Erase Errata - Night Life (2006)

America is at war and most every band is just thumping along in some blind-eyed stupor, poutin' out some goth-disco love-to-love-ya-baby slime, inoculating us, massaging with entertainment. Erase Errata's new album, their third, Nightlife, is a look at American life with the fluorescence on. Singer/guitarist Jenny Hoyston serves up narratives that examine realities no one wants to look at: war and poverty. ''I think the US can be a wonderful place and I generally stay positive,'' Hoyston explains, ''but it's overwhelming to think of all the things going on under our noses and our silent concession. People are distracted from doing anything or even thinking about our country's foreign dealings, disturbing trends of corporate privilege and other major issues. My lyrics are about the government, political disillusionment, and the things that keep us from thinking about what is really going on--being distracted by night life, consumerism and celebrity watching.'' The album's pithy title track, its lone line a thesis: ''Night life, forget about real life.''