Manda and the Marbles

More Seduction (Go-Kart)
by Scott Hefflon

Glad to see someone pick up Columbus, OH’s Manda and the Marbles (formerly The Marbles). I dug Rock’s Not Dead on Break-Up! (now outta print, I think), but the band has really grown since, so, ya know, don’t go out-bidding collectors on eBay for it. Kinda like The Go-Go’s, the Bangles, with hints of maybe Dance Hall Crashers, Manda and the Marbles, sure, they’ve got a lot of ’80s New Wave in them, but they’re smart and also reference back to ’50s girl groups, like covering “I Wanna Go Home” by Holly and the Italians.

The ’50s girl group thing is a great angle, cuz aside from being really sexy sweet and catchy in a different way than, like, Bif Naked, Britney, or The Donnas, there’s a lot you can do with it, especially if you use it as an influence, not a crutch. And there’s plenty of John Hughes soundtrack influence here as well, so somewhere between Josie and the Pussycats and, like, “Be My Baby” is where this falls. And like Bif Naked, Manda is very easy on the eyes and can play up the sex kitten thing without being an airhead. Only real criticism is that the production is a little dull, not bright and shiny the way lots of pop punk is these days. Some might say that gives it rockin’ cred, but honestly, it just doesn’t pop outta yer speakers the way it could if they’d spent a mere 10 times the amount they did. Someone throw money at this band and make them stars, huh? We could use more stars like this.
(PO Box 20 Prince St. Sta. New York, NY 10012)