a longshot, but it resurrects the original spirit of the group's material. The tracks sound as if they were conceived in a futuristic, silver suit 'n jetpack era, with the space age twangs and astrological imagery taking their place as dominant elements that pick up where Christmas on Mars left off. The album's surreal nature and obvious science fiction influences are two of the things that give it its appeal, thus making it one of those Lips' releases that helps us remember how innovative, surprising, and pleasantly unorthodox Coyne and his boys really are.

Embryonic is, quite simply, a majestic collage of sound. Everything from “Convinced of the Hex,” the meteoric first chapter, to “Watching the Planets,” the grandiose conclusion, is cohesive to the album's theme, yet each individual track is capable of providing some testament to the art of noise. “Aquarius Sabotage” and “See the Leaves” serve as part of the album's bombastic and eclectic intensity with an array of unconventional instruments, while “Evil,” “If,” and “Sagittarius Silver Announcement” take a slower turn with less grandeur and more emotion. “Silver Trembling Hands” is also made notable through its echoing, iconic vocals and thumping bassline, furthermore making it one of the best candidates for a single. However, Embryonic's excellence makes it difficult to dissect and critique, as there is not one track containing an ounce of filler or disappointment. All songs are significant in their own way with regards to the out-of-this-world concept, and pull together to form a truly impressive mixture of instruments, voices, and otherwise irregular and eccentric sounds.

There's no denying it. The Flaming Lips have reverted back to the more appealing craziness found on their first few albums, which is far better than the mere image of indie rock gods they've acquired over the past decade or so. But while Embryonic may revive their previous insanities, it still signals a new era in the group's career, one that looks to be even more promising than their pinnacle. And hey, the album art is pretty awesome too.