Biggie sends them signs from the heavens.
Toward the climax of the 1980 film adaption of Flash Gordon, heroine Dale Arden screams, “Flash! Flash! I love you, but we only have 14 minutes to save the Earth.” The soundtrack, by Queen, is blazing and triumphant. Ming the Merciless is defeated (spoiler alert) to the most royal, eloquent guitar and keyboard rock possible.
Brooklyn duo Ratatat pull essential strands of their DNA from the embossed, stadium-filling sonics so articulately varnished and layered by Queen’s guitarist, Brian May. Ratatat’s fifth album, Magnifique (out July 17 on XL), sees Evan Mast and Mike Stroud drop into a reposed, nocturnal gear for slower tracks where they play pedal steel guitar…
