Mindless Self-Indulgence

With its disco beats, fluttering falsettos and sexually ambiguous stage presence, Mindless Self-Indulgence enraged Korn fans and Insane Clown Posse’s juggalos while touring in support of 2000’s Frankenstein Girls Will Seem Strangely Sexy. Enduring an MSI set seemed painful for followers of those headlining bands, but that inconvenience pales next to its own fans’ torturous wait for the Frankenstein Girls follow-up that finally arrived in April. The group’s once-rudimentary riffs have evolved, and synth-pop melodies now cushion its choruses. MSI should snare people who dig the Killers’ music but hate a group that doesn’t have the balls to say “dick.” On the title track of You’ll Rebel to Anything, MSI harangues the Hot Topic hordes for their allegiance to corporate-co-opted countercultural affectations. MSI also calls “Bullshit” on angst-ridden metalheads, but when it plays these songs live, its followers shake their fists and sing along, many clad in mall-bought T-shirts that depict the very groups being lampooned. When there isn’t a hostile audience to antagonize, receptive-yet-clueless crowds will do just fine.