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THE BRANDED

ROOTSY.NU MAGAZINE

Yeaah! Sveriges nya garagekungar ger oss ett debutalbum som levererar
allt man vill ha av ett stils√§kert, men √§nd√• tillr√§ckligt
icke-nostalgiskt retroband ‚Äì husv√§ltande gitarrgnissel, sn√§sig
grottmanss√•ng, maximalsv√§ng och garanterat manschauvinistiska texter.
Troggs, Namelosers och Bo Diddley √§r de givna ledorden i det h√§r
slammerkrysset, men influenserna √§r s√• skickligt dissekerade och
sammanfogade att man l√§tt dansar sig svettig framf√∂r grammofonen.

Jaa!
Sweden‚Äôs new garage kings gives us a debut album that delivers
everything you want from a style-consious, but yet not nostalgic
retroband ‚Äì demolishing guitarscreaching, snotty caveman singing,
maximum grooving and guaranteed male chauvinistic lyrics. Troggs,
Namelosers and Bo Diddely are key words in this Fuzz -crossword puzzle,
but their influences are so cleverly dissected and reconstructed that
you will find yourself sweating and dancing in front of the gramophone

Review by Lennart Persson for Rootsy.nu magazine
http://www.rootsy.nu/bastjustnu.php?id=3

SOUNDFLAT, GERMANY

The premium Swedish rhythm'n'booze combo is back with their second vinyl 45, a killer two-set of that ravin' r&b garage punk that makes the kids jump and shout! And me old man, too! Believe me, you have to see this band live, they are a perfect party three-piece! Incl. The Branded are ready to conquer the world! You don't believe me? Well, have a listen to their soon to be classic "You Got the Hurt" and you'll know what I mean. A 45 you must have...okay?

ELECTRIC ROULETTE

Malm√∂ may not make you think of snotty fuzz ‚Äì as Sweden is generally more famous for the likes of Ace of Base ‚Äì but if you ask The Branded who the hell Ace of Base are, they just shrug, snigger and whack you round the head with a big simple fist. This is my kinda groop. The Branded don't ever eat. They just listen to records by The Yardbirds, Count Five and The Sonics. They don't do anything else. This has left them gaunt and slightly cabbaged. Thankfully, this state of ill repair has produced a back pocket full of great singles that strut like a damaged peacock. You gotta love that huh?

The Branded (called so because when they were born, they lit up cigarettes and burned themselves as their newly born little fingers were still full of amniotic fluid and couldn't keep a good hold on Satan's weed) have got a new 45 out by the name of "You Got The Hurt", an up-tempo stomper with fuzz and distorto vox talkin' about some gal who done 'em wrong. Why is it that every girl in the world wants to hurt garage-rock's finest?

If being down brings tunes like the flipside, "I Can't Stand It", then boy, looking through the back pages, happiness brings things like "Mull of Kintyre". I know where I'm-a-headin'. It's depression all the way baboid! "I Can't Stand It" has long black hair... and hell... probably has a really long car that spits out acrid plumes that choke all who have "tried to make a fooooool of meeee".

You maybe thinking that this review has told you nuthin'. You're wrong. If you're the kind of knucklehead that loves tails of rejection via fuzz, then this 45 needs a home and a hug from a like mind. Buy this, place it next to your 45s by The Sonics. They may not know each other yet, but they'll get along just fine.

d3o

SOUNDFLAT, GERMANY

Great band from Portugal with a stunning mix of rock'n'roll, garage and blues, all topped by a great singer &and loud loud guitars. Sounding a bit like Sweatmaster or Sewergrooves played by Muddy Waters!

THE VIPERS

SOUNDFLAT, GERMANY

Not to be mixed up with the '80s garage band, this combo hails from Manchester and is ready to let your speakers explode with their loud and raw turbo-rawk! A two song kick in the face, with hard-paced guitars, a wailing bassline and a singer that eats live rabbits! The b-side even has some surf-influences, but explodes after a while in a bursting punk-rock hit tune!

MANCHESTER MUSIC
Single of the Week: Look at the picture cover. That's my face after extensively smashing my face against the wall as this track took over brain and bent it in half. Driving, forceful, genuine punk rock with two savage basses tearing at the leash like two hell hounds. The orderly guitar stabs go off like a well timed battery of three inch guns and singer Nathan cooks the whole thing in a big steam driven oven with the heat setting set to "hate". Fuck I love this. If that wasn't enough, the blood soaked b-side is a surfing heavy rock twang with deadpan vocal lines, that holds everything back until the chorus goes off in your face like a skip full of illegally imported fireworks. Officially one of the most powerful rock and roll bands in Manchester right now ‚Äì if you don't believe me stand in front of one of their amps and I'll happily mop up the blood coming out of your ears.

VINDICATED!

SOUNDFLAT, GERMANY
This is, to be honest, one of the best "tribute" albums we've heard in ages! All, except for one track, just pure and simple killers! Twenty-three great bands each cover a classic Fleshtones song. Handsome Dick Manitoba and the Nomads, Los Chicos, The Maggots and many more.

MUCK AND THE MIRES

SOUNDFLAT, GERMANY
Finally a 45 by our fave garage beat band! On the great Dirty Water Label from London comes this great three-track EP including three of the best tracks off their second CD-only album "Beginners Muck". All this housed in a great cartoon cover. You'll love it!

THE PRISCILLAS

YAHOO MUSIC
For a gang of ladies who want to "rock'n'roll all night and party every day", there nonetheless beats a romantic heart at the centre of The Priscillas' day-glo world. For sure, all of the band's hallmarks are present and correct - riffs so crunching, hard-driven and downright filthy that even The Hives would break out in‚Ä¶er‚Ä¶hives, the sassy, switchblade smiles, Jackie O's make-up tips and the Russ Meyer-approved proportions. But this tale of super-powered true love is as deliciously soppy as it is enervating. The sense of fun created by The Priscillas is writ large over Superhero's 240 seconds and those who find tales of teeth flossing and tea making delivered in a third rate glottal accent acting as a form of rock'n'roll kryptonite are advised to make with all haste to this three-chord Metropolis for an extended stay. Up, up and away!

EVOLVER (Germany) [Rough summary translation below]
Next to these girls The Pipettes look like good teenagers! But when it comes to charm, both girl-groups are equal! ... You crawl out of your bed, and before you get it going, you have this one song in your mind and on your lips. And you even have no idea how this damn song got control of your mind... Sometimes things happen and you never understand why. This happened to The Klaxons when they saw their seven-Inch single "It's Not Over Yet" pressed with the wrong tune on the b-side. They found out it was "Y.O.Y." by The Priscillas but nobody knows how it happened... This is a great tune, powerful guitars and a sound like The Runaways.And the girls in fact looked like a street dog version of the named bands. And their names: Jenny Drag, Guri Go-Go, Kate Kannibal and Hege Hotpants ‚Äì this sounds like they are witches. And, in fact, they do have a love of dark surroundings and zombies. Of course their first mini-hit was called "All My Friends Are Zombies". And a girl named Priscilla would always be either a member of the Munsters family or wife of Elvis Presley, which is exactly the same... On their new single The Priscillas have, of course, no Klaxons song. Their secret weapon, "Y.O.Y.", is a great track but not as catchy as "superhero", which has a simple New York Dolls riff and a perfect melody... The essence is that I love these pearls made of pink trash. And even though, I know, the band did not invent this sound ‚Äì the guitars have been played like this by The Ramones before them ‚Äì the melody of "Superhero" makes me sing along

NME

Klaxons' Mystery B-side Revealed: The mystery of the track that sneaked onto a Klaxons B-side has been revealed. As previously reported, 500 copies of the limited edition seven-inch version of 'It's Not Over Yet' was pressed with one side playing the single and the flipside featuring a unique etching. However, instead of an etching it was actually a mystery song. NME.COM can now reveal the song was 'Y.O.Y' by London girlband The Priscillas. A mysterious statement says: "The girls are just as baffled as to how the track got there. Maybe some magic or mysterious forces have been in action? ..a superhero perhaps?" Speaking to NME.COM the band said: "Some fans emailed us. We didn't believe them. We still don't. "We're all fans of the boys. It's weird - that song seems to be the reverse of a cursed song. It's a blessed song." Mysterious forces perhaps, although the fact they waited to claim their song as their own until the week (August 20) the track was released as the B-side of the track 'Superhero' suggests otherwise.

THE DAILY STAR
Klaxons Outfoxed: [Photo] These are the four rock goddesses who foxed their way onto a Klaxons single. Anglo-Scando rockers The Priscillas' track Y.O.Y. is on the b-side of a limited-edition version of It's Not Over Yet. Guitarist Guri, 27, told me, "Mysterious forces were in action at the pressing." She added, "The boys said the recording sessions were a bit of a blur so they didn't even notice." You can also hear Y.O.Y. on the b-side of the Priscillas' Superhero.

ISLINGTON GAZETTE
It's a Kind of Magic! Mystery as girl band's song ends up on Klaxons record: A girl band from Holloway has been thrown into the limelight after a mix up saw one of their tunes released on the latest single from international stars the Klaxons. Around 500 copies of the Klaxons' limited edition seven-inch singles were intended to have a unique etching placed upon them when they were released last month. But an error at the pressing plant meant that the record actually featured the song Y.O.Y. from the b-side of the new single Superhero, by Holloway-based rock'n'roll girls the Priscillas. Jenny Drag, vocalist for the Priscillas, said: "We had no idea that had happened. We only found out when fans contacted us on the internet. But we're happy to share a single with the Klaxons - it can only be good for the band. She added, "If we had to share a record with anyone I would say Elvis. It's a hard question because there's so much to choose from, but Elvis would be good. But I think we're happy with the Klaxons for now - we think they'e great." The Priscillas latest single Superhero was released on local label Dirty Water Records, which is affiliated with the club night of the same name at The boston in Tufnell Park. A spokesman for Dirty Water Records said, "Maybe some magical or mysterious force have been in action. A superhero helping out perhaps?" Simon Taylor of the Klaxons laid the blame closer to home but didn't rule out the work of some sort of supernatural influence. "I like the idea that there is some sort of magic behind it. Maybe there is."

SHINDIG!
On 'Superhero' London all-girl band The Priscillas successfully blend elements of pop, punk, garage and rock'n'roll. Their hybrid works, as the song has a catchy tune with smart lyrics, sung in a clean, bright style. When The Priscillas emphasise the pop elements in their musical mixture they hit the spot. When the band veer in a more punk direction, as on the B-side, 'Y.O.Y.', they are less impressive. Concentrate on the sparky pop and ease off on the predictable punk, girls!

LYRES

SOUNDSXP.COM
North London's Dirty Water Club time travels to 1979 for its third single release, a reissue of the debut Lyres' single. For those who don't know, Lyres are a great Boston band and real ‚Äúchildren of Nuggets‚Äù, whose sound is driven by Jeff Conolly's frantic keyboards. ‚ÄòHow Do You Know?' takes a bitter swipe at the tastemakers (his former band DMZ had just gone tits-up after being screwed around by some major label): ‚Äúpeople tell me I'm going places / I feel like singin' / 'how do you know?'‚Äù. But the highlight of the single is the incredible ‚ÄòDon't Give It Up Now' with its tough, grungy garage rock riffs with echoes of The Seeds and Kenny & The Casuals. You say ‚Äòretro' - I say ‚Äòtimeless'.

RECORD COLLECTOR
So what's wrong with being behind the times? It's what this column is all about anyway. Picture it, it's 1979 and flummoxed by the downfall of a promising punk rock career with intended teen idols DMZ group leader Jeff Conolly slows down the pace and fully embraces his love of 1960s garage. His newly formed group Lyres cared little for the new wave or trying to fit in and on their debut came off sounding like a collision between the Ramones and Kenny & the Kasuals. Now regarded as a garage classic, Don't Give It Up Now is somewhat like a bacon sarnie in that two simple ingredients are topped off with the perfect brown sauce (in this case, a shrill Vox Continental organ, some throbbing rhythm guitar and a soul wrenched vocal). Simple and very satisfying! This debut 45 is proof that musical trends will never eradicate rock and roll!

ISLINGTON GAZETTE
Rare music
The record label of an Islington club night is releasing the first in a series of rare records from years gone by. Dirty Water Records, which is part of the weekly Dirty Water Club at the Boston on Junction Road, Tufnell Park, is re-issuing the debut tracks from 1979 of garage-rock band Lyres, How Do You Know? and Don't Give It Up Now, as part of its Excavated Artifacts series. In the past ten years the club has played host to top bands from around the world, including the White Stripes.

RUMBLE SKUNK MAGAZINE
The original pressing of the first Lyres 7-inch came out in 1979 on Sounds Interesting in a limited edition of 200 copies and in 1991 Impossible Records reissued this 45 again! Of course, both releases are very hard to find right now (if my memory serves me well, a long time ago Norton Records sold via mail-order a coupla copies of the original pressing for $25!). The Dirty Water official reissue comes with different cover (and includes an insert with lyrics), and both tracks remastered, in February 2007 at M-Works, Boston by Pokemonojeff & Jonathan Wyner. Grab this garage masterpiece while you can, put it on your turntable, turn up the volume, salute a couple of beers as well, float back in the early'n'glory garage days and let the garage punk mayhem begin! (S.P.)

SHINDIG!
Brand new reissue of one of garage rock'n'roll's best 45s ever. Boston's Lyres issued this back in 1979 on Sounds Interesting, run by future Arf! Arf! label chief Erik Lindgren and Chip Lamey. The disc has always been a rare-to-find artefact in its original format, complete with the monochromatic paper picture cover, showing the band onstage when they opened for reunited Texas '60s garage punks Kenny And The Kasuals.

For the benefit of those who don't already know it, this is one mean and mighty double-sider and rates as one of this band's crowning glories ‚Äì of which there are many! From the fade-in ‚ÄòDon't Give It Up Now' is an unrelenting three minutes plus, propelled along by a great three-chord motif that holds you spellbound. ‚ÄòHow Do You Know' introduces their trademark use of chunky tremelo-powered guitar that shows up throughout their first (and greatest) LP On Fyre and beyond.

This line-up of the group included Rick Carmel on guitar, Paul Murphy on drums, Rick Coraccio on bass and Jeff Conolly on organ and lead vocals. Both songs have an autobiographical feel lyrically, alluding to the experiences of the recently broken-up DMZ group, who numbered Conolly (as Mono Mann), Murphy and Coraccio among their ranks, and were signed to Sire record. And in Jeff Conolly, Lyres had (and still have) a singer with a truly great voice; he can yell and scream with the best of them, or be pure heartfelt rock'n'roll with soul.

Artistic licence alert: Pokemonojeff (Jeff Conolly) (who remastered the songs especially for this release to give it a punchier feel even than the original version) has played about with the lyrics for ‚ÄòDon't Give It Up Now' and ‚ÄòHow Do You Know?' as printed up on the insert, which at times bear no relation to what was sung on the actual record. So do be careful when you are singing along kids! I'm sure the original lyric to ‚ÄòDon't Give It Up Now' went something like: ‚Äúmy nose was in the air, my head was in the clouds but now they're grey‚Ä¶‚Äù. These have been substituted for ‚Äúmy nose was into blow, my head was in the clouds and heroin was always gay‚Äù.

Well, we can forget that shit and just get on with cranking this sucker up, both sides mind, and when you've finished playing it, drop the needle at the start and repeat, repeat, repeat. Your life will surely be enriched by far with the whole experience. Let's hope the girls are gonna dig it enough this time around. Don't delay, buy, beg, borrow or steal for it today.

THEE EXCITERS

NME
Garage gnashers make kit-off brilliant record
Conforming to the rule that any band who spell "The" with two "e"s will always be beer-soaked garage rockers (see also: Thee Headcoats, Thee Shams), the second single from Thee Exciters comprises four songs, each more beer-soaked and garage-rockin' than the last. Fittingly for a band whose singer has a reputation for on-stage nudity, the likes of "Ugly Face" and "Things Ain't Right" are the kind of songs that in the unlikely event that they woke up one morning as dogs would be muzzled, or at the very least made to wear one of those funny plastic cones around their heads to stop them chewing their own balls. An oblique recommendation, yes, but we're standing by it.

LOWCUT (Denmark)
These Brit beatstompers almost created a thermonuclear meltdown at the Club Ruse in Copenhagen in January, and now they're kind enough to send me their second single, on the label from the guys who run the √ºber cool Dirty Water Club in London. Four slabs of nitty gritty 60s garage punk, that oughta cream the pants of any owner of the Nuggets box. A groovy, hipshakin' bastardization of the first Them album copulated with the energy of The Shadows of Knights, a track like "Things Ain't Right" is the Count Five reborn. But they ain't completely lost in the art of retrofication, since they infused a lotta punk attitude in their tunes. FanFUCKINtastic! Righteous strip-me-naked-and-paint-me FUZZ RAWK! Forget the Arctic Monkeys, and dial "E" for Exciters if you want your rock'n'roll party to kick some booty, baby!
Lowcut rating 5/5

MOJO
Second release on the label of north London hangout the Dirty Water Club, this Anglo-Swedish band's four tracker is shot through with a raging garage scuzz that is only properly realised on black plastic. Songs tell of being driven wild by young women, wanting to start a riot and, on "Ugly Face", a lousy attitude. When vocalist Paul Le-Brock howls "I hate your ugly face" you know the band mines the Nuggets motherlode. If this is your kind of thing, a deep sense of well-being awaits.

SHINDIG!
Well I'm not going to say anything bad about the product of two ex-members of The Nuthins am I? Lee (the guitarist) sang with my old band in the early days and contributed some fine songs, as well as directing us all well and truly on the path to garagedom. And Rich (the drummer) has played with me for years and years. But, hey, Dirty Water aren't going to want to use my reminiscences for their press kit are they? So let's cut to the review... Wow! I enjoyed the first Exciters 45 but this follow up builds on the dirtiest side of Pebbles with a dose of The Stooges and even The Saints. This is garage rock with balls - though let's not lower the tone and call it punk. Think more along the lines of The Bold on a bender or The Q65 on uppers and cheap whiskey. No marks for subtlety or politeness then! But The Exciters gain honours in unabated rock and roll. Cool production from Bruce Brand and Ed Deegan at London's Gizzard studio.

THE DIRTY

KERRANG!
Throwing some seriously - um - dirty , garage-rock sounds your way, here come The Dirty. Discordant, catchy and 83 sleaze-infested, gutter-trawling seconds long. Lovely.

THE FACE
They've played just eight gigs, but have already developed a "complicated relationship" with their audience, who have a hard time keeping up with their careering blues-rock: "Some love it, some feel like they've been made the butt of our joke." We love it. Singer Kyrill was born in Russia and likes drinking vodka for breakfast. Listen to: first single, "Cinnamon (Why, I Think It's Love)", out 20th October [2004] on Dirty Water Records.

OOR MAGAZINER (Netherlands)
Now, this one is worthy of your full attention. A nearly old-fashioned, corroded, Childish-like band plays a completely stripped, Kinks-like composition, with a Who approach and an insanely rampant vocalist with a hint of Free in his larynx. "Cinnamon (Why, I Think It's Love)" instantly shreds to pieces every expectation you start to feel during this song. Ditto for the flipside. What can I say? The Dirty rock like fuck! Not only do they take you by surprise, they smack you right in the face.

SHINDIG!
Most suitable: the newly launched Dirty Water record label (run by those good chaps from the London club of the same name) debut with a 45 by a new London group with a moniker not a million miles away from their own. And yes, it's a suitable description. The Dirty, in typically current style, shake up a pile of sounds from yesteryear to forge their own disgruntled, primitive rock. Like the Xmas present you've been waiting on, the best of the three songs comes last: "B-Movie Dance" rides the riff of The Omen's 1966 garage punk classic "Searching" (which I doubt the trendy young muso-journos will pick up on) with a distinctly Asheton guitar break, whilst singer Kyrill gives the perfect proto-punk pissed off Americanised vocal. If this music continues to be the BIG thing The Dirty may well be high achievers.

ROUGH TRADE on-line
The first release on the Dirty Water Club's in-house label is a three song garage punk assault from The Dirty, coming on like Ian Sevonius fronting a pissed off Mudhoney. This makes all the right (in the red) noises. Great!

NORMAN RECORDS on-line
Grungey stoner garage single of the week comes from The Dirty. "Cinnamon" eats most of these blues pretenders for breakfast in "real rock" terms and lasts approximately one minute. This is good for two reasons: 1. It isn't Jet; 2. It rocks like Mudhoney and isn't Kings Of Leon.

RECORD COLLECTOR
The singer is called Kyrill, which we think is pretty cool, not to mention very rock'n'roll. We wonder if The Dirty have possibly toyed with the idea of losing their bassist at some point - coming as they do from a burgeoning garage scene that emits from the Dirty Water club (and now label). Spunky, punky and riotous (sorry that last bit didn't rhyme).

LOWCUT (Denmark)
Name your songs ‚ÄúCinnamon (Why, I Think It's Love)‚Äù, ‚ÄúBlack Sugar‚Äù, and ‚ÄúB-Movie Dance‚Äù, and it's pretty obvious you're not out to revolutionize rock'n'roll. London quartet The Dirty, however, have their hopes set high on rock'n'roll fame/notoriety, judging from the press release accompanying this debut 7‚Äù. Singer Kyrill's David Johansen-looks should help them in that respect, and some hype from fashion rag The Face has already been thrown their way. The Dirty blast out a hard, potent roar of Sonics-style 60's rock'n'roll that doesn't make an attempt at any sort of originality or even contemporariness, but hey, it rocks, and it does so without pretensions or smirks.

TWINSTAR REVOLUTION
This is pure anthemic sleaze in that stripped down and open way that makes you cherish the fact that you can do what the fuck you like in this world. Seeing the Dirty play live is a trip back to the old school, a freeze frame of old jammed out garage without getting mixed up in a rehash of old tunes turned stale. The Dirty excel in making things clear... the reminder they give to us all to rock out and shut the fuck up is awesome. More guitars more bass more drums more sound, there's no looking back now!