This ain't your mama's rock 'n' roll. 
Wait. Actually, it is. Listening to Mardo is like stepping into a time machine and traveling back to when rock and roll meant something good: the 70's. Except it's 2005 and these guys are very much in the present.
With swaggeringly good looks, melodic rock lyrics and powerfully raw and visceral guitar and drums, Mardo is the product of a childhood spent listening to the likes of the Kinks, Cream, Led Zeppelin and the Beatles. Bless their gorgeous hearts.
Fresno born brothers Aron (lead vocals, bass electric piano/organ) and Robbie (drums, guitar, vocals) Marderosian, formed Mardo in 2004 two years after their first band, The Spies, ended. The brothers started rocking out in the garage at their home when they were kids, with their dad taking vocals and singing Buddy Holly songs.
Today Aron and Robbie have taken their rock and roll to the stage with Rob Small and Sonny Sly. They have played alongside R.E.M., opened up for the Violent Femmes and have performed with Green Day, Velvet Revolver, Fiona Apple, Incubus and Social Distortion.
Their self-titled debut album is a wild trip through psychedelic, rocking, funky tracks that leaves you short of breath. It's impossible not to move your hips listening to this album.
The band's cover of Huey Lewis' "I Want a New Drug" is a gritty delight for the senses which have been starved of this kind of music for too long.
The first single, "Here She Comes", is a classic pop rock tune with mesmerizing layered vocals and chanting that'll make you sing along with the band until your throat hurts.
Songs like "Poor Paul", "Cold Creepin'" and "Anyone But Me" (the band's new single) are all catchy, fun arena rock tunes at their finest. Each contain that swaggering growl that Aron seems to have perfected so well.
Article comments
1 - Joe Battista
I gotta disagree about the "70s" sound you speak of. I got excited when I read the review so I went to the band's website. I was hoping for the second coming of Foghat, I guess. There, I listened to the 12 available tracks online. They really sound like overproduced garage to me - not that there's anything wrong with that. The music kind of sounds like they wrote it with designs on being featured in an ipod or Gap commercial. That was my take anyway. Good review though. Rock on.
2 - Jones Violet
There is a lot of sonic manipulation on the album, which I guess takes away from the 70s sound and makes it sound a bit overproduced on some songs.
Thanks for reading, Joe.