vhs or beta

Louisville, Ky.'s VHS or Beta borrow their name from the war between the now-obsolete video formats VHS and Betamax. The retro throwback is not only present in the name, but also in the music-a dance-punk, '80s electropop fusion-. The band's third effort, Bring On the Comets, which boasts collaboration with members of My Morning Jacket, comes on the heels of a successful tour opening for legends Duran Duran. Unfortunately, the band's "street cred" doesn't do much to differentiate them from the flood of New Wave-knock-off bands plaguing the airwaves.

The minute-long opening track "Euglama" gives off a deceptively positive vibe replete with an addictive dance riff reminiscent of Daft Punk. But not even this glimmer of hope can save the rest of the album from sounding like a watered-down version of the Killers.

The single, "Can't Believe a Single Word," offers a simple melody and less-than-complex lyrics-a disappointing precedent that the rest of the album readily complies with. The catchy "Love In My Pocket" is a pathetically predictable love song right down to the-gasp-key change about three-quarters of the way through. From there, the rest of the tracks blur together into a forgettable 43.7 minutes of "do-do, do-do-dos" too bland to mention.

Unfortunately for VHS or Beta, naming themselves after useless technology does not make them seem as cool or trendy as they might hope. Instead they end up rather similar to their obsolete namesakes: tired and unoriginal.

But the main problem with VHS or Beta and the other neon-inspired knockoffs is that instead of honoring their idols, they just end up diluting the music. So if you're really looking for some New Wave plastic, do yourself a favor and pop in a Duran Duran tape.