FAS: “Kids” by MGMT

MGMT

This week’s FAS was suggested and comes sponsored by our good friends at the US Treasury Department. While the country is celebrating a great couple of weeks with the return of Americans from North Korea, “Cash For Clunkers” being a (controversial in some circles) success, good new about job numbers and consumer spending, the Treasury Department was getting down to the important things – picking the perfect song for this week’s Friday Afternoon Song.

Andrew Polk: “The Treasury wants to submit a song. “Kids” by MGMT. I will bump that sh*t like a mother… just steps above the Secretary of the Treasury’s office.”

Our government in action, ladies and gentlemen.

And now the background.

“KIDS” by MGMT
The Brooklyn-based duo was formed during two friend’s freshman year at Wesleyan University. Their sound transformed in the beginning years (when they were known as “Management”), but was always focused around electronic pop resulting in what David Marchese of Spin calls “their current brand of shape-shifting psychedelic pop.” Either way, I like it.

After graduating from Wesleyan in 2005, they immediately hit the road touring with noted-crazy-awesomes Of Montreal. Their major label debut, Oracular Spectacular, dropped in 2007 and quickly gained them world-wide success.

They even got into a scuff with the President of France, and noted falafel-lover, Nicolas Sarkozy, after he used “Kids” at various party events and videos without permission. Then, in typical French-fashion, they admitted that the song had been used without permission and offered a slap-in-the-face symbolic compensation of €1, and probably added a couple “Ton Maman” jokes as they walked away. The band called it “insulting” and pressed until they were awarded a settlement payment. MGMT then announced they were going to take the money and donate it to a charity to help musicians with similar legal battles. They are the Robin Heed (plural of Hood) for musicians everywhere.

They have recently been collaborating with Jay-Z, Kid Cudi, and the Flaming Lips, and their sophomore album “Congratulations” is expected to drop in 2010.

On a final important note – the correct pronunciation of the bands name is to say each letter M-G-M-T.

And now, “Kids” by MGMT.

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