Sparkwood - Jalopy Pop 2005

Hot off the press! 'JALOPY POP' is hear!!! The long awaited 2nd full length from Austin's favorite popsters SPARKWOOD has finally arrived! JUST LOOK WHAT THE CRITICS ARE SAYING!!! ****Jalopy Pop Reviews ******* Sparkwood has made a superb sophomore disc....smooth and insinuating pop songs that put Sparkwood in league with artists like Fountains Of Wayne, Cherry Twister and The Davenports. - Mike Bennett FUFKIN March 2005 Jalopy Pop...pure pop brilliance...illustrates again Padar's ability to conjure up the essence of a sweet pop tune and mould it into something that's sparkling to the eye and sweet to the ear. Padar is wired for pop! -Patrick Emery BEAT MAGAZINE (Australia) February 2005 ...impossibly crafted pop nuggets will send power pop fanatics and melody freaks spinning circles of glee. Jalopy Pop is crammed with ebullient sonic flourishes that lift the record from merely accomplished and attractive to endlessly fascinating. -Luke Torn POP CULTURE PRESS Spring/Summer 2005 This sophmore release took me by complete surprise! While their debut, La La Crutch impressed, this one blindsided me, most thankfully.... All the songs surge with rushing melodic grooviness that grip at every turn. Let it wash over you.....Extremely Highly Recommended! - Bruce Brodeen NOTLAME RECORDINGS February 2005 I've listened to this album all the way through at least six times, and I first heard it yesterday. ...gives me the chills every time I hear it. Stop everything you're doing and buy this album RIGHT NOW! -Mark Pittman BEING THERE MAGAZINE February 2005 This is one fantastic CD full of stellar production: Mellotrons, pianos, guitars, synths, killer harmonies, and more. There is a nice balance of rock and pop sounds and that are never too twee or boring. On my personal list of top 10 cds for the year! Grade A Get it! -Jeremy Morris JAM RECORDS March 2005 ... a modernized version of late 50's/ early 60's rock and roll, touched up with 70's arena rock guitar heroism, expert bass wrangling and appropriate drum fills...the melodies are instantly addictive, with more clarity and bite than the classic 50's / 60's rock and roll - BIG YAWN March 2005 You just feel like relaxing and listening to their sunny compositions. Moreover, Bart Padar's magnificent voice gives the band this special touch that very few groups can be proud of. - Dorian LIABILITY (France) February 2005 2005's Jalopy Pop is a nice disk that shows off the bands knack for sweet melodies and a love for Jellyfish, Queen and ELO. Excellent from start to finish, this standout track ('Nichole's Overture') shows off the band at peak form. -Jay Anderson POPBANG February 2005 ...has that special something additional that makes you remember them over time. Talent like that of Padar must be defended and promoted. ...psychedelic pop influenced by the glorious late 60's Beach Boys. -Samuele Boschelli ROCKLAB (Italy) March 2005 Optimistically churning out catchy melody after catchy melody, Sparkwood sparkles and shines where others would stumble...The harmonies are really ingenious and immediately infect your entire being. - J.Sin SMOTHER February 2005 Jalopy Pop is a menagerie of tunes using three part harmonies to effectively produce a multiple layer of sound waves that function cohesively and compliment the group's vocal resonance. - Susan Frances THE MUSIC EDGE March 2005 Jalopy Pop!!! is a collection of playful wall-of-sound power pop tunes, drenched with lush harmonies and sunny, energetic rhythms. Sparkwood have absorbed the sense of their heroes' sound and created something that is uniquely their own. The songs are sweet and simple, but creative and delivered with passion. -MEDIA JONEZ February 2005 I will say I am totally impressed with their latest album, Jalopy Pop. The production is big and lush, while the vocals are bright and soaring. Full-bodied melodies sit side by side with intricate arrangements. The guitars crackle with color and light, matched by rows of majestic keyboard work. -Beverly Paterson TWIST AND SHAKE MAGAZINE February 2005 Sparkly, poppy songs abound on Sparkwood's Jalopy Pop! There's just a ton to love here. Upbeat and swirling, Sparkwood is sure to be a treat for ELO and Jellyfish fans. -WHITSBRAIN RADIO February 2005 ....a pumping, driving unstoppable machine of interminably catchy ditties guaranteed to bounce repeatedly through the listener's neural pathways for weeks. -Trevor Wallace RANK And REVIEW March 2005 ***BIO***** Sparkwood is the latest recipe to emerge from Bart Padar's musical kitchen. With a new batch of ingredients including Mark Doroba (Three Years Ghost), Mike Reynolds (The Sleepwalkers, Violet Crown), and Sean Crooks (The Alice Rose), the band serves up a savory blend of pop-a-licious delight. Peering inside of Sparkwood's crock-pot of musical influences one will find a history of scrumptious morsels like The Beatles, Jellyfish, Queen, ELO, and Ben Folds. Their live shows are a junket of mellifluous fun. The boys in Sparkwood LOVE what they do and their performances are a vibrant celebration of this fact. They clearly share their collective enthusiasm with all who attend their shows. Heavy meals? No way! Sparkwood heads straight for dessert, their melodies a bundle of candy-coated excitation. Currently they're merely a secret treat but Sparkwood aspires to share their delectable creations with the rest of the world. The obvious consensus: Sparkwood is a fluorescent feast for the senses! ***REVIEWS For 'La La Crutch (1st CD)***** Immediately upon submission of my Top Ten Album list, a disc that deserves such recognition arrives in the mail. This year's of the 'too late for my Top Ten list' award goes to talented Austin band Sparkwood....production, instrumentation, vocals and songwriting are top notch. -Eric Sorenson AMPLIFIER MAGAZINE March/April 2001 Surprisingly strong and consistent from start to finish, The La La Crutch is a gem, remarkable for it's refreshing lack of pretension and it's non-retro illusion of pop timelessness. -Luke Torn POP CULTURE PRESS Spring 2001 ...managed to simulate the creative soul of Jellyfish's Spilt Milk with a fraction of the budget that Sturmer & Manning were given. -Kevin Matthews POWER OF POP December 15, 2000 Sparkwood explore a number of different sounds and styles here, they manage to bring a consistency to their music that makes for a strong signature sound. Part of the reason for this has to be Padar's vocal - one made for pure pop. 4 out of 5 stars - Claudio Sossi SHAKE IT UP January 2001 ...Padar has concocted a literate disc that deserves mention in the same breath with luminaries such as Fountains Of Wayne, Ben Folds Five and The Orange Peels. -Mike Bennett FUFKIN March 2001 'Marianne' rocks like a classic Cheap Trick song, while 'Trilogy I' with it's tangy, 4/4 piano line is reminiscent of Queen's 'Killer Queen' until it dives into a heavy 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' vibe that is absolutely powerful. -Scott Hudson POP MATTERS February 2001 This is a band that is almost too hip for it's own good....Music Lane, a REALLY catchy song that could become a top 40 hit the way it stays in your head (in a good way) -AUSTIN INSIGHT MAGAZINE September 2001 ...songs such as 'Marianne,' 'Ramie,' and 'Same As Before' practically leap out of the grooves, enveloping the listener with an engaging embrace that's impossible to ignore. -Lee Zimmerman ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY NEWS - Miami, Fl 2001 ...this engaging set boasts a punchy home-production and tangible sense of fun across it's fifteen tracks. Ramie, with it's suspiciously breezy account of death by road-accident, has an infectious optimism which infiltrates much on offer here, the jaunty interlude of Cockroach Stomp and the crunch of Marianne welcome asides for those uncomfortable among an abundance of sickly sweet melodies. - Matt Dornan Comes With A Smile #7 - Spring 2001 LONDON this Austin foursome is quite capable of standing on it's own merits. La La Crutch, sports impressively clean production... and Bart Padar has the songs and the voice to match... a very solid debut. -Jason Damas - AMG (All Music Guide) If you've been craving an inventive classic pop band, Sparkwood is my Christmas gift to you...will please any Beatles fan with it's Sgt. Pepper vibe. -Melissa Alexander DAILY TEXAN November 30, 2000.

1) Checklist
2) Miles Away
3) Cruel World
4) D
5) Past Experience
6) In Your Lovin' Arms
7) Ready for the Day
8) Where She Ought to Be
9) Wishing You Well
10) Nichole's Overture
11) Emergency
12) Glimpse of Hope
13) 3 Words