This coming Monday, I’m finally getting to see 90’s power-pop rockers Marvelous 3 live, as they are playing their first two nights in Los Angeles in ‘I don’t know how long’. I’ve been a big fan of the Butch Walker-led group for years, though for many years, their third album ReadySexGo was not available on streaming services. I even asked Butch Walker about it when I had the chance to speak with him at the Howie Pyro benefit show at the Troubadour, where he told me it was just a matter of him finding the time to get it up.
Thankfully, that time didn’t take long, as soon the excellent follow-up to the group’s break-out album was up on streamers, giving me easy access to great songs like “SugarBuzz”, “Get Over” and one of my favorites “Radio Tokyo”.
“Radio Tokyo” is 100% pure anthem. Opening with a lovely piano melody reminiscent of Queen, the track then goes into a crazy guitar freakout before swelling into a grandiose stadium-sized melody. Walker does his best Freddie Mercury, from a delicate falsetto to a smashing gang chorus of “Calling radio Tokyo, the kings are feeling way too low”. If they play this one at the Teragram on Monday, it will blow the roof off (for me at least).
Throwback to this jam here, and if you’re at their show on Monday night, say hi if you see me!
September 29th Update: They played “Radio Tokyo”!
The Indy Review 