With the advent of file sharing, everyone from Metallica to Skerik has decried it a crime against art. Although, Metallica probably doesn't count as art at this point, it's an understandable stance to take. It is theft. That's not really debatable. Taking what someone has created - partially in order to feed and clothe themselves and their families - isn't right. But along with the plethora of non sanctioned downloads going around, there's a fair share of straight up give aways. At times, though, it's difficult to figure what's what.

In the case of Ducktails (the name that Matthew Mondanile records under while not playing in a band called Real Estate), it seems to be a bit of both. His latest release, on the Not Not Fun label is certainly a capitalist art object. But the few other releases that Mondanile has put out are scattered around the internets for all to sample. Of course, with little information from either the musician's proper website or his MySpace page, there's no way of knowing. Further complicating all of this, though, is the Not Not Fun blog posting an old cassette of Ducktails' demo.

Regardless of that quandary or how you end up acquiring this music, it's safe to assume that if you're even considering copin' it at this point, you have bizarre musical tastes. Good.

The press that Ducktails has received thus far has a few common traits between each disparate outlet. First, it seems that everyone has decided that his is psychedelic music. And I suppose anything with an echoed, wah wah guitar figure in it qualifies as such, but beyond that there's a pretty pervasive pop perspective to all of this self titled effort. Another pretty common interpretation of the disc - which does sport a pretty abrasive, neon cover - is that the music purports some sort of tropical, foreign vibe. So while, it's commonly accepted to be psych, it's now thought of as world music - and I just don't jive with that logic.

A number of influences should fly from this disc - as with any other. But most vividly is the rock base from which pretty much every white music chaser has a past in. "Friends" even sounds like it cops some David Johansen vocal line from the New York Dolls. But Mondanile, a New Jersey native, has moved beyond staples such as the Dolls or the Elevators whilst exploring his new concoction of musical addition and subtraction.

In an interview, Mondanile expressed the fact that since most of the music here is aimless guitar rambling, he sometimes loops other musics as a background for his own songs. It's appropriation in the same way that hip hop producers borrow from other stuff. And on "Beach Point Pleasant," Mondanile recycles some African pop as a back drop for his guitar solos. This being the most enjoyable track is no accident. With the most solid piece of music behind him, Mondanile is able to get out all the ju-ju that's seemingly stuck inside of him. And while the entirety of Ducktails' catalog easily trumps WAVVES, it'd be a bit better if the music was pulled off sans outside assistance from the guitarist's record collection.