American Sound Syndicate

The Syndicate...is a straight-ahead rock band -- no gimmicks, no frills -- drums, guitars and vocals -- and just a twinkle of alt-country.
I'll admit it -- I'm thrilled that there are three (count 'em -- three) women in this band. I've been watching men with guitars my whole life and I couldn't be happier that Haley Slagle (guitar) and Celena Rollyson (bass) can rock right along with them. And Malissa Goff is no slacker when it comes to belting a tune.
But don't look here for "girl band" music. This isn't watered down, "oh ain't we pretty" makeup rock any more than "Terminator" is a woman's movie.
And don't think for a minute that Woody O'Hara, Morgantown's unsung drum hero, and guitarist Adrian Larry are slacking. I'm pretty sure they'd need lessons to do that. Both can take their place among the finest players in town.
These five straight-ahead rockers have assembled a package of great songs -- there's not a clunker in the lot. They deliver the goods with up tempo arrangements and stellar lyrics and enough enthusiasm to save the world -- and isn't that the point of rock? Oh, yes it is.
Add to the mix two far-above-average vocalists and it's a very nice package with a red bow on top. This is the goods, people. This is a very good first record. ("Better in Blue" is a personal favorite.) - The Dominion Post

Morgantown's own American Sound Syndicate has released this, its first album. It is a good mix of slower pieces like "You Fell Down" and high-speed burns like "Just a Ghost."
Guitarists Adrian Larry and Haley Slagle make up a great wall of sound to frame Malissa Goff's vocals. Sometimes it sounds like the Cranberries, sometimes fem-rockers like Veruca Salt. Mostly, it's a good dose of vintage rock that would make for a great live show.
If you aren't sold by the opening track, "Little Red Fire," then you shouldn't go any further. "Fire" is bouncy and catchy and lets you know what to expect from the rest of the album. All of the songs have this same feel, the same grooves. It's a whole lot of a good thing.
"Corpus Christi," co-written by Brian Porterfield, is one of the best tracks on the album. It sounds like primo Cheap Truckers Speed, as sung by Dolores O'Riordan. It's a kiss-off song sung to a guy headed for Texas.
The other highlights of the album are "Just a Ghost" and "Better in Blue." Both move fast, and have great guitar work.
American Sound Syndicate is written by a band at the height of their game, and it's a lot of fun.
- The Daily Atheneum