The Mr. Atlas of Indie Rock-98 lb Weakling

Artist: 98 lb Weakling
Title: Berlin
Format: CD EP
Genre: Rock
Label: Sovereign Artists

This band is the exact opposite of their name. The typical 98 lb Weakling that gets sand kicked in his face courtesy of Mr. Atlas, illustrated in their cartoon on the band’s site, goes home and puts on a 98 lb Weakling record (an album not a CD). He returns to the beach all dressed up looking cool then takes his guitar and smashes it over the bullies head, end of story, he gets all the babes, happy ending.

That is fact and fiction in some lives. In today’s world, there are hundreds of bands competing for your ear every day. So the key is to do something different to make you unique, to attract as much attention as possible. Well for starters, let’s make this EP an exclusive digital download on ITunes. Berlin is just that. Now how about getting your best kick ass tune on TV with new reality show, they are doing that with "Live Forever" on a show called The Gym. Ok, let’s set up a deal with Cingular for a download of the music as well. It looks like just about all the mediums for distributing music are in line for this band right out of the gate, very smart. On January 1, 2006, the EP will be available to most online retailers Navarre distributes to completing the final step in making this band a name you will never forget. This is like public relations 101; it is what separates the Mr. Atlas’s of music from the scrawny weaklings on the beach.

In six songs, 98 lb Weakling show why they will become one of the next heavyweights of rock. A good PR machine is critical but you have to offer a good product to be successful. They do. I enjoyed every track; from the cynical opener "American Jew" to balls to the wall "Live Forever" this band is crackin’ the whip non-stop. "Don’t Speak French" is a quickie but very good, it’s a pop oriented tune that rocks right along and has the perfect run time to get spins at a radio station, although "Live Forever" is the track that is going get this band the recognition it deserves. The rest of the EP stands up well too. While they get the job done by offering listeners just a taste of the future, I can bet you that this CD will be getting plenty of spins before we see a full-length album.

© Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck-http://www.muzikreviews.com

October 4, 2005

1. American Jew (3:05)
2. Hours (3:56)
3. Don't Speak French (2:40)
4. Great New Wonderful (3:24)
5. Live Forever (3:14)
6. Even Though (4:04)

Rating-8/10

Credits:

Eric Fleishman - Lead vocals, guitar
Joerg Kohring - Guitar
Chris Northrop - Drummer
Nate King - Bass