“When in Rome”
from the album Exposition
2006
iTunes
MP3 – “When in Rome” [right-click/save-as]
If the members of the Mars Volta shaved their ‘fros and somehow convinced people that they were actually from the planet Earth, they’d probably sound a lot like Chicago’s Wax On Radio. Under the guidance of bombastic lead singer and guitarist Mikey Russell, the band fuses progressive rock with a liberal dose of nuanced postpunk, and its debut full-length, Exposition, shows a band headed in the right direction. But the real joy here isn’t the detailed musicianship or soaring vocals — it’s the elaborate storytelling that harks back to the better days of Yes or, sometimes, Pink Floyd. Sure, their hair isn’t quite as cool, but musically, Wax On Radio might just be a contender for dethroning prog’s reigning kings.