IN Los Angeles Magazine
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Review
by Paul V.

Gil Mantera's Party Dream Bloodsongs Audio Eagle
This is one of those left of center records that you might start off scratching your head over, but then find yourself completely in love with. Here we have another duo inspired by early '80s synth-pop and danceable new wave. I might be dating myself here, but do you remember Q-Feel's "Dancing In Heaven (Orbital Be-Bop)" from 1982? Well, take that track, throw in some squiggly vocoder effects a la Daft Punk, spritz it with some angular guitar solos, and you'll arrive with a plus one for this Party Dream. Opening track "Buffalo Tears" starts off with a twee synth line, then kicks into bass-throbbing overdrive with a seriously infectious melody and lyrics that are nearly a gay pride protest anthem -- "I only want justice / I only want equality / Can you dig this? / Come dance with me." And "Elmo's Wish" is right out of the Chromeo meets Electric Six handbook. While Bloodsongs also features tunes about feeling up your sister and fending off monkeys, the band stays focused on writing actual songs, not just punch lines. All of this smile-inducing, Casio disco-punk brings to mind Devo meets Kraftwerk -- on uppers. Wrapping this package with a nice bow is singer Ultimate Donny's strong pipes, and he's got one of those voices that reminds you of other people you can't quite place. Apparently, their live shows feature over-the-top antics like burning their pubic hair, wrestling in spandex and donning fake moustaches. Somehow, that makes perfect sense