Clem Burke’s Split Squad

This is the story of five men who’ve been there and done that – from the Bowery to the Arctic Circle, from countless dive bars to one of the landmarks of baseball – and when they had done it all, well, they went out and did it again. And again after that. And when they finally stopped to catch their breaths, they saw each other and said let’s get together ... and do it again! 

The Split Squad, founded in 2011, is one of the finest all-star teams you might never have heard before. They don’t get together too often, as, hey, they have these other gigs, too. But when they do unite, watch out! Five fingers of a closed fist. 

Now, in 2022, they’re back with Another Cinderella, their first full-length album since their 2013 debut, Now Hear This… (In between was 2018’s The Showstopper EP, which spawned an Underground Garage Coolest Song in the World, “Stop Me (If You’ve Heard This One Before)”.) This generation of Cinderella Men can take a punch and give one back that’s just as hard, if not harder. And they skillfully mix up a variety of punches. They come to the center of the ring in a hurry and a flurry of relentless power-pop beats (“Hey DJ,” “Another Cinderella” and “Sinking Ship”), rope-a-dope with some deep-fried blues (“Palpitation Blues”), counter with psychedelia (“Taxi Cab” and “Bigger Than Heroin”), then unload a romper-stomper (“Invisible Lightning”), assault you with a combo of late-‘60s-style soulful rock (“Showstopper” and “Trying to Get Back to My Baby”), a jab of ‘70s hard rock (“Not My Monkeys”), set you up with a gentle ballad (“As Bright as You Are”) before catching you and sending you to the canvas with a full-on uppercut to the jaw (“Hey (Soul) DJ”). A TKO.