I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER - EP (released 11 - 2008)
Febuary - 2008
Nach dem ersten Album und zahllosen Maxis, EPs und Sampler-Beirägen erscheint von THE CHEEKS diese limitier-te 7-Inch mit einer Doppel-A-Seite, die es in sich hat: der Titeltrack ist ein Garagenrock-Hammondorgel-Stomper mit einschmeichelnder Melodie und hat wohl nichts mit dem gleichnamigen Horrorfilm zu tun, während der zweite Song einen Mittelweg aus 60er-Jahre-Poprock und Sha La La beschreitet. „On a night like this" ist von ähnlichem Kaliber wie der Titeltrack, und Song 4 mit dem schönen Namen „The ballad of Wioll-o-the-Whisp" erinnert an 60er-Garage-Bands. Mit am musikalischen Bord sind Leute von THE FUZZONES und THE MULTICOLORED SHADES. Vor allem die Orgel lässt mich etwas wehmütig an gute Indiepoprocker wie THE CHARLATANS und INSPIRAL CARPETS zurück denken. Sehr schön ist die Aufmachung der Scheibe: ein Klappcover im handgefertigten Siebdruck mit Goldfarbe – wow !
El Nico - Wahrschauer Magazine
March, 11 - 2008
This German five-piece employs a near perfect blend of organ, skewed pop harmonies and guitar to come up with a killer EP. Apparently their last album on the same label was a psych-pop thing but this updates the '60s beat genre with their own stamp. Singer Rono has a warm vocal that sits perfectly with their sound. They sound like an agreeable cross between The Strollers and The Stems. How they stayed under my wire so long (their first long-player was on Screaming Apple in 1997) I don't know but I want to hear more. You should know that Lana Loveland of The Fuzztones guested on organ and the black vinyl they pressed it on is thick enough to be a manhole cover.
4 and 1/2 bottles (out of 5) !!!!
1-94 BAR (Australia)
December - 2007
Nach ihrem 60s Pschedelic Pop Meisterwerk "Raw Countryside", widmen sich die CHEEKS wieder mehr der Garage, einschließlich härterem Gitarren-Sound, prägnantem Rhythmus und treibender Orgel, wobei sie im Gegensatz zu vielen anderen Bands aus dieser Ecke gekonnt mit ausgefeilten Gesangsharmonien arbeiten. Mit "I Know What You Did Last Summer" gibt es einen druckvollen 60s Punk Hit der Extraklasse, mit dabei LANA LOVELAND von den FUZZTONES an der Orgel. Mit "Memory Lane" folgt eine flotte, leicht 60s infizierte Powerpop Nummer, so eingängig und brillant vom Songwriting als hätte man es mit einem altbekannten Klassiker zu tun. Mit "On A Night Like This" und "The Ballad Of Will-O-The-Whisp" folgen noch 2 ausgefeilte und zugleich runde 60s Garage Perlen. Auf extrem schwerem Vinyl gepreßt, kommt die 7" mit farbiger Postkarte im schicken Siebdruckpostercover, und ist von Hand auf nur 500 Exemplare limitiert. Incognito Records and Mailorder
January - 2008
Pressed on some of the heaviest wax in recording history comes the newest 33rpm 7" vinyl by our beloved power pop & 60's heroes, THE CHEEKS!! All tracks are exclusive to this release & even Lana of the fab FUZZTONES plays organ on 2 tracks!! THE CHEEKS play better than ever & on this 4-track ep they are a lot more energetic than lately, insane guitars, wailing organ & tight drums!! The 7" comes in a special silkscreened postercover & as a handnumbered ed of 500 only!!!
Soundflat Records and Mailorder
RAW COUNTRYSIDE (released 10 - 2007)
January - 2007
It was one of those nights, I was surfing the world wide web, sipping some red wine and singing along with some tunes when all of a sudden I came across the website of my old friends - THE CHEEKS.I pressed the button to listen to "The Day They Closed the Countryside". What happened then is pretty hard to explain but, dear record-buyer, I'll try ...I used to play guitar with THE CHEEKS in the mid 90's! Five kids playing Highspeed-Powerpopin.. Punk in the tradition of THE PLIMSOULS, POINTED STICKS & THE ROMANTICS! Those were the days. We recorded an album and a bunch of singles and toured the world (... okay, maybe not the whole world). Great fun it was! But everything great ends sooner or later … so at one point I decided to quit the band and take on the hard work of a record-Mailorder-man.
But I kept an ear on the boys. Once in a while I saw them at one of their great shows. I saw new members come & go until their singer Kono was the only member of the original line-up. I heard new songs, some of them were great, some were kind of crap. But after all those years the band was getting better and better! I kept their fantastic album "ROYAL POP ELEVATION" on heavy rotation and really enjoyed the catchy tunes. But time went by and I lost contact until, one night, they played their home town (and my favourite city forever) - Solingen! That night I got blown away by their awesome show! I craved more!I was infected by the CHEEKS sound once again! And finally we are back: in my place with an empty bottle of red wine, still humming along to that CHEEKS tune ... one click changed my life!! I listened to it once, twice - then over & over again! Just put on the disc while you read this and you'll know what I mean! "Countryside" is a perfect pop song! The melody sticks in your brain & you'll be singing along after the first 10 seconds! You'll notice new bits & pieces every time you hear that song, every instrument played with such skill it'll bring tears to your eyes! It's the perfect soundtrack for your long gone love, your latest flame or the one yet to be! The Now-Sound! But-dear friends- tell me why don..t they play music in the style of our beloved CHEEKS on nowadays radio?! While continuing listening to their RAW COUNTRYSIDE album, you will hear another 12 examples of how much I miss coolness and taste in today..s music industry.But YOU! As a buyer of this album you can be assured you do right! Now listen to the CHEEKS.. wonderful world of Pop! And you know what?You will feel better afterwards! Believe me...Yours sincerely,
Lutz Soundflat