JamBase Album Review This is rock with a direct line back to the nasty blues, jump tunes, and country boogie that birthed the whole damn genre. Untamed, direct, and bristling with hairy masculinity, Lions In The Street play rock like the cause it is…that is when you do it right. "All you gotta do is tow the line/ All you gotta do is not be wrong," they caution just seconds before exploding in a fab display of ill behaved jamming culminating in the pronouncement, "You'll never get me to play this game anymore!" Playing nice is for cubicle workers, and Vancouver's Lions happily strap on the mantle handed down by Little Richard, the Robinson Brothers, etc. The classic rock touchstone they most recall is the Faces, where wildness and smart control wrestle inside their music, a full throated, perfectly reckless singer saturated with soul right out front as the piano shakes, guitars sting and weave, and the beat goes on and on. Rod, Ronnie, and the rest of those liquored up should-have-been-kings would be dead proud to have produced this grand slab. The songwriting is primo, gut-level gold, the execution even better, and the production clean – the sound of a pure rock 'n' roll beast on the prowl. Thursday, October 22nd, 2009 We’ve heard it a million times: rock & roll is dead. The idea of using three or four chords to bash out feel-good riffola with lyrics that commemorate sex, hard times, triumph and heartbreak is so passé it makes skiffle seem revelatory. The pundits who endlessly push this notion point to the charts for support – if the almost sublimely derivative JET is all we’ve got to prove the form’s vitality, we are indeed in deep tiger poop. Real music fans (i.e. the ones who will actually seek out the good stuff, instead of just passively accepting what the radio and Hollywood song placement execs tell them is worth hearing) know the death of rock & roll has been highly exaggerated. It doesn’t take much scratching at the surface of the music industry to reveal a plethora of good-to-great rock & roll bands. It may be more of an underground phenomenon in an age when hip-hop, electrodancepop and über-ironic indie rock rule, but it’s there, it’s vital and it’s coming to your town, baby. Which brings us to LIONS IN THE STREET. A gang of rock & roll true believers in whose veins run powerful strains of the ROLLING STONES, the FACES, the FLYING BURRITO BROTHERS and CHUCK BERRY, the Vancouver quartet lays down a supreme riff-rocking groove on its self-titled debut album as if it has no choice. “Already Gone,” “Shangri-La” and “Hey Hey Arlene” rip-roar with the skill of veterans and the enthusiasm of teenagers. “Lady Blue” and “How Could I Be So Blind” tear hearts from sleeves and lay them, still beating, at the feet of the nearest maiden. “Truer Now” incorporates country music without being remotely trendy or condescending about it. “You’re Gonna Lose” blends in the blues without succumbing to blues rock clichés. Recorded mostly live in a room, the tracks crackle with the kind of energy you can only get from musicians actually interacting with each other. There’s nothing self-consciously retro about Lions in the Street – this is a groove and a sound that’s completely organic, played with fire and conviction in the manner of young men who have no choice but to rock it like they walk it. There’s innovation and there’s carrying on the tradition. The latter can be a refuge for lazy artists who find it easier to simply ape the past, but in the hands of the kind of desperate, passionate musicians like the boys in Lions in the Street, it’s damn near revolution. Album Reviews Lions In The Street Self-Titled herohill.com Tuesday, September 29th, 2009 Album Reviews Lions In The Street: Lions In The Street Here Comes Flood: A Weblog About Music Tuesday, September 29th, 2009 Hot Young Singles montrealgazette.com --Bernard Perusse Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009 New Tune: Hey Hey Arlene by Lions In The Street ickmusic.com Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009 Under The Radar: Lions In The Street Dr. Bristol's Prescription Sunday, July 5th, 2009 The Big Takeover Reviews 'Mixtape' EP bigtakeover.com --Michael Toland Sunday, March 8th, 2009 Once known as the Years and signed to the currently bankrupt TVT Records, LIONS IN THE STREET left behind an onerous deal and a debut LP thrust into limbo for artistic freedom and a new life as an independent rock & roll unit. The band put the excellent Cat Got Your Tongue EP out in 2006 on its own Hand to Mouth label; after a couple of years of roadwork and recording, the Vancouver quartet releases another aperitif as it readies the new version of its first album. The Mixtape EP, available as a download from the quartet’s website, combines tunes recorded with producer DAVE COBB for the aborted TVT album with a demo and a preview of the upcoming full-length. “Shangri-La,” the latter, is a primo ass-kicker, the kind of tune the ROLLING STONES haven’t been able to knock out since Exile On Main Street. The other four songs, whether rocking (“Never Make a Fool Out of Me”), rolling (“Oh Carolina”) or romancing (“Still the Same”), are damn near as good, especially the brooding ballad “Ruthless.” Worth every megabyte, especially for fans of rock & roll in the style of the Stones and the FACES.Once known as the Years and signed to the currently bankrupt TVT Records, LIONS IN THE STREET left behind an onerous deal and a debut LP thrust into limbo for artistic freedom and a new life as an independent rock & roll unit. The band put the excellent Cat Got Your Tongue EP out in 2006 on its own Hand to Mouth label; after a couple of years of roadwork and recording, the Vancouver quartet releases another aperitif as it readies the new version of its first album. Stingray of the Day: Lions In The Street - Walking Back to You herohill.com Tuesday, February 29th, 2009 "...but you called me back again, just in the nick of time." Walking Back to You by Lions In The Street irockcleveland.com Tuesday, February 17th, 2009 Lions In The Street captainsdead.com Tuesday, February 17th, 2009 Lions In The Street ickmusic.com Monday, February 16th, 2009 Mayer's Playlist for February 2009 Part 1 twangville.com Tuesday, February 17th, 2009 Lions In The Street Cat Got Your Tongue exclaim.ca Vancouver is known for its sticky icky, and this pack of retro rockers both look and sound as if they were raised eating the stuff for breakfast. But let’s not confuse these longhairs as total stoners, because their EP titled Cat Got Your Tongue is anything but a drug-fuelled mess — they can most certainly down a bottle of JD when they need to as well. This free five-track download (including artwork to boot) reveals a band remarkably in touch with their parents’ record collection; from the cheese cutters and tight-ass denim on the CD cover to the rotation of slow groove ballads and blistering humdingers they pump out genuinely, they exude the glory of ’70s rock’n’roll. According to their blog they even have a great history: done wrong by a major label down in L.A. and pursued by production heavyweights like Bob Ezrin and Todd Rundgren — two dudes that could turn LITS into proverbial rock stars. A smattering of Exile On Main Street rings throughout frolicking boogies like “Mine Ain’t Yours,” and their ability to pen a decent ballad (check “Lady Blue” and “Feels Like A Long Time”) should be enough to make the much inferior Jet pack it in. Guitar Player Editor Boy's Big Eight Lions In The Street --Michael Molenda April 2007 It's no secret that many current bands claiming to evoke '70s rock are usually far too studied to nail the messy glee of the originators. The Lions, however, absolutely explode with a Stones/Small Faces onslaught that drips with jubilant passion, as well as very loud guitars played with giddy abandon. Lions In The Street Austin360.com --Michael Corcoran Thursday, March 15th, 2007 "The first great band I saw at SXSW this year." Lions In The Street SXSW Interview buzzgrinder.com Sunday, February 25th, 2007 Austinist Interviews SXSW: Lions In The Street Austinist Monday, February 17th, 2007 Listen to the Lions' Roar The Vancouver Province Newspaper Tuesday, January 30th, 2007 January Music Reviews: Lions in The Street Cat Got Your Tongue EP Exoduster Self-released Grade: A-/B+ For some reason or another it took me a long time to finally get Lions in the Street’s EP into the stereo. The problem was, though, is once it got in there I couldn’t take it out, because it felt like you just came across an amazing lost 70s rock album – one that produces chills. Getting screwed by a major label may have been the exact prodding for these Canadians to write and self-recorded the brilliant five songs on Cat Got Your Tongue. In a double-extra fuck you to the music world, you can get this EP off LITS site for free. And when you hear the Stones-meets-Allmans “Mine Ain’t Yours” your pants just fly off your body, you know that you’ve heard the truth. “Already Gone” kicks off the scratchy recorded EP with fast riffs and bluesy attitude – where the partially sub quality recording matches the flavor of LITS nearly perfectly. The slow paced “Lady Blue” and “Feels Like a Long Time” bends the band’s softer side, while “You’re Gonna Lose” closes down the EP with dirty, distorted rock riffs. Cat Got Your Tongue brings you back to some magical days of yore where life consisted of sunshine, laughs, and relaxing on the beach. The Big Takeover Lions in the Street Cat Got Your Tongue (Lions in the Street) --Jack Rabid Issue No.59 This Vancouver four's bio includes several reviews comparing them to the Rolling Stones, and yes sirree, there's plenty of Exile on Main Street, Goat's Head Soup, and It's Only Rock and Roll sons-of-Chuck-Berry riffage going on. There're even similar harmonies and aching "Moonlight Mile" or "Angie" -like balladry in "Feels Like a Long Time" and "Lady Blue". But the thing is, this basement eight-track recording is the punky edge the Stones stopped rollin' after Some Girls. And there's a solid R&B base that takein a little Dave Edmunds, Eddie & The Hotrods, Ducks Deluxe, and Berry himself, especially on the saucy opener, "Already Gone." (And there's a little Faces in the blues of "You're Gonna Lose.") If you can't be new, be great at the time-tested old. I Rock Cleveland's Year End Extravaganza Bonanza Part 2: The Top 40 Singles I Rock Cleveland Tuesday, December 12th, 2006 Lions in the Street - Cat Got Your Tongue High Bias Friday, November 24th, 2006 New Vid For "Mine Ain't Yours" by Lions In The Street I Rock Cleveland Wednesday, October 25th, 2006 Head of the Class: Best of Vancouver - Lions in the Street The Georgia Straight Thursday, September 21st, 2006 Seattle-Powerpop Tuesday, August 29th, 2006 Song of the Weekend (8/19) Seattle-Powerpop Monday, August 21st, 2006 Give 'Em Enough Rope Hot Johnny Hot Johnny and All of His Pants Saturday, August 5th, 2006 Lions In The Street: Camaro-Rock An Aquarium Drunkard Wednesday, August 2nd, 2006 Monday Music Roundup I Am Fuel, You Are Friends Monday, July 24th, 2006 Ventura Highway Gorilla vs. Bear Saturday, July 22th, 2006 MUSIC: Lions in the Street Macktronic Friday, July 21st, 2006 I Rock Cleveland Exclusive: Lions In The Street Are On The Free Way To Success I Rock Cleveland Wednesday, July 19th, 2006 feels like a long time From Blown Speakers: A Blog About Music Sunday, July 16th, 2006 Lions In The Street Party Ends! Thursday, July 13th, 2006 Lions In The Street Here Comes The Flood: A Weblog About Music Tuesday, July 11th, 2006 Lions In The Street FreeIndie.Com The Georgia Straight Recordings Archives Lions In The Street Cat Got Your Tongue (Independent) --Mike Usinger Thursday, June 15th, 2006 The hipper-than-thou worms at Magnet certainly nailed Lions in the Street when they described the band as “What the Stones were, what the Dandy Warhols should’ve been”. The five-song Cat Got Your Tongue sounds like lost tracks from the sessions for Some Girls, a record that—quite arguably—stands as the Glimmer Twins’ finest moment. All street-fighting guitars and sucking-in-the-’70s vocals, the only knock on the EP is that Lions in the Street sound more like vintage Jagger and Richards than they do a band playing original material. In other words, they do the Rolling Stones better in 2006 than the Rolling Stones themselves. Still, the final track on Cat Got Your Tongue—a thundering acid-blooze explosion titled “You’re Gonna Lose”—suggests that Lions in the Street are already on their way to finding a sound that’s truly their own. When they do, these guys may well be unstoppable. The Nerve Magazine Lions In The Street --Adrian Mack These guys are recovering from one of those life-changing, major label near misses, apparently. Whatever happened out there, the songwriting has sure gotten leaner since the last time I heard 'em, when they were called the Years. And boy do they ever look like they sound. The time warp is so strong on Lions in the Street that it almost feels naughty to enjoy it so much, but if Faces/Stones is your bag, they're doing it waaaaay better than most. Good for both pub and convertible, like a British rock band trying to sound like mellow Americans in 1973. That's still considered fun in some people's homes, and certainly in mine. Grab it all for free from their website, you lucky people. Lions In The Street I Rock Cleveland Monday, June 5th, 2006 The Province Newspaper --Stuart Derdeyn Tuesday, May 16th, 2006 ....this Van quartet looks like it sounds; shaggy, classic and full-on rockin'. Sure, these longhairs wear their influences--Faces, Stones, etc.--on their sleeves, but they also know how to write. Sunday Styles: Rolling at the Lamplighter The Vancouverite Friday, May 19th, 2006 Keeping with the streak of gig-related posts... VanMega Blog Friday, March 31, 2006 Sunday Styles: Lions In The Street The Vancouverite Sunday, March 26, 2006 Lions In The Street Tone Deaf Rambler Blog Monday, March 13, 2006 |
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Free Download: www.lionsinthestreet.com
Merry Christmas, from Lions In The Street. Free download of 'All Because of You (I feel so bad)' at www.lionsinthestreet.com
JamBase Raves About New Album
http://www.jambase.com/Articles/20147/Lions-In-The-Street-Lions-In-The-Street
Lions In The Street: Lions In The StreetBy: Dennis CookAnyone who's ever worn out a copy of the Stones' It's On...
Big Takeover loves LITS
By Michael Tolandhttp://www.bigtakeover.com/reviews/lions-in-the-street-s-t-hand-to-mouth We’ve heard it a million times: rock & roll is dead. The idea of
using three or four chords to bash out f...
Album streaming and up for download and mail order at www.lionsinthestreet.com
New Album is now available as a download and mail order physical copy from www.lionsinthestreet.com, and is streaming there in its entirety for one week!
CD now available: www.lionsinthestreet.com!
Friends,Get thee, and thee, and thee over to www.lionsinthestreet.com and order a copy of our debut full-length album (self-titled).This record comes after four years of trouble -- it's a true blue co...
Wonderin' where the Lions are? New album, etc.
Our debut self-titled album will be available from www.lionsinthestreet.com on October 17th, as a download or mail-order CD. Vinyl, retail, and iTunes to follow. The first 'single', 'Hey Hey Arlene'...
EP Details
OK, here's the background on the EP.Several of the EP tracks are songs that would have been part of our debut LP for TVT Records. After a crazy producer search (flying to Connecticut to meet with Bo...
Big Takeover reviews our 'Mixtape' EP
http://www.bigtakeover.com/reviews/lions-in-the-street-mixtape-ep-hand-to-mouthOnce known as the Years and signed to the currently bankrupt TVT Records, LIONS IN THE STREETleft behind an onerous deal ...
SXSW/EP
Hey, we're off to SXSW again this year. And in advance of the festival---and in advance of our LP---we've released our 'Mixtape' EP, available by free download from our website. Lots of mixed bits a...
New EP this week, by donation
We're releasing another free by donation EP from our website this week. The songs are now up streaming on our myspace! Check 'em out! A few older tracks we did in LA with Dave Cobb for TVT, a new ...
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