The Octopus Project

“I Saw the Bright Shinies,” by the Octopus Project, from Hello, Avalanche (Peek-A-Boo Records):

This quartet of noisemakers presumably chose to call itself the Octopus Project because the band members wanted to get their hands on as many instruments as possible and throw them all into the mix. But instead of the cacophony that the band professes to make, these octopi concoct a sound you can actually tap your foot to. Yes, the music is busy. Yes, there are chopped-up beats on top of chopped-up beats — manipulated, distorted and stacked three layers deep. But underlying pop sensibilities and prominent use of a theremin act as lighthouse and anchor in an otherwise unruly storm.