...REVIEWS !!
WHEELS
ON FIRE
"Liar, Liar" LP/CD
german italian spanish french dutch
CRKO (Germany) July 2011 WHEELS ON FIRE are just beginning to get some wider attention, though this actually is already their fourth full-length, with a self-released debut and later releases on Big Legal Mess and Fat Possum. Legend has it that Jack Yarber himself introduced Bruce Watson (owner of Fat Possum/Big Legal Mess) to this outfit from Athens, Ohio and this should already be enough pushing for you out there to buy this! WHEELS ON FIRE is a four-piece with two singers, no bass and an affection for sweet melodies, an occasional twangy surf-guitar and ORGANS! If you dig organ-driven sixties-sounding garage-pop the likes of REIGNING SOUND, GOODNIGHT LOVING or even GENTLEMAN JESSE (or for you 40-year-old record-collector nerds: THE KINKS and Elvis Costello) you really should consider getting this record! While some people think this record is only mediocre I have to contradict this: it’s a grower! Maybe it doesn’t catch your attention at first hearing cause it’s so sweet and maybe adds no spectacular new ideas to this garage-thing but oh those melodies! After second or third spin you just HAVE to sing along and I promise there aren’t many records today that will leave you with such a big grin on your face while listening! One word: FUN! »Bad Lie«, »Losin’«, »Ambulance«, »Miles«, »Chasin’ UFOs« – aww the whole record’s just hits! Definitely in my Top-Ten-List of 2010! Also check out their 7inches on Kind Turkey and Trouble in Mind! (Pacino)
ROCTOBER (USA) April 2011 If this record was just a mixtape with the Castaways' "Liar, Liar" looped over and over it still wouldn't be as catchy and fun as the platter party thrown here by these Ohio-based, fuzzed out, Kassenetz-Katz-worshippers. Bonus: deliciously inept pop theremin playing! (x)
RAZORCAKE
MAG JAN 2011 This is some of the catchiest, peppiest, poppiest
garage rock that’s ever come across these ears. Sweet and soulful chords ring
out while organ swirls and tambourine, glockenspiel, and horns make cameos at
this reverb-drenched sock hop. Exploding Hearts meets Tommy James And The Shondells.
The Real Kids and Flamin’ Groovies split a bill, sharing a van and some beers
with The Swinging Medallions and Question Mark and the Mysterians. That’s what
you get here. All of it is absolutely delightful and a joy to listen to (JP)
randomoldrecords.blogspot.com
JAN 2011 Following the demise of beloved Cincinnati bubblegum
trash combo 20th Century Tokyo Princess, it was easy to anoint Wheels On Fire
as the best band in Ohio of 2010. Coming from the slightly comatose and sleepy
burg of Athens, Wheels On Fire didn't get the memo that rock n' roll was better
back in the day, and instead worship furiously at the altar of the White Stripes,
Hives, and Black Keys. Really though, what's so motherfucking wrong with that?!
To an army of ears that went through boot camp trained by the clarion call of
the Queers, Rancid, NOFX, Screeching Weasel, and the Mr. T Experience, the rock
n' roll that Wheels On Fire crank out is hopelessly inept and trad. Sure, they
talk about pretty girls a lot, but they do it without the slick sophistication
of the 90s pop-punk tribe. That very same slick sophistication plants those
bands squarely in 1995 and leaves them there in a frozen, severely shiny time
capsule. Pop-punk got all hung up with perfectionism and kinda defeated the
whole purpose of the whole punk rock thing in the first place. It was supposed
to be the vessel of real live kids bashing out noisy, stupid pop songs, and
that's exactly what Wheels On Fire do with reckless abandon. Their second LP
features a run of AMAZING tracks called "Losin'," "Ambulance,"
"Land Of Haunted Houses," and "Black Moon" that stand right
up there with the best of '60s garage, '70s punk, and the garage rock class
of 2000. These folks aren't concerned with professionalism or establishing a
mood or adding some kinda epic heft to their music. They just crank out the
HITS! "Ambulance" sounds like a raucous bubblegum ditty that's run
off the rails, substituting the morose sadness usually associated with catching
your baby with another man, and instead dishes out a beating so severe that
the paramedics get involved. In place of soul-searching and refection, we get
tales of haunted houses, UFOs, and alien abduction. You know, important shit!
"Stick Around" is the real classic here, grabbing you around the throat
with haste, relaying a tale of pussy-whipped complacency, and getting the hell
out of there before you think really deep thoughts. Hell, other bands are covering
it already, and if that isn't enough of a tribute to it's genius, then I don't
know what is. Liar, Liar is perfect in it's simplicity and more fun than just
about anything else.
GRUNNEN
ROCKS VERA DEC 2010 Vera didn't give us many thrills this year,
as punkrock or ANY music from a garage now has a too-small fanbase in Groningen
it seems, and though the new crop of youth gives a bit of hope, the average
age at "those" shows tends to be 40+. We're from the old guard, from
the time the place regularly went wild in front of the podium. We may not be
THAT wild any more, but at least we move, and yell to show we're loving it -
if we think it's crap, we go stand at the bar. But these days, when a great
band like Wheels on Fire gives a beyond-fantastic show, the so-called youth
just stands there as if they're watching a video on YouTube. Or they hold up
a camera to indeed MAKE such a video. Or, worse still, they stand with their
backs to the band, right in front of the stage.
Well, perhaps we're on the way to being "grumpy old men", but at least
that's always better than lifeless zombies."
CREEPY
INSIGHT BLOG JAN 2011 I´m always a little suspicious when
it comes to post-90´s Garage Rock, but then again, I´m suspicious
of ALL records that came out after 1999. Does Indie Rock with
a Garage Punk feeling sound good to you? Well if it does, you really have to
give Wheels on Fire a chance to prove they're worth it. Sure they produce sound
waves similar to the Reigning Sound, but this is one of the few styles where
it is ok to sound like your influences, because they´re good influences.
Wheels on Fire have no bass player, but then again it´s ok, they sound
really good that way. The guitars and the really catchy organ will take you
on a upbeat ride, making you sing along about lust and alien abduction.
therealbigrockcandymountain.blogspot.com TOP TEN 2010 - "Organ-soaked, and greasy, greasy, greasy, like yr street corner desperate Romeo, tight pants cock hangin' low and ready, gonna take you to the dangerous side of town, where the drinks are hard and the ladies shimmer and shake, smarter than you, and who they go home with is a matter of opinion."
JAN K DEC 2010 The absolute climax of the year was Wheels on Fire, with a steaming sixties pop garage set.... if only more and livelier people had showed up, this would have gone down in history as an absolute legendary show."
GARAGE BAND REVISITED NOV 2010 Ooooh jesus xtis ..." bad lie " remind me Velvet Underground best song 'white light white heat ' ! (M. Chaney hit his drums like Moe Tucker!) Pop R'nd roll garage drive other cool tracks as " black moon " a wonderfull garage song . " lookin ' at you " looks like a hit a la Velvet Underground circa 1968! " chasing UFO's/ " i wanna know " " ares really funny tracks a la Modern Lovers sound . 12 original cuts with great beat & organ waves ... my blue-eyed combo for such a long tyme . Stay tuned ... Wheels of Fire 're into the right music zone . (Patryck)
Examiner Nov 2010 go read it here. It´s a full write-up!(JC)
FLYING REVOLVERBLATT (GER) OKT 2010 Es ist immer wieder bemerkenswert was der Mittlere Westen der USA an interessanten Bands hervorbringt. Vielleicht ist gerade die Isolation und Entfernung von Music Cities wie New York oder Seattle der Grund für das Feuer und die Leidenschaft, die die Wheels On Fire auf ihrem neuen Album präsentieren. Die drei Jungs und ein Mädchen kommen aus Athens, Ohio und sorgten schon mit ihrem letzten Album „Get Famous“ auf Big Legal Mess Records für Aufmerksamkeit und steigern sich nunmehr um einiges auf „Liar, Liar“. Sie werden gern als eine Mischung aus Elvis Costello und optimistischeren Reigning Sound mit einer Prise Rolling Stones beschrieben, sie bedienen sich griffiger Sixties Melodien, kreuzen sie mit rauem Garage Pop und erzeugen damit nicht selten ein Gefühl wie sie auch kalifornische Surfband erschufen. Mit zwei scharfen Gitarren, ohne Bass, aber mit einem fieberhaften Beat und einem Keyboardmädchen und der richtigen Attitüde entstehen so griffige Songs mit einem großartigen, ergreifendem Gesang und einem tollen Songwriting. Mit ihren unglaublich eingängigen Rhythmen, pulsierenden Drums und dem mal flirrenden, mal den Bass ersetzenden Keyboard, verstehen sie es wahrhaft zu begeistern, so wie ich es in letzter Zeit nur selten erlebt habe. Dringende Empfehlung!(cc)
PLANET TRASH OCT 2010 Vorig jaar gooide Wheels On Fire al hoge ogen met de plaat Get Famous!. Dat leverde een top 10 notering op in mijn jaarlijstje. Het moet raar lopen wil dat dit jaar anders gaan. Met Liar, Liar heeft de band uit Athens, Ohio wederom een plaat afgeleverd van het niveau "Alle dertien goed, plus 1 extra". Niet dat er zoveel nummers op deze plaat staan, maar dit geheel terzijde. In vergelijking met de vorige plaat is Wheels On Fire vanuit de garage opgeschoven naar een meer popgevoel. Liar, Liar is zo'n plaat die pas na een paar keer draaien langzaam zijn geheimen prijs geeft en steeds beter lijkt te worden. Met het vocale gedeelte zit het helemaal goed, terwijl het orgeltje zonder een hoofdrol te spelen ieder nummer voorziet van een solide basis. Een basgitaar is niet nodig, wel twee gitaren die elkaar constant opjutten. De heren van Elpee hebben de plaat in een van hun tweets al zo'n beetje uitgeroepen tot plaat van het jaar en dan moet er toch iets bijzonders aan de hand zijn. Volgende maand is de band in Nederland te bewonderen. De verwachtingen zijn hooggespannen.
ROCKAROUNDTHEBLOG.COM
JAN 2011
TOP TEN LP 2011
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