![\"\"](\"http:\/\/musoscribe.com\/images\/fad.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
If you lived through the early 1980s in the United States \u2013 and were old enough to be at least somewhat plugged in to popular culture \u2013 you were aware of the proliferation of \u201cnew wave\u201d groups. Many of these acts traded in a style of music that drew inspiration from the pre-\u201crock star\u201d era, that is to say the time before the rise of the dinosaurs of rock. The wave might have been called new, but the streamlined sounds often recalled sixties garage, 50s rockabilly, and other styles that predated Led Zeppelin<\/strong>, Pink Floyd<\/strong>, and all those kinda guys.<\/p>\n Something else you would have known about was the cassette. Designed as a smaller, more portable alternative to the LP record, the cassette had a few obvious advantages: not only was it small, but it was recordable. But it had one serious disadvantage: inferior sound quality. Say what you will; it was undeniably fun to stroll around with a Walkman (or, as in my case, a much cheaper JCPenney-branded alternative) with headphones blasting a life soundtrack of your choice directly into your skull, but the wow, flutter, and gauss could ruin the greatest music. That whooshing sound \u2013 sort of like a speaker being slowly dipped into a bucket of water, lifted out, and dunked again \u2013 is one that most any cassette owner has experienced.<\/p>\n Now, thanks to the intrepid archival efforts of the guys at Kool Kat Musik, you can experience not one but both<\/em> of these early 80s treasures once again!<\/p>\n Philadelphia-based trio The Fad<\/strong> were not unlike hundreds \u2013 thousands? \u2013 of groups that sprang up in that era that gave birth to MTV. And like the better among that crop, The Fad rose to some prominence: regular small-venue gigs and the occasional opening spot on a bill supporting The Stray Cats<\/strong>, The Ramones<\/strong>, and The Red Hot Chili Peppers<\/strong> (hey, two out of three ain’t bad).<\/p>\n During their time, The Fad relocated to Huntington Beach, California; they’d eventually return home to Philly and break up. But while together, they recorded and released a six-song EP and a half-dozen other tunes. All twelve of these are collected on the CD The Now Sound<\/em>.<\/p>\n The good news is that these tracks are a lot of fun. They’re tight, snappy tunes that straddle the line between new wave and, let’s say, nerd-rock. Unlike some of their self-consciously counterparts with clip-on safety pins and accoutrements of the punk identikit, The Fad were a smiling, go-go kinda trio. Their outfits made them look like relatives of the Robinson family, heroes of the kitschy 1960s TV classic Lost in Space<\/em>. Their gear featured Rickenbacker basses and twelve-strings through Vox amps, all of which would have been viewed as resolutely retro choices in the 1980s.<\/p>\n And their music matched it. While they could play with the tight force of, say, The Jam<\/strong>, their slightly nasally vocal delivery made them sound closer to Gary Lewis and the Playboys<\/strong>. They had the good nature to write and record their own theme song (\u201cFad Theme\u201d) and the equally good sense to have it clock in just under minute, as if for the intro of their own (nonexistent) TV show. Their ginchy vocal harmonies were the cherry on top of their compact pop tunes.<\/p>\n The songs have a good deal of subtlety for what’s essentially vocal-focused power pop. There’s a wide-eyed innocence that recalls the 60s garage bands who drew their inspiration not from those dirty Rolling Stones<\/strong> boys, but from relatively cheerful, clean cut young men like The Turtles<\/strong>. At times (\u201cWhere the Colors Are,\u201d for example), The Fad sound a bit like Jan and Dean<\/strong> with ’65 version of The Who<\/strong> backing them up. Put another way, Keith Moon<\/strong> would have loved<\/em> these guys. Another quickie, the 1:04 \u201cLark City\u201d is a twister-riffic tune that Los Straitjackets<\/strong> would be proud to count among their repertoire. “Watch the Sky\u201d is The Fad’s contemplative folk-rock moment; here they recall The Beau Brummels<\/strong> or The Association<\/strong> with fewer vocalists.<\/p>\n The six songs that make up the second half of The Now Sound<\/em> widen the group’s stylistic lens a bit, but the elements that made the original EP so appealing are all relatively intact. The Phil Spector<\/strong>-ish intro to \u201cTomorrow She is Leaving\u201d gives way to a wistful tune. \u201cGenie\u201d is a speedy number with some nicely chiming guitar and impressive, near-whispered vocals. \u201cBroken Hearts\u201d features ba-ba-ba harmony vocals, and the three-part harmonies coupled with guitar jangle suggest a cross between early Beach Boys<\/strong> and The Records<\/strong>.<\/p>\n