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Mando Diao

Long Before Rock 'N' Roll

(Mute; US: 6 Mar 2007; UK: 12 Mar 2007)

Swedish group Mando Diao aren’t quite as manic as the Hives, aren’t quite as heady or retro as the Soundtrack of Our Lives, and aren’t quite as poppy as Shout Out Louds. But they definitely have something going for them with a grab bag of garage rock and tight Brit-pop on the head-bobbing title track of this single. The band slows things down with “Popovic”, which comes through with a decent chorus. The lone problem might be how it meanders during the homestretch and seems a bit limp as it just passes the five-minute mark. Shorter is often sweeter, and this is true of “Cinderella”, which has a leaner, straightforward feel that resembles Interpol covering a Dave Clark Five song. However, “Chet Baker” seems like a wasted opportunity that should kick into three or four higher gears, but instead just limps along. The closing song (and video too) is once again the title track, this time fully fleshed out and well worth checking out.

Rating:

Originally from Cape Breton, MacNeil is currently writing for the Toronto Sun as well as other publications, including All Music Guide, Billboard.com, NME.com, Country Standard Time, Skope Magazine, Chart Magazine, Glide, Ft. Myers Magazine and Celtic Heritage. A graduate of the University of King's College, MacNeil currently resides in Toronto. He has interviewed hundreds of acts ranging from Metallica and AC/DC to Daniel Lanois and Smokey Robinson. MacNeil (modestly referred to as King J to friends), a diehard Philadelphia Flyers fan, has seen the Rolling Stones in a club setting, thereby knowing he will rest in peace at some point down the road. Oh, and he writes for PopMatters.com.


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Mando Diao - Long Before Rock 'n' Roll
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20 Apr 2007
Swedish garage rockers use their run-ins with lowlifes and weirdos on the road to help fuel their third full length.
By Michael Beaumont
9 Apr 2004
Check this out: it's a garage rock band with a sound akin to early Who, and maybe the Creation too, right, and they dress like a cross between '60s Mods and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, oh and get this, they're from Sweden!
11 Mar 2004
After all, if the Beatles started off with R&B covers and became bigger than Jesus, surely Mando Diao can achieve that world domination they so badly crave.
30 Jan 2004
Mando Diao deliver no-frills rock 'n' roll, but unlike many similar young bands today, they play with so much verve, the songs possess plenty of memorable hooks, and best of all, there's a sense of ambition in the music.
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