If I were to combine NEIL YOUNG'S chunkiness with TOM VERLAINE'S oddball-pop vocal stylizing I might get something like Mr. Harrington. His wise-guy lyrics, use of accents and well developed song writing talents make me enjoy his music over and over. -- Don Campau (KKUP FM, Cupertino, Calif.) Feb. 1999 Visit www.globalserve.net/~tea for the latest info and music on Mark Harrington. [This message has been edited by T.E.A. (edited May 08, 1999).]
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The current state of commercial pop music can be summed up in single word - SPAM - pre-processed predictable scraps that are held together with a grotesque gelatinous substance. Thankfully in Canada there is a breath of fresh air - the Canadian independent music scene, and Toronto's Mark Harrington is at the forefront with his latest self produced release - "Trash Icon". Mark's 80's influence shines through in his very Peter Murphy-esque vocals and the cheesy synthesizers in "Eastern thought". Solid tracks prevail on Trash Icon such as "Chain Letter" and Blood Bond". We see a host of more mellow tunes on this release, with such gems such as "Empty Room" and "Tale of Two Cities". The album is not without humor, as we hear in tracks like the funny and twisted "The Three Legged Waltz" - laced with Clarinet and enough "umm-pa-pa" to have any German in the room up on the furniture dancing. Of course the Album also has a fabulous remake of the classic Gary Numan track "Cars", which Gary himself would be proud to call his own. On the whole, the album is a fabulous glimpse into the soul of an artist, sometimes funny, sometimes remorseful, but always entertaining! 
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"Catherine" now there is a song that hooks you in and has you humming throughout the day. A refreshing CD "Trash Icon" by Mark Harrington shines with a sense of humour which is lacking in many of todays top Independent and mainstream acts. His tongue and cheek humour is often mixed with a brashness that will snap you out of the day to day dulldrums and make you see things his way. Hats off to Harrington for this masterful CD. 
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...Harrington's humour needs several listens to be appreciated. As a writer, artist and appropriator of symbols (the cover has Apple's Trash Icon on it) the humour is more intelligent than, say, Dead Milkmen, nor is it as in your face. But his second album should grow on you like black mildew in a shower... While nothing on the album sticks out like a bad pun, "Chain Letter" is by far the most laughable. Matt Mernagh, Exclaim magazine. Aug. 1999
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