Editorial Reviews Music Review:
Music Review
The Sound of Wagner & Strauss/Leinsdorf
Tinker Bell [CD-single] [Import]
The Pongmasters Ball [Limited Edition] [Live]
The Greatest Opera Show on Earth
Amazon.com
At first glance, the Yo-Yo's seem to be a modern-day reincarnation of Ramones-era punk rock. They've got the bad-boy look, the four-chord anthems, and the attitude. A few spins of Uppers and Downers eventually rubs some of this aura away and reveals another possible, if less likely, musical touchstone: Kiss. Its nods to current technology aside, the track "Cellphone Psychophobia" could easily be mistaken for a Paul Stanley-penned rocker circa Dressed to Kill. "Out of My Mind" also recalls Kiss, although in this case Ace Frehley--it's not "Shock Me," but the swagger and melody are undeniably in the same arena. In fact, half the songs recall an era when pyrotechnics pounded punk silly, while the other tracks beg to differ. In the world of the Yo-Yo's, it would seem that arena rock and punk can finally be seen kissing in public.--Jason Josephes