Band: Mad Science Fair Album: ...For a Better Tomorrow First Impression: Radio-Friendly Album in One Word: Anthemic Sounds Like: Foo Fighters Makes Me Feel: Like watching Singles Why this Band is Unique: Though they fall into the basic post-grunge trap, they have neat guitar solos and solid vocals. Who Would Like This Album: Pearl Jam-aholics who prefer their grunge icons sans flannel and long grimy hair. Recommended Song: The World I Want While Nirvana is often hailed as the most influential band of the nineties, it might be that, in fact, the Foo Fighters have left the largest mark on the bands that followed. Mad Science Fair follows in the tradition of these "post-grunge" groups, delivering stadium-ready Gen X anthems along with a few slower numbers. While the first three songs are somewhat forgettable, the fourth track, "Low Level Radiation," is an early standout. Ballady in pacing, the song is a nicer, more subdued exploration of the themes of the earlier tracks but the quality of the vocals changes from a Dave Grohl-esque shout-sing to a smoother, indie-poppish croon. The next song, "Shimmy Shammy," is even better, seemingly owing a debt to R.E.M., but managing to sound very original in its own right. Unfortunately, save for the cheeky and irony-tinged mash-up of "Green Day vs. Weezer," the next four tracks are rather forgettable forays into typical post-grunge territory. "Leave Me Alone" is especially uninspiring and "Retro Anthem" doesn't do the album a great deal of good either. The final song, "The World I Want," is, strangely, the star track of the album. Mad Science Fair takes a detour into some experimental Brit-Rock and come back with a great song featuring a ripcord guitar solo that brings to mind images of Johnny Greenwood playing "My Iron Lung." All in all, the album isn't terribly impressive, but does have its moments. When Mad Science Fair hits their stride they are a neat, little post-grunge outfit. All of the songs on ...For a Better Tomorrow were written by Mike Clayton. The band is based out of Champaign, Illinois and can be reached at their website, www.madsciencefair.com. (Dan Moore)