Shambles REVIEWS and Press - Check back often for updates. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Use Browser Back Button to return to News Page or enter the following to go to the main menu - http://www.geocities.com/shamblesrule/index.html See the official Shambles website, www.theshambles.net, www.myspace.com/theshambles, http://www.myspace.com/blindspotrecordssd, for more news, reviews and information ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Anna Troy and Spring Collection Reviews in the San Diego Troubadour: http://www.sandiegotroubadour.com/content/cdreviews/cdreviews.aspx ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shambles in San Diego Reader music section: http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2008/dec/01/hot-concerts-this-week-k23-orchest ra-farewell-show/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- North County Times review: http://trageser.com/music/album-shambles.php ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "20 Explosive Hits" The Shambles Black Cherry Group Any other group recording songs such as the Who's "Is It in My Head?" or Elton John's "Harmony" as part of a CD of covers would likely title the album something along the lines of "Lost Nuggets." But such is the off-center musical taste of the members of San Diego's resident modsters the Shambles that the title "20 Explosive Hits" on their new collection of covers is probably not even ironic. They do a nice job of capturing the '60s vibe of most of the songs here ---- the guitars jangle and the vocal harmonies are spot-on. The songs come from the 1950s (Connie Francis!) through the '90s (a cover of Oasis' "She's Electric"), but everything they tackle is filtered through their mod sensibility ---- there isn't a track here that wouldn't fit comfortably on an Austin Powers soundtrack. The most intriguing track is the last, a live medley of hits from San Diego bands, taking in Iron Butterfly's "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida," the Cascades' "Rhythm of the Rain," "Meant to Live" by Switchfoot and the Monroes' "What Do All the People Know?" It's a nice, enthusiastic nod to some of the biggest bands to come out of San Diego. B+ -North County Times 20 Explosive Hits The Shambles The Shambles' fifth full-length release is a loving tribute to the classic K-Tel multi-artist albums of the 1970's! “20 Explosive Hits”, is a bit of a misleading title since it gathers 21 prime cover tunes from throughout their career, plus a 4-song medley. With their catalog currently out of print, this is the only way to find them putting their stamp on songs by The Who ("Is It In My Head"), Jeremy ("It's Getting Better"), Squire ("Does Stephanie Know?"), Oasis ("She's Electric"), The Monkees ("Daily Nightly"), The Beatles ("Fixing A Hole"), The Jam ("But I'm Different Now"), The Zombies ("You Make Me Feel Good"), Connie Francis ("Warm This Winter"), The Understones ("It's Going To Happen"), Ringo Starr ("Snookeroo"), Rain Parade ("You Are My Friend"), The Birds ("Leavin' Here"), The Raspberries ("Might As Well") and more! Many of the tracks make an appearance on a Shambles release for the first time, with the whole thing capped off by the band’s infamous “San Diego Medley” live aural compilation of San Diego related hit songs ("In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida", "Rhythm Of The Rain", "Meant To Live", and "What Do All The People Know"). The rough medley was taped, off the cuff, at the end of a session at Strate Sound Studios, for FM94.9’s "Pyles Sessions" show, helmed by Tim Pyles. GREAT!!!! -Kool Kat Music Distribution / USA 20 Explosive Hits The Shambles The Shambles are back with a new release for 2008!!! These San Diego giants have just made one of the best albums of their career. Amazingly, they are one of the best power pop bands on the planet and here on "20 Explosive Hits" the band take on all cover songs doing a superb job. They make the songs all their own covering diverse artists such as... The Monkees, The Turtles, The Who, Neil Diamond, The Raspberries, Jeremy, Oasis, The Jam, The Birds, Rain Parade, Sam Phillips, Elton John, Ringo Starr, The Beatles, The Zombies, and many others. You won't be disappointed with this album. Ironically, "20 explosive Hits" actually has 22 tracks!!! The album is crammed packed with one great hit after another done only as The Shambles can do! Buy it now while supplies last!!!! It's Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreat!!! -JAM Distribution / USA 20 Explosive Hits The Shambles Information: The Shambles are back with a new release for 2008!!! With this release the band take on all cover songs...The Monkees, The Turtles, The Who, Neil Diamond, The Raspberries, Jeremy, The Jam, The Birds, Rain Parade, Sam Phillips, Elton John, Ringo Starr, The Beatles, The Zombies, and many others. Finally, "20 explosive Hits" actually has 22 tracks!!! Price: £12.99 Product Code: SHAX3 - Heyday Distribution / England Miscellaneous Press: Staring at the Sun, Dave Humphries, Anna Troy Press! 03/26/08 Citybeat - gives the SATSVI show a nice mention in the "Nightgeist" column. Dave Humphries album is also reviewed. 03/27/08 Night & Day - devotes half of George Varga’s column to the show and we have to mention Anna Troy’s wonderful article in the San Diego Union 2/10/08 - San Diego Union - by George Varga Both the Casbah and M-Theory Records also highlighted thier mailouts with the show. March 2008 Pacific Magazine – Bart interviewed on favorite clothing w/pic of “Forty One Sixty” February 10, 2008 Union Tribune article about Anna Troy. Bart has a mention. http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080210/news_1a10viewm.html Press May 2007 San Diego Metropolitan Newspaper – The Shambles get a name check in an article about San Diego Soundscape June 2007 The Troubadour - An excellent picture of The Shambles at Artwalk, is on the Troubadours back page of the June Issue (w/ Dave Howard cover story) June 12 Citybeat – The bands show at House of Blues on June 19 rates as Plan B, to Norah Jones Plan A. June 14 SignOn San Diego – Street – An article about Dizzy’s temporary shut down includes a pic of the band on it’s stage. July The Troubadour - The Shambles get a blurb and a pic in a story on IPO. July 2007 Misty Lane – Bart interview on The Shambles July 19 Sign On San Diego -The Shambles get a name check in an article on this years Pride celebration July 27 Ansia De Color – The Shambles have an article with pic, plus a song on the accompanying CD October 4 The Reader – Bart is interviewed in an article on San Diego music history, specifically on Wings 1976 concert. October 11 2007 The Reader – The band is name checked in an article on Adam Gimbel’s Music trivia night November 2007 The Troubadour – two pictures of the band in “Local Seen.” ONLINE: Hipcrank.com: I WOULD WRITE A THOUSAND WORDS (The Beautiful Music) Volume two of an expected (gasp) ten volume tribute set to the much loved Television Personalities, picks up exactly where Volume One left off: cramming tewnty-something disparate tracks by a surprising range of performers, then sneaking in a bonus disc just in case your TVP fix wasn't complete. Which, for folks out of the know, begs the question: what the hell is going on here, who the hell are the Television Personalities, and does Pearl Jam know about this? Well, anyone hearing the hypnotizing clever quirk pop emanating from Dan Treacy will set you straight. There's just something magical about the tunes, something that begs anyone with any musical leanings to play the damn stuff. So here we are: Volume Two and we're barely getting started. Bookended by two wonderful versions of "If I Could Write Poetry" (the dreamy stringed section version by The Shambles, and the stark dreamy version by the late Nikki Sudden), Volume 2 craftily mixes new and old performances, known and osbcure, fun and serious. It's a wonderful mix of excellent performances, daring versions and some charmingly iffy moments (all much like the TVP themselves), and a testament to the power and diversity of one of Britain's most overlooked songsmiths (Dan Treacy). Keep up your collection whatever you do. 03/22/07 North County Times - "The Young Idea: A Tribute to Squire" Review featuring both The Shambles and Spring Collection. 03/31/07 North County Times - Bart gets a name check in a review of Rachael Gordon's new album, "Rock 'n' Roll Girl" 04/18/07 Citybeat Plan A SLSD3 04/19/07 San Diego Union Tribune / Night & Day SLSD3 + pic of Anna Troy ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Staring at The Sun V Project Press (band related interviews): 02/21/07 Downtown News (SATSV Overview + pic of Anna Troy) 02/21/07 Citybeat Plan A 02/21/07 North County Times (interview plus pic of Bart & Chuck) 02/22/07 San Diego Union Tribune / Night & Day Also of Note 02/22/07 Peninsula Beacon (SATSV Overview + pic of Anna Troy) 02/28/07 Citybeat Plan A 03/08/07 Downtown News (SATSV Overview + pics of Four Eyes, Berkley Hart) 03/01/07 Presidio Sentinel 04/01/07 Presidio Sentinel (album review + interview) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- North County Times review of the Squire Tribute cd: http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/03/22/entertainment/music/10_25_233_21_07.txt POP/ROCK B+ "The Young Idea: A Pop Tribute to Anthony Meynell and Squire" Various artists Twistus3 Records A tribute to a fairly obscure revival band? Only the mods could come up with such a concept ---- and pull it off with such a fresh, fun sound. In the late '70s and early '80s, a mod revival was reinterpreting the sounds of the mid-'60s Who and Small Faces with punk and new wave influences. While the Jam was the best-known of the mod revivalists, there were plenty of less-famous bands at the time ---- among them one Anthony Meynell and his band, Squire. Formed in Guildford, England, in the late '70s, Squire put out a series of singles before breaking up. In 1985, Meynell moved to San Diego, where he joined up with the still-booming mod revival going on here. But by the late '80s, even mod-friendly San Diego was no longer the hub it once had been and the mod revival scene had basically died out, the once-young hip modsters grown up. Grown up, perhaps, but still modsters at heart. San Diego's Bart Mendoza and his band, the Shambles, are among the more than a dozen bands on "The Young Idea," a new tribute to Squire. Every song was written by Meynell, and the bands range from San Diego to Australia to Meynell's native England. The production is consistently top-notch throughout, and the arrangements have that bright, sunny pop-rock sound that defines mod. And then there's this: Meynell wrote some really terrific little pop songs. Maybe they didn't get on the mainstream charts, but there's a reason a dozen bands from around the world were willing to donate time and energy to re-recording these tunes. The Shambles, one of the bands featured on this album, perform Tuesday (March 27, 2007) at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach. ---- Jim Trageser ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Shambles have a mention in this Dagger review: http://www.indiepages.com/dagger/reviews.html (see the Reviews section dated 02/06/06) V/A- INTO THE JET STREAM OF POP- THE BEAUTIFUL MUSIC- Reviewed the Television Personalities tribute cd (that these folks released ) last week and here’s another fine release from this Canadian label. It looks like one of the Jet Set comps that Siesta Records released (or something on the el’ label) with shots of Pan Am jets, stewardesses straight offa Carnaby Street and a batch of cool music. And when you can get together a stable of pop bands as delicious as The Loch Ness Mouse (Norway), June Brides (UK), Shambles (USA), The Higher Elevations (Sweden) and NYC’s The Baskervilles then you know your great to lame ratio is gonna be pretty high. I also discovered a few new faves here in the likes of Summer Factory and Sugarplum. The Beautiful Music label is off to a great start. ( www.thebeautifulmusic.com ) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Review of The Spring Collection from Dagger website - http://www.indiepages.com/dagger/reviews.html 12/10/05 Reviews section: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE SPRING COLLECTION- S/T- BLINDSPOT- I’m always amazed at bands who manage to come up with fresh songs doing the classic Beatles/Beach Boys/Byrds format of jangly pop. In essence , you could say, yes, it has ! all been done before but a great song is a great song and a solid batch of 16 songs is a solid batch of 16 songs and San Diego’s The Spring Collection have done it in glowing fashion. The band is led by singer/songwriter Joe Mendoza (his brother Bart, also in The Shambles among other bands, plays bass ) the band has their chops down and Joe seems to come up with a never-ending supply of chewy hooks for us listeners to sink our buck teeth into. “On and On”, “Something Happened”, “You’re the One”, “Going Away”, the list goes on and on. If you like the type of music usually championed on labels like Not lame, Paisley Pop, Jam, and the like then this will indeed perk your ears up. (mendozab@juno.com ) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Review by Lee Zimmerman from the September/October 2005, Issue 50 of Amplifier Magazine, page 71: Various Artists Jam On Jeremy Ear Theory This is your life, Jeremy Morris! At least that's what it sounds like from the glowing verbal accolades that kick off this tribute to one of power pop's most gifted pundits. While the admirers focus on Morris' generosity of spirit, the 14 songs that follow center the attention on the music itself; a lush, breathlessly effervescent sound that betrays a variety of classic references. Lisa Mychols' "Pop Rules" sound like a dead-on redo of "R.O.C.K. in The U.S.A." while The Shambles' take on "It's Getting Better" recasts the Who's version of "Summertime Blues," retaining the roar of it's Keith Moon-like percussion. On the other hand, while "Highway To Heaven" may be reminiscent of the ACDC anthem, The Ringles' rendition of the Morris song suggests a road with simpler access. In fact, as Herb Eimerman, Phil Angotti, and the rest of this devoted assemblage make clear, these songs are more about beauty than bluster. "You're Not Alone" tugs a the heartstrings, "Happy Helmut" is lush and effusive, and "Love Is Alive" reflects its reassuring moniker. In these troubled times, such sunny sentiments are a welcome respite. Jam on Jeremy, indeed. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From Eric Sorensen's August 2005 column at fufkin.com: Does San Diego pop icon Bart Mendoza ever rest? Bart was kind enough to send me another compilation of recent recordings by the Spring Collection, Rachel Gordon, Static Halo, Mission to Mars and several of Bart's solo demos. There is no shortage of jangly riffs on the featured songs. Pop fans should keep an eye out for forthcoming releases that will include the works of the aforementioned artists. "Better With You" by the Spring Collection is pure pop confection. Long may you run, Sir Bart … and mates! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Shambles "All Sorts" was included in Anya Marina's 20 "Recommended from FM94.9" in the July 2005 issue of Music Matters Magazine, page 26. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Shambles turn up twice in John Borack's Distortion column featured in Amplifier Magazine #49 July-Aug 2005 both times as mentions about their contributions to recent tribute albums for Jeremy Morris and Neil Diamond. In regard to the Neil Diamond Tribute, "The only reasons to pick up the otherwise dreadful (album)." According to Borack, Jeremy Morris is the other contender. That same issue sports these words from Borack on the Spring Collections' debut album. The review explains more: "Ending this issues raving is a BIG thumbs up to the Spring Collection, whose self titled album is sure to be a contender for top ten honors come the end of the year. Led by singer/songwriter Joe Mendoza (his brother Bart, of mod popsters The Shambles, guests on bass), the Collection specializes in chiming, charming powerpop, combining early Byrds like guitars with Shoes-y vocals to create quite the creamy dreamy concoction. 16 tracks of wholesome pop goodness, sent from the heavens. Plus, it features a kick *** power pop cover of Eric Clapton's "Wonderful Tonight" to boot! Get this one, trust me." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Spring Collection "The Spring Collection" (Blindspot Records) What we have here is a very promising debut album from an Encinitas, California band that pops in all the right places at all the right times. Armed with an impressive pedigree, The Spring Collection stars the talents of singer and songwriter Joe Mendoza, guitarist Derek Duplessie of The Rarities and drummer Mike Kamoo, whose resume involves stints with The Stereotypes and The Melanies. As well, Joe's brother, Bart Mendoza of Manual Scan and The Shambles fame, appears on the disc, playing bass and providing background vocals. Each track on "The Spring Collection" is strong, honest and inspired. A crack combination of infectious energy and catchy hooks rule the turf on power popping tunes such as "But I Did" and "A Little Bit Of Me." A plumped up cover of Eric Clapton's "Wonderful Tonight" also graces the record. If bands like The Searchers, The Byrds and Gin Blossoms ring your senses, then you're sure to appreciate "The Spring Collection" and its many charms. Beverly Paterson / Twist & Shake July 2005 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Mike Bennett's June 2005 column at fufkin.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Various Artists -- Jam On Jeremy (Ear Theory): Starting off with Lisa Mychols' fine take on "Pop Rules", this album radiates happy melodic vibes, with plenty of guitars. Then there's the excellent work turned in by Lolas (who are part of Jeremy's Jam Records stable), who, by law, should be required to appear on all power pop tribute albums. The riff-a-riffic "I'm Flying" is tailor made for the ebullient sound of Tim Boykin and crew. Phil Angotti is another Jam Records artist who scores, as the gentle "Love is Alive" is in the vein of Badfinger...or for that matter, Angotti. Kat Parsons gives Jeremy the piano chanteuse treatment on "You're Not Alone", which is an anthem of empathy that provides strong insight into Morris as a person. Pretty sentiments, lovingly rendered. But Jeremy is a rocker, and The Shambles provide proof with "It's Getting Better", infusing some Who doing "Summertime Blues" into the proceedings. jamrecordings.com Copyright © 2000-2005 Fufkin.com. All Rights Reserved. | P.O. Box 7420, Ft. Lauderdale, FL USA 33338-7420 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Eric Sorensen's June 2005 column at fufkin.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ear Theory Recordings has just released a fifteen-track tribute to Jeremy, entitled Jam On Jeremy. It goes without saying that there are plenty of chiming, ringing guitars on the tribute disc tracks. My favorites include "Chain Reaction" by Ed James, "It's Getting Better" by the Shambles, "Highway To Heaven" By the Ringles, "I'm Flying" by the Lolas and "Walking In The Sunshine" by Herb Eimerman. A big thumb's up to Gary Pig Gold, the artists and the indie pop personalities who contributed lovingly to this upbeat compilation! Copyright © 2000-2005 Fufkin.com. All Rights Reserved. | P.O. Box 7420, Ft. Lauderdale, FL USA 33338-7420 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ from Dagger #36, Spring 2005 issue: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ V/A WEST OF EDEN - ZIP - The usually reliable Zip Records is back with yet another comp, this time you have 17 songs by California bands. It's not all the labels familiar power-pop either. You have more rock stuff from The Muffs, Carlos!, and The Paranoids. More Power- pop stuff from The Well-Wishers, The Shambles, and Caroline NO and then something in-between from PersEPhone's Bees, Fields of Gaffney, and The Chantigs. Nice variations on the pop format. (www.ziprecords.com) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Eric Sorensen's May 2005 column at fufkin.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Two recent tribute discs with catchy cover tracks are A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You: An Indie Tribute to Neil Diamond and Friends And Lovers: Songs of Bread. My favorite cuts from the Neil Diamond tribute disc are "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" by Jeremy Morris, "Thank The Lord For The Nighttime" by the Shambles and "Cherry, Cherry" by Danny Dean & The Homewreckers. The top song on the Bread tribute disc is Ken Stringfellow's version of "Down On My Knees." Speaking of the Shambles, the prolific Bart Mendoza has been busy with tribute tracks (including "Whatever Happened To Saturday Night" for the forthcoming Buffalo Springfield tribute disc), a kiddie track entitled "Wouldn't You Like To Be A Bear?" for a San Diego fundraiser disc, and other original tracks. With Bart busy in the recording studio, no one should doubt whether pop music is alive and well in San Diego! Copyright © 2000-2005 Fufkin.com. All Rights Reserved. | P.O. Box 7420, Ft. Lauderdale, FL USA 33338-7420 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Eric Sorensen's April 2005 column at fufkin.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Another compilation, Any Time Any Wave, features 18 artists doing versions of songs from the New Wave era. My favorite tracks are "Oliver's Army" by the Imposibles and "Does Stephanie Know?" by the Shambles. Long may you run, Sir Bart Mendoza! Copyright © 2000-2005 Fufkin.com. All Rights Reserved. | P.O. Box 7420, Ft. Lauderdale, FL USA 33338-7420 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- More Recent Review Excerpts: …"Warm This Winter" by The Shambles surges forth as another outstanding track on the collection, with its assured delivery and pronounced hooks…” - Beverly Paterson reviews the track from This is R ‘n’ R Radio Music Dish March 12 2005 San Diego's The Shambles are one of pop's hidden secrets, and this Bart Mendoza led band doesn't disappoint with the short and sweet heavenly jangle of "All Sorts". – Mike Bennett reviews the West of Eden track in the Fufkin Capsule Reviews April 2005 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- John Borack's review of THIS IS ROCK AND ROLL RADIO from the Feb. 2005 edition of fufkin.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Various Artists: This is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 1 (JAM Records) This one's a 29-track collection of juicy power pop nuggets from various members of the indie pop underground. In addition to being an ace CD in its own right, it also serves as a nifty companion to a cooler-than-cool radio show called THIS IS ROCK 'N' ROLL RADIO, broadcast on Sunday nights from 9:00pm - midnight (EST) on WXXE in Syracuse, NY and on the web at www.wxxe.org. The perpetrators of the show---and the fine CD---are veteran music journalist/all-around swell guy Carl Cafarelli and his trusty sidekick Dana Bonn, who have loaded up THIS IS ROCK AND ROLL RADIO, VOLUME 1 with song after song of punchy guitars, shiny harmonies and melodies that are catchier than (insert your favorite cliche here). Many of the genre's top artists are present and accounted for, including late, lamented Australian pop titans DM3 (who offer up the mighty "1 x 2 x Devastated"), Jamie Hoover and Bill Lloyd (the slinky "Screen Time"), the Flashcubes (Cafarelli's longtime fave rave, who contribute a rockin' 'lil homage called "Carl, You Da Man"), Chris von Sneidern (the super-catchy "Lonely Tonight") and The Lolas (the previously-unreleased "Sticker"). Other favorites on TIRARR are San Diego mod-popsters The Shambles, whose speedy "Warm This Winter" may just be the best thing they've ever done; The Kennedys' sprightly, faithful cover of The Beatles' "And Your Bird Can Sing," which is fortified by Maura Kennedy's sexy vocals; Jeremy Morris' heartfelt "What God Wants"; The Finkers' chiming, charming "Last Thing on My Mind"; and an alternate version of the Rooks' "Sometimes," which is grittier and punchier than the original take. Oh, and some group called The Popdudes also make an appearance with the Robbie Rist-sung "Desperation Time." All in all, a great CD that fans of the power pop genre and newbies alike should enjoy. Copyright © 2000-2005 Fufkin.com. All Rights Reserved. | P.O. Box 7420, Ft. Lauderdale, FL USA 33338-7420 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Review of WEST OF EDEN by Rick Schadelbauer from Amplifier Magazine #46, Jan/Feb 2005 issue --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Though California is still a golden state of mind, finding its true essence is definitely more complex than it was in the days when the brothers Wilson sang of sun, sand and surf. The California sound is far less easily defined now as well – long gone is the time when one could drop the needle on a Mamas and Papas record and practically feel the warmth of the sun and smell the citrus groves. San Francisco-based Zip Records has come as close as anybody to capturing the essence of the dawn-of-the-21st century left coast sound on West of Eden, a seventeen-track bolt of sunshine (on such a winter's day). In the "wish they all could be California girls" department, Ana Waronker's "California Fade" recalls Susana Hoffs minus the litlle girl vocal affections, and the Muff's "Even Now" sails along on Kim Shattuck's near perfect pop voice. Lisa Mychols' farfisa-fueled "Out of My Mind", with its gritty, distorted vocals, rocks harder than almost anything else in her formidable recorded oeuvre. Not to be outdone by the ladies, power pop veterans The Rubinoos contribute their take on Burt Bacharach's "My Little Red Book" – though uncharacteristically keyboard driven, it's still unmistakably the 'noos. The Well Wishers' "Something on Your Mind" is a melodic tip of the Stetson to the Bakersfield sound. Best of all, though, is The Shambles' "All Sorts", which brilliantly ties together everything wonderful about the California sound – jangly guitars, ethereal harmonies, wryly sarcastic lyrics – in a tidy two minutes thirty-eight seconds. http://www.ziprecords.com for more info or pick it up from Not Lame or Jam Recordings! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Reviews of What You're Missing and Chelsea Smiles from Torpedo Records http://www.torpedopop.com/reviewss.htm ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE SHAMBLES What You're Missing [Snap] The addition to the title of this album says “a collection of out of print rarities, hard to find album tracks, outtakes, demos and live recordings” which gives a pretty clear idea that this is a must-have for the fans, but it's also a good introduction of the Shambles' musical profile for the uninformed. One of their most obvious characteristics is the combination of the most diverse '60s influences painted with a bit of some modern shades with a special emphasis on minor chords which results in a recognizable sound besides the obvious inspirations. David Bash, one of the renowned journalists of the modern pop order, gave a very picturesque comment on the visual effect that the band left on him and it was something like this: “Bart Mendoza (voc./guitar) would be easy to imagine in the Yardbirds' '65 line up, Mark Z. (bass), the embodyment of Paul Kantner's "surrealistic" picture from '67 and Kevin Donaker Ring (solo guitar) as an image of some '69-prog band member who'd just discovered the thrill of recording albums of seven (?!?!)-songs equally disposed over the double vinyl”. During his career, Mendoza earned the tag of one of the most important faces in the process of forming the San Diego neo-mod/sixties/power-pop scene, while the Shambles represent some kind of a culmination, gathering the members from a couple of it's most important bands (The Manual Scan, The Tell-Tale Hearts, The Crawdaddys, The Hoods ...) with the ever-changing drum stool men. Besides the eight years long career, thanks to their uncompromising attitude and the non-understanding labels, The Shambles' discography is made only of two albums consisting of recordings from various periods (one of them is a Japan-only release!) and countless compilation and tribute-album appearances all over the world. This is a collection of those “throw overs” with a couple of covers that perfectly represent the variety of influences like The Birds' version of the mod-classic Leaving Here, the pure pop of The Merseys' Sorrow , the Count Five's garage-punk dynamite Psychotic Reaction, some '70s jewels like the Raspberries' Might As Well, the quadrophenic Is It In My Head, Elton John's Harmony surprise or the post-new wave classics But I'm Different Now by The Jam and It's Going To Happen by the Undertones. Of course, the real treasure of the album are Bart's originals, the mod-pop wonders Innocence Becomes You and (She's used to playing with) Fire with a moderate amount of r'n'b ingredients, comparable to the similar Zombie-efforts (I Love You, Indication, Whenever You're Ready...), the funky-charged bullet called Changes, worthy of THE “revolver” and Paul's most inspirative bass parts, The Wonders' inspired A Short Spiral (Will Tell) , Delve Into Everything, intended for the Monkees reanimation and two more great Squire-tributes, Does Stephanie Know and It's Mod Mod world. If you think that your time has gone away some 35 years ago, The Shambles are exactly “What You're Missing”! GORAN OBRADOVIC / POPISM ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE SHAMBLES Chelsea Smiles (and more) [Snap] Even though it's a re-release of a six-song E.P. from 1997, this album will surely find it's place on many year lists, because of the whole bunch of bonuses, and even extra bonuses, adding a brand new musical experience. Like always, The Shambles keep that fine line between being a sixteez revival band and a regular moderndaze act, and therefore fulfiling the desires of both moptop-heads and contemporary power-pop fans, and still digging that recognisable “Graham gouldmines” of no-chorus pop concept. The first half of the audience is treated with the band's exceptional Zombiefied sense of Brit-melodies, combined with the U.S. garage sounds, realised through the tunes like A Short Spiral, recalling the r'n'beat of “some other guys”, The Waiting Game, sounding like a sophisticated take on mid-'60s punk, complete with the genre-defining guitar riff, or the bluesy-pop sound of Child's Play, spiced with some fine bass-rolling by Mark Z. On the other hand, the classic power-pop fans will find themselves move to the groove of Blurs Somewhere, Fear or Grace Intervenes. The covers-section mirrors a real fine record collection. When covering a song like The Turtles' Happy Together, equaling the original is not likely to happen too often, and that's exactly what happens here! Then, there's an almost obvious choice for a band like this, but ........ they're clever enough to chose the Betty Everett original of You're No Good instead of the 'Jeans moody Merseybeat version, making it not so obvious after all. I don't know about you, but only 50 seconds of Sonny Curtis' Love Is All Around are more than enough to make my day, and while we're still back in time, there's the fellow San Diegans', The Cascades' Rhythm Of The Rain, here in it's ultimate folky-pop rendition, as well as Mike Nesmith's “revolver” called Daily Nightly. Climbing up the time-ladder, you'll also hear generous tributes to the likes of Los Bravos, Interview and even Oasis and The Cardigans. Anyway, there's such a variety of sounds goin' on here, that you just can't miss with this record. It will surely make you smile no matter if you're in Chelsea or wherever in the world! GORAN OBRADOVIC / POPISM ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Spring Collection mention from Eric Sorensen's top cds of 2004 list: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE SPRING COLLECTION - The Spring Collection (self-released; available from Not Lame) Joe Mendoza, with help from brother Bart (of the Shambles), has released an exceptional disc that is overflowing with jangly tracks - including a Byrdsian version of Eric Clapton's "Wonderful Tonight." Think Shoes, Records and Shambles. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Spring Collection review from Eric Sorensen's January 2005 column: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Spring Collection - by the Spring Collection. I cannot say enough about this terrific disc! The album cover and insert photos picture an assortment of Rickenbacker guitars and an acoustic 12-string guitar - so this is a clue regarding the contents. Joe Mendoza, with support from brother Bart Mendoza (of the Shambles), is the driving force in this band - that, too, is a clue regarding the contents. This disc jangles from start to finish - with two tracks that will compete for Song of the Month honors ("But, I Did" and "Wonderful Tonight" - a power pop take on Eric Clapton's ballad). America's Finest City has provided the indie pop community with an album that truly represents the sunshine pop of Southern California. Long may you run, Sir Joe and bandmates! Copyright © Fufkin.com. All Rights Reserved. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Eric Sorensen's review of Rachael Gordon's "The Coming of Spring" in the February 2003 issue of his column at fufkin.com: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "The Coming of Spring - by Rachel Gordon. Move over Sam Phillips, Aimee Mann, Susanna Hoffs, Maura Kennedy and Amy Rigby … and make room for another refreshing female voice in the indie pop ranks. Rachel Gordon has released a 14-song debut disc that is a pop fan’s delight … and three-fourths of the tunes feature jangly and chiming guitar riffs! That makes this a highly captivating disc. Rachel gets plenty of studio support from an All-Star San Diego cast that includes Bart Mendoza, Ray Brandes, Hector Penalosa and A.J. Croce. “Hearts Will Be Broken,” by John Wicks and the Records, is among the cover tunes included on the album; several “Starry Eyes” riffs are also sprinkled into “Almost.” The Coming of Spring is a joy to listen to. The combination of Rachel’s great voice, a terrific selection of mid-tempo tunes, and lots of jangly guitars should hook plenty of fans for Ms. Gordon. Kudos to the indie label Sounds of Subterrania (www.soundsofsubterrania.com) for releasing this gem of an album." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------