Music BIZ Magazine   Mannix by Joey Alkes July/August 1999   The former lead singer for the defunct N.Y.C. cult band Oral Groove, Joe Mannix writes diverse, strong and hooky material for his electric four piece guitar band. Despite an impressive following for O-Groove, time ran out for them in January '98, and now Joe's back at square one, accompanied by partner inspired OG stickman Chris Peck. Their ability to weave some of the best New York to London pop influences (Everlys-Beatles-Hollies) has re-mobilized the tough fan base of many of the Apple's most in-the-know music fans, critics and professionals to their corner. Stretching his vocal style from Donald Fagan's (Steely Dan) to Elvis Costello's with material that reflects a considerable poetic education and post-modern pop arrangements associated with bands like Soul Asylum and the Rembrandts, has landed the quartet Caleb Southern, the Ben Folds Five producer, for their next CD and an acoustic stint opening up for Hall & Oates. As arch-critic Jim Santo of Alternative Press says, "Mannix is sticking to the-inspired pop-rock that brought him to the brink of breakthrough once before. And why not? Nobody does it better than Joe."