SXSW -Creative Loafing (The Sammies, The Talk, Elevator Action @ SXSW)

AUSTIN, TX -- The confluence of the South By Southwest music conference hitting its 20th year and this Texas town's reputation as a bohemian haven and key music capital meant that, above all, the 2006 SXSW lived up to its reputation as a summer camp for music heads. The event, held last week, totaled five delirious days, 1,400 bands and 65 official stages; industry legions partying to excess; music critics giddy at the prospect of show-hopping nirvana; and moments of artistic poignancy and pulverizing weariness. Some of the hottest moments came courtesy of Charlotte acts like soul man Anthony Hamilton and indie-rockers The Talk.

.......I then moved on to witness the first half of the MoRisen showcase back on 6th Street. Label head Chuck Morrison and publicist Amy Barefoot were kicking it at Nuno's, as were The Talk's C.R. and Justin, and Elevator Action's Laurie Ruroden. Photographer Daniel Coston was also chronicling the action. When the Sammies took the stage, they rocked out before a pretty full crowd considering their debut doesn't drop till this summer. The Sammies presented themselves as "beer-drinkin' music for beer-drinkin' people," which of course gathers anyone with a taste for hops. Their fresh take on post-modern Southern rock and unaffected enthusiasm was infectious.

Creative Loafing (The Sammies) "The Sammies have impressed nearly everyone who's seen their MC5/Mooney Suzuki-like live gig. Entertaining, to be sure, but wait 'til you hear their record: Amazing." ~John Schacht, Creative Loafing

Ken Stringfellow (of The Posies) - Popdepression.com (ALTERNATIVE CHAMPS "SWIMMING IN A POOL") A song that brings a huge smile to my face every time I hear it...I first heard it last year on some random compilation that i got...god knows where...but it wasn't included on an album until this year and I've played it for so many people this year it's been a big part of my life in 2005! the song is called 'Swimming In A Pool' by the Alternative Champs. It's on their album 'Welcome to Fort Awesome'... you can download this song from Itunes...anyway...what can I say...that it be funky--true; but who are these guys? Young? Old? Brothers? Honkies? Are they kidding? Are they sincere? I never really want to know--I just dial this song up again, and again, and again. And I keep smiling. Enjoy!

Indie-Music.com (Twelve Thousand Armies) "Popping better than The Shins, but with a lullaby swing."

Creative Loafing Real Life Top 5 Band of the Year: The Talk, "The Sinners of Daughters"

Columbus Ledger Inquirer ( The Talk ) " The Sinners of Daughters" - One of the Best albums of 2005

Creative Loafing (The Sammies) "I first saw the Sammies Opening for Patty Hurst Shifter at The Room about a month or so ago. The Shifter had the whole rock star look think going on, and certainly the more glittery regional resume. However, in my opinion (and the opinion of more than a few others that made it out that night), the Sammies pretty much stole the show, with a confident set of energetic post-punk that revived my faith in straight-ahead rock. It's jittery, jagged stuff, something if like pavement covered the Strokes (or maybe vice versa). Frankly, it's hard for me to remember exactly what they sounded like, glued as I was to their set. I do remember that it was something of a revelation..." ~Tim Davis, Creative Loafing

Dallas Observer - Critics Top 10 2005 ( Alternative Champs ) - Welcome To Fort Awesome

The Big Takeover - Top 10 ( The Talk )  Mick Lewis’s Top Ten December 11 2005 - The Talk – “The Worst Chest Pains” - Charlotte, NC’s The Talk first caught my ear (and eye) when I saw it perform “The Worst Chest Pains” on Fearless Music. Upon checking out the band’s site, I found the LP version of the song, as well as a video. In some ways, I prefer the Fearless version, without all of the busy production, but either way, it’s a great piece of pop-punk with buzz-saw guitars and impassioned vocals by lead singer Justin Williams. Hopefully, The Talk’s new LP The Sinners of Daughters will measure up to this high standard.

Performer Magazine ( The Talk ) It has often been noted that there is nothing new in the realm of music. Everything up to this point has already been done, and everything done after is merely "clever plagiarism.” Whether or not this is true is a subject for debate. Few musicians, however, would dispute that it is getting increasingly more difficult to create music that is both unique and relevant, or at least unique and enjoyable. Enter Charlotte, NC's The Talk.

Performer Magazine ( Marat ) Again is a genuine rock record worth noting as one of the year’s most infectious.

Itunes Music Review ("Waiting" Soundtrack - The Talk / SOP / Alernative Champs)  INSANELY FUNNY 5 STARS - Awesome CD. some tracks aren't in the movie, but they are hilarious! my favs are: spoon, alrternative champs, and of course REO SPPEEEDDD-Wagon!

Charlotte Business Journal (MoRisen Records)   Locally based MoRisen Records is heading to the multiplex, with three of its artists featured in the upcoming movie Waiting. The comedy, set in a generic chain restaurant dubbed Shenanigan's, includes songs by MoRisen artists Snatches of Pink, Alternative Champs and The Talk.

CBSnews.com (Chuck Morrison) “(The) fundamental aspect of tour development will never go away.”

todd-a.com (blog on Alternative Champs - Welcome to Fort Awesome ) It’s amusing if not hilarious. But it’s still catchy. And “Kicking Ass”–a revved up AC/DC parody–is just effing awesome. Sung in a gritty, constipated Brian Johnson voice, the song nails its target.

Newsday.com  (The Talk). Southerners make dynamic, edgy pop with a glam sensibility and touch of
drama.

Cantedview.com ( The Talk - The Sinners of Daughters) Let me first say that North Carolina had a kick ass indie music scene long before indie music became the biggest marketing campaign in the music world. Look at the Merge roster if you need a reminder--Lou Barlow, The Buzzcocks, The Magnetic Fields, Neutral Milk Hotel, Polvo, & Superchunk. Sure some of those guys came on in the last couple of years, but it has been happening for more than a decade from a hub around Chapel Hill far far away from the control of the LA & NY labels that practically manufacture the stuff these days. From this environment comes a band that you should be listening to -- The Talk.

News and Observer Critic's Picks (Snatches of Pink - Stag)  Snatches of Pink's positively savage new album "Stag" (MoRisen Records) rocks hard enough to kill small animals.

Charlotte Observer (Alternative Champs - Welcome to Fort Awesome) That's what's interesting about the Champs musically. There are no rules here.

Pucknation (The Talk - The Sinners of Daughters) The Talk is to pop punk what The Flaming Lips are to indie-rock, innovative, original and genuinely pleasurable.

The Independent (Sntaches of Pink - STAG) What is the sound of creeping decay? Resembling the last gasp of a battered liver so debauched and dissipated that it can barely gather the strength to spit out a final fuck you, Snatches' decadent rock reaches its apogee on Stag.One can hear the influence of Royal Trux in the desiccated, distortion-ridden Stonesy crawl, which threatens at times to collapse into chaos. There's some great tunes here, such as "Snakes," whose riff recalls the Stones' "Rocks Off," but they are nearly overburdened with the weight of Rank's peculiar aesthetic, enveloping everything in a veneer of grime.

Charlotte Observer (Alternative Champs - Welcome to Fort Awesome)  The Alternative Champs are great arrangers with a love for rock, R&B, and Mad Magazine. Plenty of falsetto and sweet guitar arrangements make this album must buy for any Ween or Weezer fan. Where the jokes stop and the rock starts is hard to define. Sweet melodies built out of sour words. The Alternative Champs my have a light hearted image they portray, but they can’t fool listeners into believing they are not serious I just didn’t find the blown out liner notes of Welcome To Fort Awesome to be representative of the music on the album. Alternative Champs make joke after exhausting joke lyrically and visually. But when stripped down it seems they are covering how incredible their music is. Go forth Alternative Champs, claim what is yours, but don’t keep your serious side buried in fake poo.

Classic Rock Magazine (Snatches of Pink - STAG) Chapel Hill, North Carolina's Snatches of Pink have been quietly conjuring up grand vistas of cosmic glitter rock for a decade now, miraulously surviving everything from the onslaught of grunge to dizzying bouts of near-fame, always emerging from the wreckage with a new batch of twisted tales to tell.

Sleazegrinder.com (Snatches of PInk - STAG)  ...Snatches of Pink return to the fray with Stag, a roughly-hewn collection of swirling, purple-powered glam rock that drawls and drowses in it’s quieter moments, and then suddenly awakens like a bull god with an appetite for destruction for the album’s victory dances..... Victory from the jaws of defeat, you know the story. It’s a good one.If there is any magic left in rock n’ roll, Snatches of Pink are in possession of it. Still.

metal wave (Snatches of PInk)  Today, the new album “Stag” is the proof that nothing was left to chance and that the true rock ‘n’ roll is the soul of this American band.

carbon 14 magazine (Snatches of PInk) These cats are fucking rockstars and I love 'em for it! From the first swaggering blast of overdriven guitar and slurred, raspy vocals I am made aware of how much I've missed Michael Rank and co. since their last appearance.

EBLOGGER - (Elevator Action) I'm told that I'm the first blogger to talk about Elevator Action, which surprises me. I was initially intrigued by one of their mp3s, a song called Modern Sickness. It's not hugely different from songs by a lot of bands that have sprung up in the wake of the Strokes' success, but I took note that during the chorus, at the exact point where you'd expect some catchy little pop-punk hook, Elevator Action's lead singer instead decides to start screaming his lungs out. Always a good sign. Incidentally, I don't want that word "Strokes" to scare you away...it really is a good tune.    More importantly, it lead me to their album It's Just Addiction. Where I discovered that Elevator Action are possessors of a seriously world-class lead singer (Eric Gilstrap, who can go from Bowie to Bonn Scott in an eyeblink) and a track called Come On, Hate Me which is my favorite song of the last week-or-so. It features an amazing Lydia Lunch impersonation on the chorus, presumably by their bass player Laurie Ruroden (who should -- hint hint hint -- sing more).

They've got great raw material (basically a blend of Bowie, early punk r.o.c.k., and AC/DC) and great snarly/snarky attitude. Ultimately it's going to come down to production (nothing exactly wrong with this album, but I think they can do better), songwriting (they need to up the quality about one notch), and a dedicated Johnny Thunders-style lead guitarist wouldn't hurt. But, It's Just Addiction is a verypromising start. Although the band say that their CMJ NYC show wasn't so hot, I'd guess that they can really rip shit up live on a good night.

New Brookland Tavern bill. K. Langston (The Talk) When I hear The Talk's It's Like Magic in Reverse, I think of Violet Beauregarde snatching that gum prototype from Willy Wonka and enthusiastically describing the different flavors that swept across her palette as she slowly turned into a giant blueberry. While this isn't to say Magic in Reverse turns you into a blueberry (though further testing might be needed), it will bedazzle you with its multitude of genres — touching upon '60s psychedelia and pop to '80s new wave/romance to '90s indie rock all with blazing speed. It's a bloody marvelous sound that recalls a more aggressive Olivia Tremor Control or experimental Death Cab for Cutie. Kilcoy, The Sammies and Counterfeit share this New Brookland Tavern bill. K. Langston

Jersey Beat Magazine (Snatches of Pink)
"Playing rock n' roll that transcends labels and inclusion in some type of sub-genre is growing increasingly difficult, unless you are Snatches of Pink."


Columbus Ledger Enquirer (The Talk)“A strong contender for album of the year and I don’t care that is only March”

Charleston Post & Courier (The Talk)
". . . a distinct talent for crafting a catchy melody … like something from the deepest, darkest reaches of New York City's punk scene…"
"equal parts The Strokes and Cheap Trick, with a punk edge that punches up both of those acts."