''Radio Down!'' is an EP

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

by American band

The Aquabats The Aquabats are an American rock band formed in Huntington Beach, California, in 1994. Throughout many fluctuations in the group's line-up, singer the MC Bat Commander and bassist Crash McLarson have remained the band's two constant fixtur ...

, released on November 9, 2010.

Overview

In early 2010, The Aquabats announced plans to release their next studio album by the end of the year, eventually confirming a tentative release date of November 9. After recording the album independently, the band signed a last-minute deal with Fearless Records, who agreed to distribute the album but suggested the release date be pushed to January 2011 to allow for proper marketing and promotion. Instead, an EP featuring the first single from the album and two non-album B-sides would be released in its place. ''Radio Down!'' was issued primarily through digital download, though a limited run of 2000 CDs printed with

DayGlo The Day-Glo Color Corp. (also styled as DayGlo) is a privately held American paint and pigments manufacturer based in Cleveland, Ohio. It was founded in 1946 by brothers Joseph and Robert Switzer and is currently owned by RPM International. It ...

ink was made available shortly afterwards and sold at the band's concerts and through their website.

Reception

Critical reception to ''Radio Down!'' was positive. ''

Alternative Press Alternative press may refer to: Individual publications * ''Alternative Press'' (magazine), an American music magazine Alternative journalism * Alternative media ** Alternative media (U.S. political left) ** Alternative media (U.S. political ri ...

'' described the EP's songs as "infectious" and "danceable", while ''The Marshalltown Chronicle'' summarized it as "fun

synthpop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s a ...

from right start to finish".

Sputnikmusic Sputnikmusic is an American music community website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites. The format of the website is unusual in that it includes both professional and amateur c ...

, though criticizing the EP's "overproduced and artificial" sound, awarded it a 3 out of 5 star rating, noting "''Radio Down!'' is everything you’d expect from the Aquabats: catchy and smile-inducingly charming". Upon release, ''Radio Down!'' debuted at number 10 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Singles Sales, a chart which measures sales of physical commercial singles.

Track listing

#"Radio Down!" (featuring

Biz Markie Marcel Theo Hall (April 8, 1964 – July 16, 2021), known professionally as Biz Markie, was an American rapper, singer, songwriter, DJ, and record producer. Markie was best known for his 1989 single "Just a Friend", which became a Top 40 hit in ...

) – 3:31 #"Best Day Of My Life!" – 3:14 #"Playin' It Cool!" – 3:36

Personnel

The Aquabats

The MC Bat Commander Christian Richards Jacobs (born January 11, 1972) is an American musician, television producer, and actor. He is perhaps most recognized as the co-creator of the award-winning Nick Jr. TV show ''Yo Gabba Gabba!'', on which he additionally serves ...

–

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

Crash McLarson Chad Albert Larson (born October 27, 1965) is an American musician, best known as the co-founder and bass guitarist for the Orange County rock band The Aquabats, in which he performs under the stage name and persona of Crash McLarson. From 2012 ...

– bass, backing vocals * Eagle "Bones" Falconhawk -

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

, backing vocals *

Jimmy The Robot Randall James Briggs, Jr. (born February 27, 1978), credited professionally as James R. Briggs, Jr., is an American musician, best known as the keyboardist for the California rock band The Aquabats, of which he has been a member since 1996 under ...

–

keyboards Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

, backing vocals * Ricky Fitness –

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...

, backing vocals

Additional musicians

–

rapping Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

on track 1 * Chainsaw, The Prince of Karate - additional guitars

References

{{The Aquabats The Aquabats albums 2010 EPs Fearless Records EPs