A month later, I’ve come to the realization that I neglected to recap the Menomena show at Rhythm Room in March. It’s probably because I’ve been preoccupied playing with the flipbook inside the I Am the Fun Blame Monster! CD I bought at the show. I am easily amused.

It seems a good time to revive memories of the show because this past Tuesday saw the official release of the Wet and Rusting EP, though I believe the group had been selling it as a tour-only item. In any case, the EP features (duh) Wet and Rusting along with five other unreleased tunes, including two mixes of Wet and Rusting: the E.R.Don Remix and LOAF: A Deli Tea Version (a great bare-bones version of the song).

As for the show, it ranks right up there with the best I’ve seen in the past couple years. For starters, a surprisingly large and enthusiastic crowd turned out, which I wasn’t expecting. Then you have to love how Menomena captures its off-kilter experimentation so nicely in a live setting.

But what I really want to discuss is this saxophone business. Look, it’s easy enough for guys in bands to impress girls. (Bloggers? Not so much.) But then frontman Justin Harris decides to take it a step further and play the sax, Spanish fly for just about any female. Yeah, thanks, buddy. When I mentioned this to a friend, he made a good point: Our generation’s well-known sax players include Kenny G and Bill Clinton; there is room for indie musicians to exploit this. And Harris (damn him) had everyone – gals and guys alike – eating it up. Why did nobody think of this before? There was Morphine, but the sax was part and parcel of that group’s make-up. Menomena uses it sparingly, teasing us with its coolness.

Also, Menemona’s drummer, Danny Seim, is, like, a giant. I’m 6-3, and if we played basketball – and why wouldn’t he, he’s huge – he’d destroy me, swat me, embarrass me. And then he’d step on me for good measure. Then go play the drums in his cool band. Damn.

Pick up the Wet and Rusting EP at eMusic or through FILMguerrero.

• Menomena | Wet and Rusting (via Barsuk)
• Menomena | Wet and Rusting (E.R.Don Remix)