THE SHAKES
The Shakes (Teenacide)
Reviewed by Alan Wright

---

Being a fan of the Superkools and the Excessories - not to mention Janet's days in Redd Kross - I was amped to hear her latest band, the Shakes. I was not disappointed. These guys and gals play excellent powerpop like some timewarp to the late '70s. Pete Gilabert (Stool Pigeons) has a great voice, and you can hear the influence of bands like Big Star, the Records, the Buzzcocks and maybe even the Knack. The songs are short and ultra-catchy, my faves being the jangly "Something Bitter Comes," and the garagey "Mine, Mine, Mine." Also quite enjoyable is "Apartment Song," with its cool piano and very "Something Else" period Kinks-ish vibe. I should also mention the uncredited mystery track, which is a great take on Brittany Spears' (probably the only time you'll see her name mentioned in the context of one of my reviews) "Oops, I Did It Again." It took me until half way through the song to even realize what song it actually was, especially what with the descending bass line that reminds me of "Sunny Afternoon" by the Kinks, or a whole bunch of "Rubber Soul" period Beatles songs.

© 2003 - Alan Wright