Hard hitting thick pop/rock from New York's The Plastic Fantastics. This is the band's first release...and it's a keeper. Beginning with the incredibly catchy refrain of "God Damn Radio," the band instantly grabs their audience by the balls. Headed by singer/songwriter lionel Cohen, the band's technology-rich hard sound sounds something like a cross between Nine Inch Nails and Love and Rockets. The tunes feature heavy synthesizers, crazy guitars, and an even heavier rock beat...and vocals that will most certainly drive listeners into a frenzy.

New York City based rock outfit The Plastic Fantastics are setting course to conquer glam rock like Queen never truly did. With music that’s part neo-punk and glam rock, they are likely to stick out in a crowded city music scene even as big as New York’s.

The Plastic FanTastics The Plastic FanTastics DNA Productions The debut release by this New York City band is equal parts synth pop, punk rock and glam sleaze. There are strong hints of Marilyn Manson on songs such as "God Damn Radio" and "So Far Away" while "With You Inside Me" is very reminiscent of The Jesus And Mary Chain. "Sorry I Killed You" is almost like a dark, electro-tinged update of the Guns N' Roses classic "Used To Love Her" and "Untitled 97" sounds like The Cure if Robert Smith had gone industrial rock instead of mope pop. The EP closes with "Never Go Away," a song that sounds like something Trent Reznor forgot to include on Nine Inch Nails' The Fragile. Definitely an impressive debut from a band capable of mixing up its influences without ever sounding completely like any one of them.

The Plastic FanTastics    by LaTasha Currell After listening to The Plastic FanTastics first LP your first question might be, "Will my ears ever stop ringing?" The answer is yes: eventually. The Plastic FantTastics blend punk and hard rock with a slightly softer industrial sound to make their self-titled debut album enjoyable and migraine inducing, all at the same time. Band members Lionel Cohen and Yuval Lieblich, along with Clifton Hyde, met in New York and have been together since 2002. Cohen, 29, was born in France and raised in Canada while the other international member, Lieblich, is from Israel. Hyde is from Mississippi, which must make the Plastic FanTastics the most diverse band mates in history -- and it shows in their music. More than a blending of different genres, The Plastic FanTastics jump from sound to sound and give a little taste of everything. But there are no accidental slips into pop on this album, and The Plastic FanTastics don’t give into the pressure to have a radio hit. Their music is a drink of cool water after a long thirst. So much music today is missing the purity of sound and instead is processed for radio consumption -- it's all just friendly pop masquerading as punk rock. Tweens absolutely adore Good Charlotte and their partners in crime, but good, popular music is becoming exceedingly rare. So it’s encouraging to hear a band like The Plastic FanTastics, who have a unique sound and even a catchy tune or two like "God Damn Radio" and "Never Go Away." What makes a band better than the songs they play is the lead singer, of course. Lead singer Cohen has a smoldering, masculine voice, not the winy emo sound of some of the best bands out right now. It’s that sexy Jim Morrison croon, but no picture of Lionel is available yet. If he is the prodigal cutie of rock, The Plastic FanTastics have a shot at actually getting one of those tunes played on the radio. If not, this is still a band you can have fun with. The album is a little short, only six tracks, but it doesn’t let up the whole way through. There are a few hints of lost rock stars in Cohen’s voice and lyrics (he could possibly be channeling Trent Reznor on their fourth track, "Sorry I Killed You", which is also my pick for best song of the album for that very reason), but he redeems himself in the melodies and steady, heavy guitar. Overall, it's a unique album with a unique sound. Now remember, The Plastic FanTastics are not sticking to one sound, so as head-banging as track one is, track five lulls and hums. That shouldn’t be a problem with these guys though, because they do music bipolarity well. The one big problem you will have with the band? Saying their name three times fast. Click here to see and hear the band! ========== LaTasha Currell is a journalism and political science major at San Francisco State University. She is a staff writer on the SF State Xpress newspaper.