german french italian swedish spanish
...REVIEWS !!
THE MINDS "Plastic Girls " LP
german
french italian
swedish spanish
ENGLISH
BIG
TAKEOVER (USA) OCT 2004 Floored.
I'm absolutely floored. The gravy train keeps on a-rollin' and this one is a
scorcher. Combining the souped-up vivaciousness of garage punks NEW BOMB TURKS
and TRICKY WOOwith a hint of space-age zaniness a la SUPERNOVA, The MINDS have
the most lethal of coctails on their hands. Their winning formula can be credited
in part to buzzing organ/synth lines that embellish rather than overpower and
a smash-and-grab level of excitement that most of their compatriots would be
fortunate to sustain over the course of a single, much less an entire album.
Plastic Girls is soaked to the skin with seedy fun and indelible hooks. Heck,
they're having such a blast!.(WC)
HIGH HEELS SLUT (Belgium) June 2004 After the demise of the FLIP TOPS bass player Sarah went on to the Hunches, while singer Joel (also formerly of Jetpack) and guitar player Rob formed the MINDS. And they’ve come up with some killer stuff here! The MINDS crank out a fine set of sharp late 70’s UK punkrock tunes (think BUZZCOCKS style, and they give The ADVERTS “My Place” a damn fine treatment here!) that get backed up by an addictive keyboard. I know, more and more punkbands are again (mis)using this instrument, but the MINDS keep everything on the right track and deliver a fine addition to their sound instead of ruining it by overkill. The cd comes on DIRTNAP but the ALIEN SNATCH! vinyl comes as usual on thick hockey puck vinyl! And the 7” contains 3 non-album tracks, way to go!!.(WC)
NARC!
ZINE (USA) FEB 2004 How did
this Portland band come right out of the gate and drop us one of the best records
of the year? I don't know how, but they did it. It's new-wavey punk but with
a serious edge and some killer melodies. Vocalist The Thinker can bark with
the best of them, but it's Cera Bella Palsy's keyboards that really make the
record. This record is better than a perfect pasta dinner, it's better than
a night at the Acropolis with your best friends, it's better than a tall glass
of Pabst Blue Ribbon after a hard day's work, and it's better than the best
Seinfeld reruns. Yup, it's better than ALL of those things partner. (Tim
Dagger)
PUNK PLANET (USA) FEB 2004 ELVIS COSTELLO notwithstanding, keyboard-heavy pop rock is supposed to be fun, unsubstantial dance music. There's nothing wrong with providing a soundtrack for drinking and pogoing, but it has a limited shelf life. This record is fun, tightly wound pop with claws. Sometimes that's good enough. (Rex Reason)
ROCKTOBER (USA) FEB 2004 Almost hokey 80's pop keyboard sounds made menacing by a band's very poppy yet very switchblade-serious convictions. If Fonzie hit a jukebox and this music came out he would seem uncool in comparison. (Flamin' Waymon Timbsdayle)
NEXT BIG THING (NETHERLANDS) JAN 2004 The German ALIEN SNATCH! label is steadily becomin' one of the prime sources for current none-lame p-rock. Poppier (mainly thanks to the addition of some great cheesy organ sounds), but no less hard edged are The MINDS. Housed in a suitably tacky 1979 "new wave" sleeve, their 'Plastic Girls' LP borders on powerpop, and that ain't no bad thing per se, but the guitars are loud enough to keep you hard-liners satisfied.
PSY
REACTION ZINE (SPAIN) JANUARY 2004 I
did a review of this album the last month and i say i must dig more the album...
ok, now i heard this album around mmmmm 30 times? Around that or a little more,
and i must say THE MINDS KICK ASS!!! Yeah! You heard well boy! I’m not a fan
of the Neo new wave but they are more than this! They aren’t the new cool fashion
new wave band! They are great!! Lots of keyboards but when you heard the album
a lot you think the keyboard is used perfect here!!! The best Dirtnap release
ever??? I don’t know, but this is almost as good as the first BRIEFS album!
With songs as good as “Hot” and covers as good as “My Place” (Adverts) can’t
be a bad record!! (Raúl Cote)
SLEAZEGRINDER (USA) NOVEMBER 2003 Seattle fuzzpop and keyboard
punk with a decidedly retro-80’s bar-band feel, and amazingly enough, it all
works perfectly. Opener “Hot” is about, well, it bein’ too hot, and there’s
the brutally simplistic beauty of it all- the MINDS ain’t trying to dazzle you
with wit and heady concepts, they merely want to get the heads boppin’ and the
pelvi shakin’. Musically, it’s kinda got the yelp and sugarthrash of the BUZZCOCKS
and the ROMANTICS’ sense of the ‘epic’ pop song that sounds like it means something,
when really it doesn’t. This stuff would be perfect to play on a date. I understand
that people don’t date anymore, that kids start fucking at 13, and that no one
ever has fun anymore ever, but if they did, this is total fries and burgers
and shakes stuff, man. This is for cruising ‘round the neighborhood and trying
to look cool and fumbling over all your cool lines when Suzy smiles at ya. Ok,
so it’ll mostly get scarfed up by ex-hipster strippers and hairdressers and
sold on Ebay a few days later by their junkie boyfriends, but that’s not the
MINDS’ fault. It might be the BRIEFS fault, but not the MINDS. The MINDS only
wanna have fun, baby. And everybody knows how much fun a plastic girl can be.
.
NOW
WAVE MAGAZINE (USA) NOV 2003 I’ve been in one of those moods
lately. I’m feeling like a jaded motherfucker. I have little interest
in what’s “new & exciting” in the underground rock world. I’ve stopped caring
about what “the kids” are digging. I’m starting to believe all those decrepit
old bastards who swear that “they don’t make music the way they used to”. I’d
rather play old Rolling Stones & Dead Boys records than waste my time listening
to yet another mediocre “buzz” band that will probably be forgotten in five
years anyway. I’d rather sit and home and watch American Chopper than go out
and see some third-rate garage band thrash it out in front of a hundred drunken
hipsters. Hell, I’m probably not even qualified to write reviews of new music
at this point! I suck. But wait! I threw on this new MINDS album the other day,
and I was, like, rocked by it! Really! Holy shit! Maybe I’m NOT jaded! Maybe
I just needed to hear a band that could actually live up to the hype! Either
way, I’m really fucking impressed. Dirtnap Records, the label that gave us The
BRIEFS’ Hit After Hit, The Exploding Hearts’ Guitar Romantic, and the EPOXIES’
debut CD, has once again dropped a must-have album! I don’t know exactly what
it is about Plastic Girls, but this disc won me over off the bat and never let
up. Hearing it, I can’t help but smile, nod my head, and say, “Hell, yeah”.
This is good shit, brother. Just what the doctor ordered. Catchy, bouncy, high-energy
stuff with “quirky” keyboards....but it’s still really “tough” sounding and
not at all cheesy. These guys don’t really sound like The Descendents, but I’m
picking up a Milo Goes to College sort of vibe in the respect that these tunes
are kinda poppy but also “hard” and “mean”. Kick-ass singer Joel Jett belts
it out the way a young Milo did----like he’s trying to shatter glass with his
voice. And the band? They’re tight as hell and full of unaffected spunk. Cera
Bella Palsy’s keyboard action is crucial here: she knows how to inject these
songs with just the right amount of energizing gusto. If she laid it on too
thick, it’d seem campy or goofy. But she gets it just right. Her contributions
to this band are complementary, not intrusive. This band is 100 % non-nerdy.
And that’s what separates The MINDS from the ever-growing shitload of faux ironic
“nouveau new wave” wannabe Devo robo-punk bands. The “modernized” touches are
nice...but this is still good, old-fashioned PUNK ROCK music that hits ya at
the gut level. It comes from the heart, and it packs a punch. Songs like “Hot”,
“Don’t Touch”, and the utterly awesome title track will light a fire up your
ass. Finally, a new band has managed to put a fresh spin on the tried-and-true
punk rock formula! Trust
me: bands that cover The Adverts never suck.
ROCKASS (GERMANY) OCT 2005 Noch eine geile Neo-Wave-Punk aus dem Nordwesten der US of A! Hatte schon eine 7” Aufmerksamkeit im letzten Jahr erregt, kommt nun der Longplayer hinterher, der über die zugegebenermaßen nicht allzu lange Vollspielzeit mit melodischen Brit-orientierten Punkrock mit Wave-Einschlag (Billig-Szinti und so) das Herz erfreut. Die Band kommt aus Portland und die CD ist auf Dirtnap erschienen, also auch da zusammenhänge mit Briefs, Epoxies und Konsorten. Die hervorragende Aufmachung mit schweren Vinyl und gefütterter Innenhülle lassen den Vinyljunkie erstrahlen. (Pete)
FLYING REVOLVERBLATT (GER) DEZ 2005 Diese großartige Platte war wohl eine Weile auf LP nicht mehr erhältlich, weshalb ich diesen Anlass nutze, um diese Platte nachdrücklich zu loben. The Minds kommen ganz ähnlich der Briefs, Spits, Exploding Hearts oder Epoxies aus dem amerikanischen Nordwesten und gleich dieser, glänzen sie mit einer Platte beim Punk Rock Spezialisten Dirtnap Records. Die unerlässliche Vinylversion liegt mir hier vor und läuft recht häufig in meinem Haushalt. Obige Bands wurden nun auch nicht umsonst aufgelistet, denn The Minds extrahieren aus ihnen jeweils die entscheidenden Elemente, wenn man so will. The Briefs kennt man als quirlige ´77 Retro Punk Band mit Witz, ähnliches könnte man gut + gern Songs wie etwa „Forbidden Friend“ nachsagen. Die guten Exploding Hearts waren ja eher noch die old school Pop Punk trifft auf Power Pop Band und wenn nun The Thinker, Bobby Brains, Mikey Mind, Cera Bella und The Cortex zusammen als The Minds Songs wie „Don´t Touch“ schaffen, so verstehe ich das als Essenz daraus und dem New Wave Synthie Pop Punk der Epoxies. Gern und vor allem am deutlichsten erinnern sie mich aber auch an die tumb, genial, bösen Spits, nämlich dann wenn simple Keyboard Sounds auf schnell schmetternde Punk Hits treffen und „Smash Smash Smash! 1-2-3-4“ skandiert wird. Kurzum, eine sehr erfreuliche, frische New Wave Punk Scheibe ohne Ausfälle aber mit packender Energie, Wut und Witz und wesentlich mehr Eigenständigkeit als diese Zeilen vermuten lassen können. (cc)
OX
#54 (GER) MARCH 2004:
Manchmal
bin ich ja so durchschaubar: Man lasse bei einem Song gleich
zu Beginn die Orgel losfiepen, und ich stehe hechelnd und sabbernd vor der Stereoanlage.
So ist es mir auch mit dem Album der aus Portland stammenden MINDS, dessen CD-Version
in den USA passenderweise auf Dirtnap erschienen ist - und Ken Dirtnap zögert
nicht, die Band auf seiner Website in eine Reihe mit BRIEFS und EXPLODING HEARTS
zu stellen. Yep, das passt, denn so wunderschön die Platte auch ist, sie
erfüllt auf angenehme Weise alle Klischees, die man erfüllt sehen
möchte, wenn man‘s gerne pop-punkig, newwavig und keyboardig hat. Zwölf
Songs, die - geschätzt - in jeweils rund zwei Minuten wieder vorbei sind,
punkig, rotzig und kickend einerseits, powerpoppig sweet andererseits, dazu
wie eingangs erwähnt immer schön mit dezenter Orgeluntermalung und
dabei nicht wavig clean, so sieht eine nahezu perfekte Platte aus. Haben? Haben!
(jh)
PLASTIC BOMP (GER) JAN 2004 Das ist der berühmte HAMMER. Wenn das die PLASTIC GIRLS wüssten, würde sie sich eine Re-Union im Plastic Bomb sicher überlegen. Aber sicher auch nur, wen wir die MINDS wären.... anyway..THE MINDS klingen als ob die Götter ROBOCOP KRAUS zuviel EPO-XIES und REZILLOS gehört hätten. Volle Power, Energie und Schwung. Diese Platte kann definitiv keinen der Hörer genannten Vergleiche enttäuschen. Hit! (SB).
MOLOKO PLUS (GERMANY) FEB 2004 Die MINDS bringen ihr gutes Songwriting auch über eine komplette LP. Die retro-Wave-Welle wogt weiter auf hohem Niveau und mir macht das verdammt viel Spaß. Den MINDS offensichtlich auch, was sie auf 12 Songs beweisen.(tb)
Dig
It ! (France) #29 Jan 2004
Pas de 60's ni 70's sound pour les MINDS, ou alors fin 70's, à la lisière
du punk rock et de la new wave la moins synthétique. Ces jeunes gens
roulent avec entrain sur les brisées des BRIEFS et autres Girls. C'est
speed et marrant, parfois traversé de "ooh ooh" irrésistibles
qui impriment une pop touch bienvenue, coloré par un clavier early 80's
(mi-synthé/mi-garage) et les morceaux sont troués de brefs solos
nerveux. Là où les BRIEFS détournaient un titre des Adverts
("Gary Gimour's Eyes" devenu "Gary Glitter's Eyes"), les
MINDS reprennent plus respectueusement le "My Place" des mêmes
ADVERTS. Les amateurs de Buzzcockeries intenses et de fun speed sont invités
à laisser traîner une oreille. Les autres regretteront peut-être
une sorte d'uniformité sur ce LP (Plastic Girls), comme chez les BRIEFS
parfois justement, et une option lo-fi à la MUMMIES... ALIEN SNATCH édite
simultanément un 7"EP trois titres ("Rip Out Your Eyes")
de ses nouveaux poulains de Portland..(GD)
NDF
(SPAIN) MARCH 2004 Si los BOYS o los BUZZCOCKS hubiesen comenzado
su carrera en el siglo XXI, los discos que hubieran sacado sonarían muy
parecidos a estos. ¡¡¡La madre que me parió!!!!! Qué
pasada de canciones. ¡¡Señores y señoras, canela fina!!!
Pegajoso es un adjetivo que se queda corto para definir a algunos de los temas
que nos presenta este quinteto de Portland. Con dos miembros de los extraordinarios
FLIP TOPS, Joel Jett (voz) y Bobby Brains (guitarra), en sus filas, los MINDS
nos dan punk con sintetizadores para bailar y botar hasta caer reventados. Yo
lo he llamado punk con sintetizadores, pero eres libre de llamarlo también
powerpop con cojones o new wave energética. Con cualquiera de estas definiciones
acertarás. En cualquier caso, la banda sonora perfecta para alegrarte
el día. Para los que todavía son reticentes (hay mucho rockero
purista en la viña del señor) a que esas cosas llamadas sintetizadores
coexistan con el punk (si es que saben lo que es esto) sólo decirles
que su contribución dentro de las canciones tiene el peso y la importancia
justa para no resultar empalagosa, nada intrusiva. Todavía no conozco
a nadie que pueda decir que el sonido que proyecta el dichoso instrumento en
estos discos sea fastidioso. Que escuchen temas del LP como “Hot”, “Forbidden
Friend” o la soberbia lectura que hacen del “My Place” de los ADVERTS y que
luego me den las gracias...¡¡juas, juas!!.(Paco
Plan "B").
CAPINCH (Italy) May 2004 Edizione gatefold cartonata con testi all’interno e artwork firmato da Pat Moriarity. Non c’è che dire, i dischi della Alien Snatch sono di una qualità oggettiva non comune. Ma non basta questo a farmela considerare tra le migliori d’Europa in assoluto: è soprattutto il valore artistico delle sue uscite che ultimamente tende sempre di più a salire verso livelli non usuali. E anche questo LP si presta a far la sua porca figura al fianco degli attuali best seller di scuderia. I Von Zippers non sono una band di primo pelo, questo è il loro quarto album e hanno all’attivo anche diversi singoli. Questa quarta prova sulla lunga distanza parla una lingua garagey punkrock con un pizzico di RnB ad alta energia e suonato con mooolta foga. Veramente belli i testi, giusto per star svegli e attenti alla merda che ci circonda. Ma se non vi bastano le parole, la musica vi sparerà un bel calcio di elettricità nel culo. Alza il volume, ragazzo, sei il tu padrone della strada
BAM #3 (ITA) JULY 2004: (Vom) Con grande gioia mi trovo a parlare di questo vinile splendido fin dalla cover art: un manichino femminile impeccabilmente abbigliato da modette sixties su sfondo bianco! Incantevole! Queste 5 “menti” provengono da Portland e ci propongono un punk rock di stampo indubbiamente 77ino ma arricchito dalla azzeccatissima presenza delle keyboards che conferisco all’insieme un appeal molto “poppy wave”: ipoteticamente una via di mezzo tra Los Reactors e Revillos, passando attraverso i Dickies (per via dei cori trascinanti stile scolaresca in gita). Dopo decine di ascolti non sono riuscito a trovare dei punti deboli in queste 12 composizioni, dalla anthemica “Smash, smash, smash” alla docile cover degli Adverts, “My place”. Semplicemente deliziose! Per quanto mi riguarda questo è il disco punk perfetto: potenza e melodia perfettamente calibrate per far battere il piedino ad ogni canzone e mimare nell’aria una pianola che a tratti penetra di forza nella corteccia cerebrale! Il CD è uscito su Dirtnap Records di Seattle, mentre il vinile per la tedesca Alien Snatch. Accattatevillo!
RUMORE 149 (ITA) June 2004: Se 2 Armate Brancaleone si uniscono le probabilità di vincere la battaglia rimangono esigue, ma il divertimento è assicurato! Va da sé quindi che l’unione di due tra le più accanite label punk&dintorni del pianeta non basterà a far assurgere i Minds alla Next Big Thing del rock’n’roll, ma è pur sempre garanzia di qualità. Senza dimenticare la possibilità per gli acquirenti di scegliere tra il più romantico vinile (Alien Snatch!) e il più pratico cd (Dirtnap). Queste le doverose premesse, ora arriviamo al dunque: Plastic Girls, debutto sulla lunga distanza del combo di Portland, è quel fulmine a ciel sereno che non ti aspetti nell’asfittico panorama del punk melodico. Attenzione! Il punk melodico (o pop punk che dir si voglia) di cui parlo è quello di Buzzcocks ed Adverts, intendiamoci. The Minds sono immersi fino al collo nelle atmosfere inglesi fine ’70 quando l’iconoclastia (e l’incapacità) degli inizi lasciava il campo ad una maggiore attenzione per la forma canzone, quando cioè lo scarno manichino new wave indossava dei caldi abiti power pop. Il tutto condito in chiave ultra moderna, dove chitarre affilate come coltelli da macelleria si mischiano ad uno straniante organo ecumenico mentre il cantante scorreggia melodie punkizzate come un Fonzie qualsiasi. Gran bel disco, ogni altro commento sarebbe superfluo..(Manuel “manwell” Graziani)
THE MINDS "Rip Out Your Eyes" 7"
german french italian swedish spanish
ENGLISH
CARBON14
#24 (USA) June 2002 Wow! Yum! More mod stuff with keyboards, spazz
guitar, feedback and piss on ya lyrics. A definite punk edge, and they can harmonize
when they want, or screech like a Manson Murder victim, either way it´s
nice. It makes me hungry, hungry for more dammit, if I don´t get a fullength
from these folks sonn we´ll guess I´ll just have to wait longer.
(Phil.D.Fordl)
NO BRAINS (NETHERLANDS) April 2004 The MINDS are mindblowingly cool band. Somebody will call them nu wave, maybe garage trash punk or whatever - well I can say they are just great!! What I specially like is their songs and great sound and attitude that reminds me of 90s garage trash punk scene. Also cool keyboard sound that gives them something special!! I think bands can find or not find good sound in studio, but if they don't have good songs - they'll never move you. The MINDS have not only good sound and songs - they are Minds-blowing. I like everything about this EP - they have good sense for humor - lyrics just the way I like, catchy songs - they just took the music I love a bit further by giving it something of their own. Uhggggggggrrrrrrr, now I'm making philosophy out of this - actually it's simple as hell - it's great fucking record and you must have it!!!!! And I just have to get their LP - I'm already very late!!! (Vanya)
VINYL
A-GO-GO (USA) JUNE 2003
I’ve
been making hobo plans lately. Thinking of ways to discard my old junk: Ebay,
trashman, Goodwill, parents’ house, so it’ll all fit into one hobo rucksack.
I’m allowing myself five pairs of socks and three LPs. Not fitting in the bag
would be my rickety model 1010AV Califone record player. I hardly use it anymore
as its not as swank and good sounding as my newer turntable but the fact that
its self-contained and has a handle makes it more appealing to a rock and roll
hobo. I’m at my parent’s house right now sorting through middle school notebooks,
trashing everything I can. After some progress I get sick of it. Then I get
bored. Something I haven’t been for months. So I sit down and prepare to write
one more last review. And all I got is that rickety self-contained Califone.
I figure if it can hold its own against The MINDS it should be able to meander
through those Guthrie hobo tunes. It blasts through The MINDS title cut easily
enough. It manages to withstand the staccato bleating of the organ/keyboards,
the welping of the lead vocals, the bursting blasts of the guitars and the steady
smash of the drums. Its needle holds up against the whirling and twirling, the
in your face sniveling, the dancetronic new wave flourished punk stank. It gets
through all that. But the B-side it can’t handle. The assault bes too much and
the needle hops, pops, slurs, whirs. Still The MINDS press on with their pogoriffic
ringing chords. Belting out tunes as if the ‘00s were just the late ‘70s with
keyboards and plastic frames and the ‘80s and ‘90s never did exist. Them MINDS
don’t relent. "Rip Out Your Eyes" is certainly the hit. But "Dead"
and "Blockout" will hit your head and stick and become your favorites
too. Songs that could probably beat you up if they didn’t just want to dance
and hook you in and make you sing and dance too and remember them all day for
days and days. If you like them other retarded Pacific Northwest media darlings
you shouldn’t dare pass by The MINDS. (LH)
RAZORCAKE
#17 (USA) NOVEMBER 2003 If the MUMMIES clacked late seventies punk
square in the jaw, instead of going back into the vaults of the ´50s and
´60s, that´s be the starting block for the MINDS. Organ used sorta
like a bat is promiment in the mix Synchronized screaming interludes. All instruments
wielded like weapons but instead of committing some felony offence, these Portland,
Oreganians slice, dice and tumor up some nicely wrecked garage punk. The MINDS
fit perfectly right right next to SMOGTOWN, THE EPOXIES and folks who like the
New Wave but aren´t slaves to it´s charms and still know how to
rock the fuck out. Recommended (Todd)
NERVOUS
ACTION (CANADA) NOV 2003 Northwest US is now heavily invaded by British
influence -- the big thing going on there are obviously The BRIEFS outta Seattle,
WA and The EPOXIES outta Portland, OR. Now another Portland-based band joined
the race: The MINDS start off with catchy, energetic '77-pogo action of The
BRIEFS, adding the ever-needed keyboard-girl to show some of their new wave
influence like The EPOXIES! And a perfect mix it is, I tell you! As any ALIEN
SNATCH!! release, this EP is a must-buy for its three catchy songs (especially
the title super-tight tune), for its rocking, slightly garage-production, or
its cool Oriental "hypno-retro" cover that will keep you crazed...
A perfect overture for their new album on Dirtnap, which, they say, is killer!
(Nick Ketchup)
SHREDDING
PAPER (USA) FEB 2004 Solid boppable
77-tinged tuneage from this Portland wave/punk-outfit, apparently with some
Ex- FLIP-TOPS in their midst. Nice use of keyboards as well (complimenting instead
of overwhelming/drowning as well). Based on this I wouldn´t mind checking
out the new LP (Dave)
NOW
WAVE MAGAZINE (USA) OCTOBER 2003 I'd like to preface this review
by saying that ALIEN SNATCH! Records is perhaps the greatest label in the history
of the universe. I'm a little sad that this is probably the last ALIEN SNATCH!!!review
I'll ever write. Daniel has THE BEST taste in music! So it goes without saying
that you should buy this record. If ALIEN SNATCH!!! put it out, you KNOW it
rocks. Troy already told you about The MINDS, so I'm just here
to say "Amen, brother!" and help spread the word. Troy's 100 percent
right: The MINDS aren't much different from Joel Jett's other band, the motherfuckin'
awesome FLIP TOPS. The keyboards might suggest a tinge of new wave bounce, but
the lead track reMINDS me more of a demented, punked-up 60s garage basher than
of anything that coulda come out of the late 1970s. It kicks all kinds of ass.
The two B-side numbers are killer too. This is ballsy rock n' roll all the way,
and it's just "quirky" enough to not seem like typical garage punk
tuneage. I like what the press release says about this band: "their knockout
combination of supercatchy short & snappy songs and merciless 'full on'
keyboards is like drinking coke out of a elektroshocked Dr. Peppers can in pogo-pogo
land". Right on! Coke references will always score points with me. Fuck,
I'm getting thirsty. This band is as good as advertised. I bet the LP will rule.
(JR)
PANIC ACTION (USA) OCTOBER 2003 If you didn't know, the MINDS are Joel and Rob from the FLIP TOPS’ new band. Fortunately, the MINDS don't deviate too much from the late 70s punk style of the FLIP TOPS. The MINDS do have a keyboard player, but they are not jumping on the new wave bandwagon. The MINDS are PUNK ROCK with keyboards. All three songs on this single are good, but "Blockout" is my favorite because singer Joel Jett sounds like Doug Fieger from the KNACK on it.(TC)
PLASTIC
BOMP (GER) JAN 2004 Ja, gerade der Titeltrack hat mehr von
Robocop Kraus und TiNC. Steht ihnen natürlich ausgezeichnet. Die Rückseite
besticht durch den Mix, der sie auch auf der LP auszeichnet. 3 Non-LP-Tracks
die absolut herausstechen.(SB)
3RD GENERATION NATION MARCH 2004 #27 Wieder so'n cooles JAPAN-FAKE-COVER, wie schon bei den TEENAGE REJECTS. Dazu diesmal im festen Hardcover und auch wieder schön schweres Vinyl. ALIEN SNATCH versteht es gekonnt geschmackvolle 7"es unters Volk zu bringen. Die MINDS bringen auf der A-Side mit 'Rip Out Your Eyes' einen trashigen Midtempo '60s-Punker mit gut arrangiertem Orgeleinsatz. Bisschen kurz das Stück. Die Flipside schlägt da mit 'Dead' schon etwas flotter zur Sache. Ein schön schnell leichter Trash-Smasher. Song zwei 'Blockout' rundet diese coole 3-Song-e.p. gekonnt melodiös ab. Ist einfach bester swingin' Trash-Punk Rock für 'ne gute Zeit. Macht voll Spaß so'n feisten POP-TRASH-PUNK zu slouschen. Coole Mucke kriegt logischer Weise auch fünf coole Sterne. Let's trash!(Andy Flexibel, Fünf von Fünf Sternen)
MOLOKO PLUS (GERMANY) SEPT 2003 Die Yankees überzeugen mittels ganz leicht angetrashten Punkrock mit coolem New Wave-Keyboard, was die Sache zusätzlich reizvoll macht. Alle drei Tracks machen Spaß, haben den nötigen Singalong-Faktor und der Japan-Fake mit aufgedrucktem OBI (wer jetzt an eine Heimwerkermarkt-Kette ist definitiv kein Plattensammler!) haut die Sache auch optisch in den grünen Bereich. ALIEN SNATCH!!! ist ohnehin irgendwie ein klasse Label, muß ich jetzt hier mal feststellen. (Sir Paulchen)
SOUNDFLAT (GERMANY) SEPT 2003 ALIEN SNATCH!!! das Label, dass eigentlich nur Hits rausbringt, ist wieder da! Diesmal mit einer unglaublich stilvoll aufgemachten Debut 3-song Single einer neuen Band aus Portland, Oregon. 4 Jungs und ein Mädel an der Orgel, die einem einen wundervoll lauten 77er Punk (mit massig Attitüde) um die Ohren hauen, dass es kracht. Die Jungs haben teils sehr smarte Mod Anzüge an, was sehr zu ihrem garagigen Punk mit New Wave touch passt, verdammt! Um das alles noch zu toppen, kommt die Single in einem dieser luxuriös aufgemachten japanischen Pappcovern..was für ein Anblick. Die Band wird Ende 2003 ein Album bei ALIEN SNATCH!!! rausbringen..na, da sind wir mehr als gespannt.
MOLOKO PLUS (GERMANY) SEPT 2003 Jetzt ist auch ALIEN SNATCH!!! im New Wave-Fieber. Die MINDS geben sich bescheuerte Namen wie Cera Bella oder the Cortex und sehen fröhlich-verrückt aus. Die Musik ist aber ziemlich gut, das Titelstück sogar ein echter Hit, "Don't give a fuck about imitators", die Band hat Humor. Stellt die Platte neben die BRIEFS und die EPOXIES ins Regal (tb)
GREEN HELL (GERMANY) SEPT 2003 Ähnlich den BRIEFS, haben sich The MINDS auf kurze, explosive, aber trotzdem eingängige Neo 70er Punk Hits mit leichtem New Wave Touch spezialisiert. Damit erinnern sie an eine Mischung aus den EXPLODING HEARTS (die sich mit den MINDS die Heimatstadt teil(t)en) und dem, was man im Allgemeinen als "typischen" Dirtnap Sound bezeichnen würde. Alle drei Songs sind knapp unter 2 Minuten lang und garantieren maximalen, rotzigen und dennoch melodischen end 70er Spaß im schönen 4 Farb Cover.
coming soon..
BAM #3 (ITA) JULY 2004: (Vom) 45 giri di debutto per i Minds: 3 pezzi che sono un succulento aperitivo prima della scorpacciata a 33 giri di “Plastic girls”. La titletrack è sferragliante e sguaiata quanto basta, vicina ad alcune perle contenute nelle varie raccolte “Killed by death”. Le restanti “Dead” e “Blockout” comunque non sono da meno: ottime canzoni rese ancor più fascinose dalla presenza della tastiera di Cera Bella! Nel complesso questo 7’’ è meno “prodotto” e più ruvido rispetto all’album, ma è decisamente da avere. Fatelo vostro!
PUNLSTER
#1 (Italy) MARCH 2004 Rimanendo negli States una bella
sorpresa ce la fanno gli ex Flip Tops' Joel
e Rob con la loro nuova creatura THE MINDS. Seppur dotati di tastiere, non si
può neppur lontanamente associare i cinque di Portland alla flemmatica
ondata neo wave oggi tanto di moda. Nelle singolo licenziato dalla teutonica
Alien Snatch! ci sono gli occhi infuocati di un pitbull che sta per attaccare
(Rip Out Your Eyes), le urla disperate di Stiv Bators (Dead) e la calma nervosa
delle punk band inglesi dei tardi 70' (Blockout). Ci manca qualcosa?(Manuel
"manwell" Graziani)
coming soon..
coming soon..