Matmos

Legions of Kraftwerk wannabes miss the band's secret weapon: From their man-machine fashion to their preference for dinky beats, the self-described showroom dummies could always tease out a good joke. And although they're purely instrumentalists, Matmos can too, with a charm that sets the laptop duo apart from lesser lights for whom chilly beats and icy synths are ends in themselves. "Rainbow Flag" is a Jetsons-esque symphony for telephone touch pad and synthesized trombone, "Exciter Lamp" sounds like a computerized toy xylophone, and the title track juxtaposes Space Invaders bleeps against progrock noodling—a gag Matmos stretches across 24 minutes and change. Conchords, time to step up your game.

By Shannon Zimmerman