Candygram for Mongo - Candygram for Mongo
Record Label: Unsigned
Release Date: March 17, 2008
Somewhere between the rambunctious clatter of punk rock and the stomping clicks of the Irish Jig lies Celtic rock. The coordinates often share territories with pub rock sensibilities displaying a folksy chanting in its versing. It has an indelible melodicism that adapts to new generations of rock, and Candygram for Mongo are quite skillful at making Celtic rock sound modern. C4M’s self-titled release brings out every cliché known about punk rock from its horny rhythmic bouncing to its corny and cheeky-toned lyrics while carting a Irish-lisp that is reminiscent of Black 47. Tony Shea’s vocals slide across the rhythmic swells with the gumption of Smash Mouth’s Steve Harwell’s while the guitar riffs slices through the melodic cutlets with sharp blades that intensify the excitement.
With a punk rock fervor relatable to Anti-Flag in tracks like “Big Mary” and “Fairfax Avenue,” Candygram for Mongo shows fire in their belly that is far from being extinguished. The hefty gusts exhumed through “I Love It” are torn asunder by the guitar cuts tearing through the fabric, and the horny bouncing running through “The Lottery” mimic the lyrics, “Ever since I met you / I feel like I won the lottery / And now we’re in our homemade spaceship / We’ll fly up to Mars, cuz you’re the only one I want to be with here beneath the night sky and the stars.” The band also offer some ‘50s style rock with a modern twist relatable to Smash Mouth in numbers like “High Wire,” “I Wonder,” “Shannon Told Me,” and the Chuck Berry-like crispy-fried guitar solo in “Buy The Ticket” creating waves of whipping spins.
As for those afore-mentioned corny and cheeky lyrics, C4M’s brings them out in the hard rocker “Meltdown” with verses that punctuate, “I went to the Moon with a Koala Bear / We took some Eucalyptus.” The bristling chords intercept each other and rattle profusely barreling through “What Are We” and “Home Again,” but subside in the old west aria “Rock to Live” with gently fluxing freight-train rhythmic rolls and low registered guitar strings with a Johnny Cash-like simmer. The lyrics seethe with a feisty bite, “I told my boss to shove it, cuz I had to work in rock ‘n’ roll / He said, “Boy you’ll amount to nothing’.” This one track that carries a gun-slinger bravado and the band makes it a good one.
Candygram for Mongo’s self-titled release is the band’s second album following their debut CD, The Red Pill in 2006. Formed in 2005, C4M struck it good early when their song “Story of Triumph” from The Red Pill was featured in the Fox sitcom “Unhitched,” and their song “Intermission” from that album was placed in the Sci-Fi Channel’s series “Battlestar Galactica.” Maybe lightning does strike in the same place twice, or at least Candygram for Mongo is betting that it does for them.
The bands Myspace is quite cheeky too, "Listener will not hold C4M responsible for any blown minds, melted faces and/or pregnancies that may occur from listening to the Band rock!"
Browse Reviews
Write a Review
Alphabetized Listing
Popular Reviews
Best New Music
View Profile Picture
Currently Playing
View Signature
Posts: 8,465
View Blog
Follow This Review
More Reviews By This Author