CONTINENTAL DRIFT
Billboard, September 18, 1999
BY LARRY FLICK


WHAT'S HAPPEN-'ING'? How do some bands come up with their names? Hard to say,
though some names don't always help a marginal band's cause. Fortunately, the
San Francisco-based Ing is so good that one can forgive the oh-so-silly
moniker.


Lead by the charismatic Sean Mylett, the acoustic-pop quartet is earning
well-deserved raves for "Liberty," a stellar, self-made CD that conjures up
such pleasant, cross-pollinated mental images as Pink Floyd collaborating
with R.E.M. and Simon & Garfunkel jamming with the Smiths-but with enough
fresh, original vibes to keep the band from dissolving into a well of
overpowering influences.


The nicely woven harmonies of Mylett and guitarist (and group co-founder)
Mark Smotroff are a key element of each of the disc's seven fine songs-with
bassist Nick Ulman and drummer Chris Brown providing the skin-tight rhythms
needed to keep the material from wallowing in folk-induced dross. The lads
gather to make contagious cuts like "Confusion" and "Drop" cook with
radio-friendly grease.


Clearly, we're not alone in this assessment, given the attention of such
tastemaking local college radio stations as KUSF and KALX. More recently,
leading San Francisco commercial rock outlet KFOG has picked the cheeky track
"Lux Radio" (which playfully debunks the allure of phone sex) to be included
in its indie music program, "Local Anesthetic." Needless to say, several
major labels have wisely started to sniff around the band.


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