Coming at you once again and stronger then ever, from Ottawa, Canada, are the Sick Fits with their long-overdue first full-length album. With two killer vinyl singles and one CD single under their belts, these five attitude-filled rock ‘n’ rollers have already carved themselves a strong fan base in both Canada and in the United States. Full Breach Kicks presents: Michael Abraham Hurts on vocals, Kenny James on lead guitar, X-Ray X on guitar, Chase Manhattan on bass, and Oliver Sutherland Victor on drums.
Here on their debut album, the Sick Fits change and tighten it up, moving away from the spastic Killed by Death punk tunes played in earlier days, this time turning us on to some seriously catchy, pre-punk styled rock ‘n’ roll jams, bringing to mind a revved-up T. Rex, Stones, or Stooges for the rebel rock ‘n’ roll generation of today. Previous fans and new ones alike will find it impossible to deny the stylized heavy-hitter “Every Day is Sunday”, the soulful pop fury of “Shapes”, the powerful “Fruit of the Beast”, and the melodic slow-groove charm of “House Boy”. Here the band dabbles in Southern soul, bitter-sweet pop, British glam, and early American blues, all with a continuing grasp on their punk roots. Produced by Paul Fenton of ‘70s Canadian mod band The Action, the Sick Fits debut boasts some of the best, down and dirty 1970s-styled rock ‘n’ roll numbers to be heard in a long, long time. And to further beef up the Sick Fit musical attack, the boys come at us with a fleet of soul singers, a pianist, a saxophonist, a cellist, a tabla player, and a tanpura player. Beat that Marc Bolan! You can bet your best liquor-stained tonic suit, these songs are a hundred times more inspired then any of the retro rock nonsense on the radio today – take it from us!
Discover now with the Sick Fits’ ten-song CD and eleven-song vinyl LP (yes that’s right folks, an extra track for you vinyl lovers!) what all the crazy kids have been talking about and why folks such as Sleazegrinder have raved that these boys are “playing strangled, mangled rock ‘n’ roll with it’s heart lost somewhere in 1977 and it’s guts lying in a pile on the floor. Canada rocks okay man.”
RAZORCAKE – ABOUT S/T:
Is this really the same bunch of Stitches-sounding punks from a few years back? This record is much better than anything I have heard from the Sick Fits in the past. It’s a real cool album filled with glam and punk influences, a little Velvets here, a dash of Thunders there, some Mott licks too. They have got some real playing and songwriting chops! I looking forward to hearing more from this band. Pick up this killer gatefold LP.
NO FRONT TEETH – ABOUT S/T:
I always liked the Sick Fits, and boy, oh boy, has this debut full-length been a long time in the works, but it’s finally here and it’s worth every second of the Goddamn wait. Yes, this is a white hot record that presents these Canadians in true form with style actually dripping out of the CD case. Moving away from their early raw punk rock sound and injecting an epic dose of rock ‘n’ roll with touches of psychedelia, soul, and glam, with backing vocals that actually make me drool, this is super sexy and has that sleazy element of danger. It’s played so fucking well with so much swagger and confidence. “Every Day Is Sunday” is just an outrageously good opener and instantly sends the needle into the red on the style-o-meter. You know you’re gonna be in for quite a ride. I want you to hear this for yourself. The way they compose the pieces and the delivery is fucking flawless. It’s gritty and catchy all at once, and it’s clean and dirty at the same time, and it’s simultaneously friendly and dangerous. The whole record is flawless and there are some blinding-bright diamonds on there!
PORTFOLIO WEEKLY – ABOUT S/T:
The Sick Fits’ self-titled full-length debut is well worth the wait (not that I realized I was waiting per se, but you get my drift). This album is solid through and through, and all ten tracks deliver songs of substance and mirth. The album opens up with "Every Day is Sunday", a song we wish was the case. Like The Bangles "Manic Monday", the lyrics continue with the obvious Monday morning reality check, "wake up with a sigh," and the female backers lamenting, "back, back, back in the grind." "Shapes" is a new wave offering in the vain of the Psychedelic Furs, while "You Selfish Things" is a straight hard rocker. It was hard to pick favorites, but they include "Blank Stare", that starts out with the rarely-used cowbell, and "House Boy," reminiscent of the Stones’ magnificent Exile on Main Street album, complete with Nicky Hopkins-esque keys. The vinyl is the same price but includes bonus track, "Secrets", and both include a free poster when you order from their label's website. Pretty sweet deal.
VUE WEEKLEY – ABOUT S/T:
Except for the Hilotrons, I don’t think you’d be very remiss in thinking that nothing good has come out of Ottawa since the 1982 Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Oh sure, there are bands there, but nobody breaks out of there because when you want to make it and you live in Ottawa, you move to either Toronto or Montréal and try to make a go of it there. Well, the Sick Fits are here to prove that that’s bullshit.
Channeling the brash spirit of Iggy Pop and the primal lust of the New York Dolls and T Rex, the Sick Fits might just be making enough noise to get Ottawa noticed – or at least the band itself, anyway. I mean, fuck all those douche bags who abandon their hometown, cause they’ll be moving back soon enough. The Sick Fits’ guitars crunch and voices wail, there’s a bitchin’ trio of girls to sing backups, and the songs reflect the simple hedonism that first birthed the punk movement.
This seems like the kind of band that won’t take kindly to whatever excuse you might offer for not supporting them – they seem as likely to stab you and run off with your girlfriend as they are to do anything else, so get behind it.
NOW WAVE – ABOUT S/T:
The story of the Sick Fits is one of a musical de-evolution. "When we started," singer Michael Hurts told Exclaim!, "We wanted to see if we could be an authentic band from '76 or something. But now it was kind of only natural to go proto-punk to see where the styles came from. We went back in time a little bit."
And so now we get a full-length debut from this Ottawa five-piece. Informed by the likes of '70s Stones, The Stooges, Lou Reed, David Bowie, and T. Rex, the Sick Fits set the Wayback Machine for 1973 and indulges nearly every aspect of Creem era pre-punk. Guitarist Kenny James told Chart Attack, "We wanted to make a very dramatic rock 'n' roll record with an optimistic outlook, kind of like with later Velvet Underground records like Loaded. This was pretty much always on our minds over the two years we were writing."
It's an unusual album. It employs odd tempos and strange vocal inflections to create unorthodox hooks, and some listeners may find it unrewarding at first. But held up to the microscope of repeated spins, the material here is skillfully constructed, exquisitely played, and generally engaging. All in all, it's an impressive debut that brings the rock with all the required swagger. James teams with X-Ray X to form a voltaic guitar tandem a la Richards/Taylor and Thunders/Sylvain. Rhythm players Chase Manhattan and Oliver Sutherland Victor lock down a lean, venereal groove. Hurts is all over the board on the mic, sounding by turns like Lou Reed's son, Iggy Pop Jr., Dave Vanian's identical twin, and a typical "Rawk!" howler. If the recording does not quite affirm the group's rep as a live act that sets the place on fire, that's hardly a qualm.
For a straight-up trashy rock 'n' roll party-starter, it's hard to beat opener "Every Day Is Sunday". This one recalls the licentious New York Dolls/Hollywood Brats swing of bands like the Loose Lips, and it's fleshed-out by primal piano pounding, rippin' saxophone, and female backup singers. The other clear hit is "Real Lust", which marries The Stooges and Transformer era Lou Reed and delivers a simple, winning chorus. "Shapes" comes off like T. Rex playing "Sweet Jane", and oddly succeeds due to an intentionally off-key vocal. "You Selfish Things" is a straight cop of Ziggy era Bowie – not bad at all! The near-epic "House Boy" is built around a guitar line stolen off of the Stones' "Gimme Shelter". In spite of its lack of originality and repetitive structure, it's pretty irresistible. Kudos to the guitar players!
Any attempt to dismiss this record as a strict period piece can be refuted by the presence of the songs "I Walk Around on My Own" (The Yardbirds by-the-book) and "Secrets" (could pass for an outtake from the first Damned album). And while the primary influences are obvious, this does not feel like a terribly affected endeavor. Producer Paul Fenton gives the album a clean, contemporary sheen, and the Sick Fits manage to achieve a cohesive sound that belongs as much to them as it does to their record collection. The sound/era they've mined for inspiration is renowned for its riches. Clearly here's a case where you can say, "I liked what they borrowed, and I liked what they did with it."
CHART ATTACK – ABOUT S/T:
Lean, tight, rock 'n' roll with a swagger. It's a simple, effective formula, but hard to get right. Ottawa's Sick Fits have been hinting at success since they began performing their raucous live shows a few years ago, but now they've got hard-copy evidence: their eponymous debut album, out now on both CD and vinyl! The Sick Fits take the best parts of early rock, garage and punk and spit it out stylishly, managing to do that elusive trick of securing comparisons to musical greats while also creating a unified sound of their own.
LOUD FAST RULES – ABOUT S/T:
In a music scene where musical ability is often frowned upon, the Sick Fits have released an album that fits into the punk genre, while actually being more of a rock ‘n’ roll record. The Sick Fits are more the Heart Attacks than they are The Casualties, and so is a welcome change to these old ears. These guys use organs, piano, cello, and saxophone, and still come across with the same kind of punk sneer as early records by The Damned, the New York Dolls, The Buzzcocks, or 999. It is impossible to describe this band and do them justice, so either take a chance and buy the album or live in ignorance. You snooze you lose!
UPFRONT – ABOUT S/T:
Well I sure hope folks check out the Sick Fits as they embark on a North American tour in support of a real fine self-titled full length album. I liked their gutsy little CD EP a few years back as well as the fact that they had two 7” singles to their credit. This new offering seemed to take about two years to come to bear by my estimation, but shit happens to young rock bands, don’t it?
The Sick Fits wear their hears on their collective sleeves as all ten songs exhibit the love of personal record collections and the far reaching influences they cast. Johnny Thunders, late ‘60s Rolling Stones, The Sonics, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Mott the Hoople are all felt. No surprise it all works well! The reference points collectively work on the same gut-bucket rock and blues beats of yesteryear. This, mixed with the young enthusiasm and interpretation twists of the young Sick Fits lads boils down to a good old dirty bit of rock ‘n’ roll.
Michael’s vocals are of that almost unamused sort but are strong and work perfectly against Kenny’s “Keef meets Woodsy” guitar style. The rhythm section steadily points it out in simple but solid fashion as it should be, and the whole affair is awash with additional piano and organ hammering, saxophone, and multiple chick backing vocals. Dave Draves’ recording and engineering skills bear sweet fruit once again, and the mentoring and production from Paul Fenton (The Action, Fenton Brothers) lends authenticity to this (and as I said before) really fine record. Key tunes include “House Boy”, “New Fashion Kicks”, and “Real Lust”. You want rock? It’s right here in Ottawa, and the Sick Fits play it lean and mean. This album is also available on vinyl, R.A.F.R.
3RD GENERATION NATION – ABOUT S/T:
In diese CD hatte ich so einige Erwartungen rein gesteckt, aber leider wurden sie nicht ansatzweise erfuellt. Die Band kommt aus Ottawa in canada und hat nun ueber Full Breach Kicks ihre erste full-length raus gebracht. Produzent war uebrigens Paul Fenton, einst Mitglied der kanadischen mod band The Action den 70ern. Was die fuenf Jungs hier auf ihren 11 songs abliefern sind kraftlose rock 'n' roller, die den noetigen Rotz schmerzlich vermissen lassen. Dafuer fliessen zudem noch massig soul und blues - Einfluesse ein, so das sie schwer nach den Rolling Stones in den 60ern klingen und leider nicht wie die Dead Boys. Nee, das muss ich nicht haben. Auf Dauer also eine ueberaus langweilige Angelegenheit.
DIG IT – ABOUT S/T:
Le petit dernier de la fournée est contemporain et Canadien (Ottawa) et se fait appeler the Sick Fits. Les coupes de cheveux sont plus décentes que sur les pochettes des deux combos précédents mais l'influence des Dolls y est encore une fois décelable, à un degré moindre toutefois. Par contre, les riffs stoniens et les envolées glam rock à la Bolan/Bowie y font bon ménage avec un tempo élégamment groove & soul qui évoque furtivement les Flamin' Sideburns. Les trois filles aux choeurs illuminent le prenant "House Boy" qui sonne comme un update de "Gimme Shelter", orgue et guitares font ripaille garage sans dédaigner à l'occasion le gros son '70s (en finesse pourtant) et le chanteur se révèle sauvagement habité par LA flamme rock 'n' roll. Ce genre de disque est trop rare pour qu'on se permette de passer à côté. Le groupe est tout jeune, on les tiendra à l'oreille.
ROCK 'N' ROLL PURGATORY – ABOUT THE SICK FITS:
These Canadians manage to mix the electrostatic charge of ‘77 punk with the push of wild-eyed garage rock 'n' roll and pull it off well enough for me to suggest you all get a copy before global warming causes the precious wax to melt.
FFWD WEEKLY – ABOUT THE SICK FITS:
Just when you thought the final nail was hammered into the coffin of punk rock, here comes something out of left field (Ottawa, actually) to remind you of where it all began.
