BingBong formed formed around their love for late-70s and early-80s guitar rock. Striving to revive the verve and the energetic power pop of that time, they’re heavily influenced by greats like Rockpile, The Pretenders, and The Smiths. BingBong’s raucous live shows — as witnessed by that blowout show at the storied Double Door in Chicago (2014) — speak to their ability to pack a larger venue with pure energy. Their local pub gigs yield a feeling of “Wow! I just witnessed something awesome!”

BingBong just released its debut album, Pop Restoration. It is a testament to the band’s philosophy that pop can, and should, ROCK! The record is meant to be played from start to finish. Album-Oriented Rock old school. BingBong recorded all analog, no intervening digital transfer, and released their debut album on vinyl first. They even mastered specifically for vinyl at a restored (and storied!) studio called Welcome to 1979 — where vacuum tubes still rule!

Press coverage of Pop Restoration has been ravingly positive.

Bob Koch of Isthmus writes, “BingBong has honed their guitar rock sound to a bright sheen.”

Kiki Schueler of Kiki’s House of Righteous Music states, “…There’s a timeless quality to these songs.” and “…it’s hard to pick favorites on a record this consistently listenable.”

Scott Gordon of Tone Madison writes, “…Barrett’s lead vocals achieve a similar balance of well-crafted, unforced melody and bite.”