Stereolab's newest, "Sound Dust", is far from their best work. However, a long and seemingly lost prophecy of theirs came unfortunately true this year. 1992's "Lo-Fi" ep is Stereolab's most criminally ignored release, probably because none of the material featured there ever appeared on any of the lauded "Switched On" compilations. But it's one of the best releases they've ever had -- it expands on the formula of their early singles and their debut album "Peng" by chugging out four of the loudest, nastiest, and catchiest two-chord monsters that they ever recorded.

On the track "Laisser Faire", Laetitia sings the following:

It will come to us as a shock/but we're letting it happen/people with their carelessness/goverments with their laisser faire/ ... the world is becoming more right-wing/ ... I can feel it more and more/within ten years we'll have a war

The 'Lab have made thinly-veiled comments about US imperialism in other lyrics (i.e. "Wow and Flutter") but this one made a far stronger declaration, taking precise aim to the point of making an actual prediction (and it's a far better tune as well). In 1997, somebody asked Laetitia during a web chat if she still believed there'd be a war in five years. At the time, the threat of world peace breaking out seemed a greater possibility than at any other time in my lifetime, and in my opinion, pop's most famous Marxist avoided giving a direct answer.

And now, this.