Ex Models

Punk funk obscenesters Ex Models teeter on the brink of making danceable music. The only problem is their songs are short and choppy, zigzagging in every possible direction. Toying with no-wave while delivering a rebirth of post-punk noise, the band were there first in 2001 with their debut Other Mathematics, setting the pace for what is now a blooming scene. Zoo Psychology, their follow-up, does the same, only much, much weirder. While New York is spewing out cool bands by the second, Ex Models are a unique bunch holding their own with a formula of Talking Heads spazz-outs, loud and manic disarray and enough sex to make Yeah Yeah Yeahs come around begging for some. With song titles such as "Fuck To The Music,” "Hey Boner” and "Brand New Panties,” it’s pretty obvious where their thoughts tend to lie. The songs are all quite frantic with erratic moments of absurd industrial guitar sounds and amorphous drumbeats, which seems to be the level the bar needs to be raised to. Though tour mates Yeah Yeah Yeahs are succeeding in taking their art to the masses, it’s very difficult to see Ex Models following in their footsteps. Zoo Psychology is a record that will remain underground, but there’s no doubt that it will gain a lot of attention.