In an intriguing tweak on the idea of going "unplugged," the Cobra Killer partnership completely ditches its usual electronic backing for Das Mandolinenorchester, revisiting songs from earlier releases as if they were Eastern European folk songs. Admittedly that's a bit of a stretch -- the duo keeps the songs grounded in their original sources, their voices wry, winsome, and witty. But instead of doing the music, they hand over everything to the mandolin-based act Kapajkos, who tackle the arrangements with vim. To top it all off, all the tracks were recorded live in the studio aside from some brief overdubs, lending the album an immediate, playful quality that is echoed in the occasional side comment from the bandmembers. That Eastern European folk music can be as hyperspeed as any gabber techno or thrash metal act ever was already clear, but hearing Kapajkos tackle songs like "The Stoker" and "L.A. Shaker" and completely make them their own is simply wonderful. Sometimes all it comes down to is simply captivating beauty as well -- "High Is the Pine" concludes on a series of gorgeous mandolin flourishes. The contrast between Cobra Killer's more rabble-rousing instincts and the groove of the music is sometimes magical -- consider the way they sing the chorus to "Helicopter 666" while the band adds in backing cheers, not to mention a wonderful, rousing interpretation of the instrumental break, while the first version of "Mund Auf -- Augen Zu" included is strident and confrontational, and doesn't need a speck of electricity. Cobra Killer may or may not do anything like this again, but be glad they did this at least once -- it's a unique, wonderful record that deserves attention. ~ Ned Raggett

Any album featuring Thurston Moore, Jon Spencer, and Dinosaur Jr.'s J Mascis, and Murph would almost seem like a supergroup effort from the 1990s, so their appearances on Cobra Killer's 2009 Uppers and Downers gives a clear sense of past champions being given their due by a newer generation. The fact that said representatives of the newer generation are Cobra Killer gives it a better twist than most, though, since the German duo's twisted way around scuzzy/snarky new wave dance-punk for a new century is its own merry aesthetic. Five albums and a decade into their formal partnership under the Cobra Killer name, Gina V. D'Orio and Annika Line still sound like they revel in their own way around pop on their own terms with a fresh burst of youth, shifting from bright chirpiness and clatter on "Hello Celebrity" and "Mr. Chang," to sly swing on "Vitamine" and "Schneeball in Die Fresse," all while sounding like nobody but themselves, rather than simply an assembly of their many favorites. When their voices cross in call and response on "Skibrille" over an arrangement that's part garage jam, part wheezing machinery, and part minimal glitch percussion, the result is pure, sharp joy. Perhaps the ultimate testament to Cobra Killer's complete confidence in their own aesthetic is how the various guest players are used -- "Hang Up the Pinup" features Mascis, Murph, and Moore, but they all smoothly slot into the duo's compressed, one-room-over rush of noise that the singing rings across with both clarity and echo, giddiness that's at once alien and rollicking. ~ Ned Raggett