Kick Kick

The debut album from Kansas City band Kick Kick has much the same appeal as a vending-machine novelty purchased for a quarter outside a supermarket: sparkly, weird and cheap but strangely cherishable. Kick Kick has recently gained local notoriety for its over-the-top and frequently awkward performances. (The band’s interpretive dancer and occasional singer, “Flashy Thundercat,” embodies the capsule-toy aesthetic a little too well.) Anyone deterred from picking up Powerplay because of the live show, however, misses out on some good shit. Ready-made for the next Vince Vaughn drunken escapade, “Bumper Car” is a delightfully hooliganish Beach Boys knockoff about the popular amusement-park ride (or something). “Man in the Mirror” juxtaposes whistle-worthy keyboard riffs with doofy, repetitive lyrics: I’m the man with the plan in the palm of my hands! “Who’s the Boss?” rules with its stadium-sized drums and gang vocals. It’s clear that Kick Kick is out to parody ’80s arena-rock conventions — should Billy Squier ever chance to hear “Sexy Money Power” or “American Party,” he may infer that his nephew just started a band. Kick Kick’s formula is so obvious, it practically screams, Badass jams and funny lyrics in your face, dude! But then again, how often do good cheap thrills come along anymore?