Mark Bacino
The Million Dollar Milkshake (4 stars)
Parasol Records

Power Pop with guts

New York power popper Mark Bacino is just as adept as his peers at assimilating The Beatles, Badfinger, et al, but studiously avoids the inherent pitfalls of the style, maintaining just the right blend of melodic sweetness and rock toughness a' la vintage Raspberries or Cheap Trick. His voice possesses a touch of soulful grit that keeps even the most romantic pop numbers from getting too sugary, but Bacino's not afraid to recall the days of bubblegum pop with his insanely catchy choruses and hook lines. -Jim Allen, Uncut



Mark Bacino
The Million Dollar Milkshake (3 stars)
Parasol Records

Mark Bacino crafts uplifting, hook-filled pop-rock songs that are heavy on melody, instantly hummable, and deceptively simple. The background harmonies in " Downtown Girl " weave in and around layers of chiming guitars, thumping drums, and backing strings, all the while pushing the melody forward. " Take Our Time, " a slow-building acoustic number that gradually adds backing harmonies, cellos, heavy drums, and electric piano, works its way toward a mid-song crescendo before easing back into a sweet, lullaby-like finish. For the instrumental " Milkshake Bossanova, " a fun homage to ’60s spy films, Bacino composes a melody that seems both fresh and familiar, with screaming horns, strings, vibraphone, those ever-present backing vocals, and flourishes of electric surf guitar. Although it’s clear that the Queens-based songwriter has been inspired by the Beatles, he avoids any obvious lifts. His lyrics focus on fluffy, carefree boy/girl romance, but it’s the music that counts here. - Neal Alpert, The Boston Phoenix

"From Managers To Milkshakes"...

When I looked Mark Bacino up on allmusic.com, they compared him to Eytan Mirsky, the only power pop singer on the scene today who’s as good as Fountains of Wayne. Fittingly, Bacino sang on one of Mirsky’s CDs. The title of New York-based Bacino’s new album is a hoot: The Million Dollar Milkshake. I also had to laugh at the very Burt Bacharach-sounding instrumental track “Milkshake Bossanova” which is wryly subtitled “Love Theme From The Million Dollar Milkshake.” “All I Want” really has a Beatles meets Harry Nilsson vibe going on. (The Beatles, by the way, did meet and know Nilsson and were ridiculously huge fans.) The sweet, wonderfully catchy “Want You Around” recalls the glory days of Badfinger which isn’t a bad finger to have on a pulse. Bacino is clearly another talented power popster worth checking out. - Tony Peyser, Santa Monica Mirror

Mark Bacino
The Million Dollar Milkshake
Parasol Records

Mark Bacino's frothy power pop would have been a loss leader in 1990, but with sweet melodies a rare thing in '03, Million Dollar Milkshake is a big slurp of welcome sounds. Bacino sings his swinging pop with earnest naivete, erasing every anti-movement since 1979. For Bacino, only Tommy James, Wings and Bacharach remain. The songs move swiftly with no time for bad moods. "Bubblegum Factory" is a David Cassidy b-side, all pimply rocking intent. "Want You Around" is Bacharach meets the Osmond Brothers; "Rockin' Mood" could be Katrina and the Waves or "Chain Gang" era Pretenders, with dazzling harmony vocals. Bacino matches his scratchy tenor with jangling guitars for "How About Always". A knockout craftsman of sunny mid-60's pop, Million Dollar Milkshake is refreshing not in the least for its kinetic songs and childlike enthusiasm. Bacino doesn't take himself seriously, but his songs are the real thing. - Ken Micallef, Harp

Mark Bacino
The Million Dollar Milkshake
Parasol Records

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, All Music Guide

Mark Bacino
The Million Dollar Milkshake
Nippon Crown (Japan)
Parasol Records

"Don't have no fancy car, but even if I did I wouldn't stray too far" proclaims Mr. Bacino on "All I Want," and this recognition of the things which are most genuine and enduring permeates the entirety of Bacino's second album, The Million Dollar Milkshake. According to the man himself, the album is "a song cycle [which] purposely chronicles one couple's relationship from inception to commitment, through marriage, the honeymoon, and beyond, "beyond" being how they deal with what everyday life throws at them while still managing to have fun and remain in love". Well said, and this message is communicated in under 30 minutes with songs that could lift a catatonic depressive up out of his chair, and make him dance. Bacino sings with the pride, sincerity and wisdom of one who is celebrating the finer things in life without ever sounding cloying or proselytizing, which may be the most compelling reason why tunes like "Want You Around," "Downtown Girl," "Rockin' Mood," "This Little Girl, " "Walking On Air," and many others are so uplifting. The production, replete with cheery background vocals and full-bodied arrangements, is the perfect complement to the lyrical optimism.

As good as Bacino's debut was, The Million Dollar Milkshake is even better, as it codifies his credo most concisely and effectively and, oh yes, it doesn't hurt that the album is so damn catchy! A definite antidote to all the ills of the world! (note: the Nippon Crown release contains two bonus tracks). - David Bash, Bucketfull of Brains (UK)

Mark Bacino
The Million Dollar Milkshake

The year is 1974. You've spent the last half-hour watching Fat Albert, Weird Harold and Dumb Donald using their "imaginations" to create their own instruments and assemble a band. With no practice, they miraculously close the show with a two-minute song that makes you feel like dancing in front of the set. Bill Cosby wraps things up perfectly and you're ready to take on the world — or, better yet, watch the next cartoon while you work off that Captain Crunch sugar buzz. Of course, you could also substitute any number of classic shows from this genre like HR Pufnstuff (yes, they must have been puffin stuff when they came up with that show), The Banana Splits or even The Archies.

Remember how certain shows would always end with a short snappy number where everyone on the show was suddenly in a "band" and they stood uncomfortably close together while lip-syncing the words to a song?

Modern-day performers have been able to capitalize on that sound. Matthew Sweet has, perhaps, pioneered the modern-day bubble-gum pop sound. Jellyfish made a short-lived career out of it in the 90s and went on to seemingly influence artists like Ben Folds and Elliott Smith. Now it's the summer of 2003 and along comes Mark Bacino with his second full-length CD in five years, The Million Dollar Milkshake.

While only 30 minutes long, Bacino's somewhat diminutive creation seems consistent with the sound he exudes on these 12 tracks (plus a nifty 26 second intro). The plan is simple: pull the listener in quickly with catchy sounds, invite them to stay long enough to enjoy the song and then send them off wishing for more. But while the idea seems easy, the songs are carefully designed and meticulously arranged and produced.

Bacino delivers the words with his high-register Elliott Smith-meets-Phil Keaggy chops while he and others join in with the usual pop lineup of instruments plus the addition of a strategically placed Wurlitzer, banjo, trumpet, flugel horn, cello, flute, pedal steel guitar, castanets and even a credited "Jaymar toy piano."

It's amazing how much creativity and effort go into such a "simple" CD. Bacino's fresh delivery of bubble-gum pop tunes brings the creativity of masterful musicians like Elliott Smith, but without the attitude. The Million Dollar Milkshake may be a bit on the short side, but it's a fitting introduction to what could be a lengthy career of a talented artist.
- Roger D. Shuman, WhatzUp Magazine (Indiana, US)

Mark Bacino
Pop Job...the long player!
Parasol Records

From the beginning, Million Dollar Milkshake shines brightly with its upbeat and sugary power pop selections that skip quickly through a 12-song, less than 35-minute teenage love romp.

Bacino's music is rooted in the brevity of 1950s soda shoppe sing-along pop with fun harmonies and memorable hooks that leave a smile plastered on your face. It's a feel-good cd in the sense that it evokes memories of the birthday parties at the roller skating rink when puppy love was as prevalent as sticky soda residue on the coin-op Ms. Pac-Man.

With 14 different musicians contributing, the finer details of the music change often while the general sunshine goodness remains throughout. The brass colorings on "Want You Around" and "How About Always" and the wonderful lounge vibes of "Milkshake Bossanova" provide unique layers to a type of songcrafting that tends to become redundant on the cd as a whole.

As a follow-up to 1999's Pop Job, most of the selections feature uplifting guitar melodies and Bacino's vocals that are equally enthusiastic. But who complains of too much happiness, except for Gargamel? This seems to be Bacino's fight, not against Gargamel per se but against all of those adult forces that muddle the simplicity of youth, such as chasing love.

The cd is sweet, almost cloying if you're not in the mood, and we follow the timeline of this young, flirtatious couple as they discover all of the wonderful things about themselves through the duration of a milkshake that they share.

Songs bounce around like snippets of thoughts that came in eighth grade when you first noticed the shape of a girl's neck. Bacino's music mirrors those thoughts in a way that the quickness of their arrival and departure isn't noticed because they're busy and deep instrumentally.

There's the slow-dance quality of "Take Our Time," the interesting fusion of twangy pedal steel guitar and exploding pop in "All I Want" and the kissing-in-the-hallway feel of "Carry My Heart," which might be the long lost alternative theme song to Saved By The Bell.

A sublime feeling of those first warm days of spring washes over this cd, and in the end, you're left with the lingering perfume trail from a passing crush. - DM, Popshot Magazine

Mark Bacino
Pop Job...the long player!
Parasol Records

It must be every aspiring pop-musician's wish to self-release an EP that receives enough acclaim for a label to request more tracks for an expanded issue. Bacino is a man whose wish has been granted, as Parasol is playing genie with Pop Job. The original Pop Job EP is spread out among seven new songs (listed "The Hidden Track" is a home recording of a child's brief rendition of "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head") that all blend well with the bright, classic powerpop feel of the EP. There's nothing heavy here, sonically or lyrically, but I don't think Bacino is looking for Nick Cave fans. Fans of Not Lame releases and fellow NYC popsters Candy Butchers and Michael Shelley, who sings harmony on "Baby Won't Come Down," will find much to rejoice over. Recently added to the playlist of WPOP (my imaginary all-powerpop radio station): "Wonder", "Kay", and "Maybe Someday." - The Big Takeover (US)