Fountains of Wayne

It looked like Fountains of Wayne would just be a footnote in the "big book of power pop bands that sound like the Cars" until they hit the big time with their sordid little tale of teenage lust, "Stacey's Mom," thanks to its MTV-friendly video. And while they haven't managed to replicate that moment, they've at least had a dalliance with actual fame. Filmed back in 2005 in Chicago not long after they had hit the peak of their popularity, No Better Place is a very business-like performance by the band. They carefully pick out their best-known material, drawing mainly from their 1996 debut and 2003 breakthrough, Welcome Interstate Managers, giving the crowd exactly what they want. No complaints there. And the band sound great, just like they do in the studio. But when it comes down to it, Fountains of Wayne just aren't a very interesting band to watch. When the entire premise of their live DVD is to film them in position onstage, the result is something that will appeal to fans of the music only, fans that would probably get the same out of a live CD without the lacklustre visuals. There's little banter, no behind-the-scenes footage and the only extra is a five-song acoustic session recorded at the end of last year. It is a nice change of pace from the live show and serves to demonstrate how much better the DVD could have been with a little more care and attention.