Mark Bacino Million Dollar Milkshake CD

The Million Dollar Milkshake is all about sweetness, from the opening intro of "Bubblegum Factory" to lyrics about holding hands and sunny days to chirpy Bacharach-ian horns to Mark Bacino's melt-in-your-mouth vocals. The 12 songs skip by in a cloud of cotton candy, stolen kisses, and ba-ba-bas, leaving no trace but for a smile. Bacino and his band are ace at playing light and sweet, but with a peppy kick. "Downtown Girl" bops along like amped-up Marshall Crenshaw; "Rockin' Mood" lifts the opening from AC/DC's "Highway to Hell" but immediately reverts to traveling the highway to cutie, complete with castanets and dreamy background vocals; "All I Want" takes a detour into a strange world where bubblegum, burlesque, and country & western all meet; "Walking on Air" is a sticky-sweet paean to Bacino's main squeeze. This is an imaginative record that hits almost no wrong notes ("This Little Girl" is a touch generic musically and lyrically trite) and puts Bacino near the head of the modern power pop class. There are only a few power pop revivalists operating today who have the same blend of reverence for the past and energy and verve for today. Bacino walks that fine line like a pro, and The Million Dollar Milkshake will definitely satisfy your craving for sweet, frothy pop. ~ Tim Sendra

Recorded at Dig Studio, New York, New York.

Personnel: Mark Bacino (vocals, guitar, toy piano, keyboards, percussion, background vocals); Ron Zabrocki (vocals, guitar, banjo, keyboards, percussion, background vocals); Cheri Leone (vocals, background vocals); Lori Zabrocki, Margaret Taylor, Jenifer Jackson (vocals); Laurence Etkin (trumpet, flugelhorn); John Ferrara (piano); Fil Krohnengold (Wurlitzer organ); Ed Klinger (drums); Willie Wisely (castanets).

Audio Mixer: Ron Zabrocki.

Recording information: Dig Recording, NY; Jon Gordon Music, NY; Mother West Studios, NY.

Photographers: Lori Zabrocki; Ron Zabrocki.

Arranger: Mark Bacino.

Personnel: Mark Bacino (vocals, guitar, keyboards, percussion); Ron Zabrocki (guitar, banjo, keyboards, percussion, background vocals); Larry Etkin (trumpet, flugelhorn); Fil Krohnengold (keyboards); Ed Klinger (drums).