Madison Strays Lost In Photos (Independent) by Darren Paltrowitz	With the current success of Anglophile groups like Interpol, The Killers, and The Bravery, it would not be shocking if Madison Strays suddenly found themselves in the midst of an A&R frenzy.
After all, Madison Strays has recent gigs alongside Kaiser Chiefs, Elefant, and the aforementioned Bravery to its credit. And, impressively, the songs of Lost In Photos feature the production of Guns ‘N’ Roses guitarist Richard Fortus and Tim O’Heir (Superdrag, The All-American Rejects).

Dark yet poppy, the three songs of Lost In Photos have varying tempos, but all blend together with Rich Ragany’s guitar bursts, Dan Chen’s synth riffs, and Belvy’s slightly-digitized, faux-British vocals. While it would be difficult to pick out Madison Strays from a lot of the bands that regularly frequent the clubs of the Lower East Side, this five-piece does turn out lively, hooky music that is perfect for after-work consumption.

Photo by Adrienne Cohen

Madison Strays:
Belvy * vocals | Rich Ragany * guitar | Alexander Chow * bass
Alex Dzienga * keyboards | Joe Cingara * drums

If there is one complaint about this EP by comparison to the other nocturnal artists of this genre, it is that its upbeat stand-out of a track, “Grace,” is the disc closer. A song with the most hit potential of this set, “Grace” is the sort of track that ought to win over mainstream listeners with its danceable pulse of a rhythm. To each his own, perhaps…

While it is difficult to evaluate a band through a self-released demo, you would have to be jaded to not see the potential in Madison Strays, who already have achieved radio airplay (and a deal) in the U.K. Seeing as how The Strokes, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Instruction are three examples of New York bands that earned massive exposure in the U.K. before catching the time of day in their local industry, we could very well be looking at rock’s next big exports-turned-hometown heroes.

Madison Strays are going on a UK tour in May:

17 Metro
19 On the Rocks
20 The Barfly (with The Blood Arm)
22 Brixton Windmill
24 Camden Club Fandango @ Canaervan Castle
+ more dates TBA

Madison Strays' Website: www.madisonstrays.com

You Dig, You'll Dig:

The Bravery The Bravery	Elefant Sunlight Makes Me Paranoid	Instruction God Doesn't Care	The Killers Hot Fuss