This Microwave World have been called "avatars of the dance revival," "vanguard of the even newer new wave," "synth-flavored rockers," and (their favorite) "electro-mods." In their early days, it seems the press couldn't lob enough trendy genres at them, thanks to their use of a drum machine and synthesizers. Later the band dropped the drum machine and recruited former On!Air!Library! drummer, Kevin Bybee, who added a more organic feel to TMW's vibrant and urgent brand of rock (think Johnathan Fire*Eater meets The Stranglers). Their music is "au courant" solely by the sum of its parts, not by design. From Motown to Mark E. Smith, TMW blend soulful rythyms with angular guitars, bleeding synths and wry lyrics, creating music

that is both poignant and manic. Darcie Stevens of The Austin Chronicle said of their debut full-length, Red States, "Opening with the vintage "December Was a Sham," O'Neal instills anxiety and impulse that continues throughout, with pixie keyboardist Erin Mikulenka's backing vocals mocking response. Shouting back to the Eighties with zeal, the Rapturesque "You Are a Riot," Britt Daniel-backed "The Party Line," and organ-driven "She's Insecure" all stand on their own as summer dance party hits. But next to the darkness of "The Year of Living Enviously," "A Model Life," and closer "The Hours," the ass-shakers seem almost trite: crowd-pleasers vs. boundary-pushers. This Microwave World is combustible, both on album and on stage, and while they have a lot of fun with the upbeat numbers, the drug-addled edge of romance shines a lot brighter. That combustion is what makes a great band...and oftentimes breaks it, too."