Hands down, this is the best CD I've been sent to review so far. This band from Cambridge, Mass consists of Jaime d'Almeida, John Haydon, and Dave Zimmerman. fIVE dOLLAR mILKSHAKE (think of Pulp Fiction and you should get the name of the band) sounds like a mix of Counting Crows, Buffalo Tom, and The Rolling Stones. This CD is fun, upbeat, but, at times, is soft and melodic. The one constant with all 12 songs is the musicianship. Everything mixes really well, nothing sounds out of place. fdm reminds me of a band you go to see in a bar and before you know it, they're on the last set and you're thinking, "is it that late already?" My favorite songs on the CD were "Mass O Tunes", "Nada Novo", "Jenifer", "Dog ITMOB", and "C is for Crass", which may just be one of the best songs of the 90's. Everyone should have a copy of this CD, it's a must. (JJC) 
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Listening to this fine CD, I found myself flashing on Adam Duritz and Counting Crows, particularly the harder edged Recovering the Satellites album. That's not a bad deal, to be thinking of a band like that whilst drinking in this band -- it reflects five dollar milkshake's roots rock sound -- but so many bands don't take the sound much further than what a jaded critic might chalk up as a pleasant but derivative take on the norm. But as I listened to the CD again and again I found that this Boston-based band has its own identity for sure -- there's wit, humor, even some homespun heartland countrified emotion. There's also a quirky, punky edge that shouldn't be overlooked. It all comes down ultimately (and as usual) to the songwriting. There's no substitute for good, diverse, solid songwriting, and this band delivers the goods. All this wrapped in appealing but not overly slick DIY production. There's some great sounding hammond organ backing up the core guitar/drums/bass trio of Jaime d'Almedia, Dave Zimmerman, and John Haydon. Let's cut to the chase. This one's a keeper. Essential rock and roll, especially for those of old enough to be steeped in earthy 70's rock. Keep an eye glued to these up and comers. j. esch 
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