The Crybabies - How The Other Half Lives (Dino Records)
Led by Artie Sneiderman on lead vocals and featuring Steve Aquino (recently of the Lyres) on twelve string guitar, this infectious CD is full of catchy originals and well chosen covers by these veterans of the garage band scene in Worcester, MA. Kicking-off with a jangletastic version of "Man With Money", it then piles into a series of originals that veer from the mid-period Beatles pop of "You Don't Care" to the garage rock snarl of the title track. Fans of the Shambles, another "Wormtown" band that featured Paul Murphy and Rick Corraccio from the Lyres alongside Artie and Steve, will no doubt recognise reworkings of "Love Me Like I Know You Can" and "Nympho" (to name but two) but the tunes are so damn catchy and the new arrangements so on-the-money that it's a pleasure to dig them one more time. With further cover tunes courtesy of the Gants ("I Wonder") and the Flamin' Groovies ("I'll Cry Alone"), there's just about everything on this platter to please fans of harmony-driven pop and frazzled garage rock. So don't be a baby, let's have a smile, and grab yourself a copy of this uplifting disc.