Don't let the name mislead you. Minuit aren't French, and their sound is quite giant, actually. A live breakbeat act from New Zealand, they've toured the world with the likes of the Crystal Method and the Chemical Brothers, but they've got something those heavyweights don't: Ruth "Minuit" Carr. She's not just any lead singer; this chick banged the drums before joining up with Paul Dodge and Ryan Beehre, who put her out front to shine while they work the samplers. Their 88 Guards is finally available to us on Dollhouse Records, and it's both dance floor and stereo friendly. It immediately evokes the promise of the breakbeat era (mid-to-late-'90s), when it looked like electronica would become the new stadium rock. So what if most of it ended up the new muzak? The damage was done, and indie electronica is the compromise that Minuit happily embrace. At the Monday Social (www.myspace.com/mondaysocial), which is superbly run by the Bud Brothers.