At its best, these 80s imitators sounded like Bryan Ferry singing “More than This,” except with all the charm and twinkle sucked out, leaving a residue that stunk of congealed Spandau Ballet, When in Rome, Haircut 100—and before you start to think “Wow, I love those bands, and that sounds awesome,” remember that the best singles by those bands were great because they had such strong personality! Drain the personality, and you’ll have Wild Beasts. Henri Matisse wants to paint their noses red… with blood.

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Was 50 Cent at the Henry Fonda on Sunday, April 26? No, but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t sexual innuendo-laced lyrics on top of ass-bouncing beats floating through the steamy air as young, hot, bodies grinded on each other.

Shrouded in a light show back-lit by videos screening behind them, the Faint delivered. After rushing through a maze of L.A. traffic to get to the early concert (the Faint went on at 8:15), I felt a little crabby, pushing through the crowd to get up close. But, the moment “Take Me To The Hospital” blasted through the speakers—crabby no more—my heart started pumping and my feet started moving.

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