A touch of cheatin' heart to a whole lot of rubber soul. The rootsy crunch of Americana, the heart of the rolling country hills meets the familiar Beatles-esque harmony and glow of shimmery power pop.

11 MP3 Songs
POP: Power Pop, POP: Beatles-pop



Details:
I'd like to say there's some deep philosophical meaning to this cd, but to be honest, boredom was my true motivation. Yep, there's nothing like sitting on the couch and sitting on the couch to inspire a new solo cd. Mandrew was recorded at my friend Jay's house, where I live and pay really cheap rent. The cd is an eclectic mix of melodic pop/rock and alt country with a bit of experimental instrumentation. That is, if you think things like Velcro, a soapy glass, ratchets, and a child's xylophone are experimental. I was also very fortunate to work with some of the finest songwriters in the Twin Cities (and Arizona). Dan Richmond (Ashtray Hearts), Brock Davis (Work of Saws), Mike Brady (Accident Clearinghouse, Mike Brady Trio, Florida, First Prize Killers and Mandrew), Tony Mogelson (Florida, First Prize Killers, Walker Kong and Mandrew), Peter Robelia (Florida, First Prize Killers, Walker Kong and Mandrew), Stephenie Winter (Autumn Leaves and Shebrews), Paul DesCombaz (First Prize Killers), Jeremy Ackerman (Walker Kong), and Patrick Andrew (PFR) all contributed and helped make this cd happen. Especially in terms of lyrics. I'm not so into lyrics. Unless I hate someone. Then I write really mean lyrics. So anyway, in case you're wondering who does what on the cd, Peter Robella is playing bass, Mike Brady is on drums, and Tony Mogelson is strumming guitar. Oh, and I'm the one singing. I'm Mike Andrew. And i play guitar, too. I like to sing. Sometimes I even sing about poop.

"Mandrew is the latest local offering from Martin Devaney's all things Americana imprint Eclectone Records. Featuring First Prize Killer guitarist Mike Andrew sliding into the front man role with backing from his FPK bandmates (and additional contributions from Twin Cities indie-rock stalwarts like Work of Saws' Brock Davis and Walker Kong's Jeremy Ackerman), Mandrew is a laid-back summertime pop record not too far removed from FPK's Powdery Parade, which means that it will be this year's perfect backing soundtrack to back porch beer swilling. That being said, the record is still surprisingly varied and ambitious for being the product of a relaxed home recording project. "Pick Up Your Floor" is a convincing spin on the kind of slight yet insidiously catchy indie-pop the Shins are riding to mass success. Elsewhere the band tries its hand at spacey country waltzes ("When Charity Fails") and fuzzed-out stomp rock ("The Classic Clues") with great success. In the end Mandrew is yet another instantly enjoyable yet surprisingly durable roots-flavored pop album from the Eclectone Records stable."

City Pages


"a touch of cheatin' heart to a whole lot of rubber soul."

Pulse


"a perfect summer pop delight"

Pioneer Press