Charlie Watts Riots
Albany, New York, United States | SELF
Music
Press
ultra catchy power pop songs with big melodies, big hooks, and killer 2 and 3-part harmonies. - Albany Times Union
Their new album, Long Story Short, will definitely be in my top 2010 list. - Laura Glazer, 97.7 WEXT
#2. The Charlie Watts Riots’ “Long Story Short” (The Soundcheck Republic) – The debut album of the year from a group of long-tenured musicians on the scene. Power pop to the eleventh degree. - Nippertown
They began the first song which took about 40 seconds to explode into a joyfully loud blast of pure power pop. Imagine Beatle-esque harmony with the punk power of the Clash mixed with the early recordings of Elvis Costello. Their music infused the room with the playful, fun, joyful feeling of the first time you discovered rock. A real rock song. For me this would be something like the first time I heard ‘Baba O’Reilly’ or ‘You Really Got Me’ the Kinks version not Van Halen. It makes you want to jump around and play air guitar. There is something in the song writing that elevates it though. It’s not just big loud dumb rock. There is a fine fine pop sensibility and harmonic intuitiveness to their songs that really hooks you in. - Talk About The Passion
Building the night to a red-hot climax was the brash and brilliant Charlie Watts Riots, turning up the volume and the onstage energy with a blast of potent skinny-tie power-pop, much of which was drawn from their A+ debut album, “Long Story Short.” - Nippertown
"Charlie Watts Riots have the kind of pop smarts, stage presence and rock chops that few bands around can match." - Metroland Magazine
The Charlie Watts Riots played second to last. The last time I saw them, they were playing a semi-acoustic set at Bread and Jam in Cohoes. Their Exit Dome set was scorching; I was seated in the second row, and decided to move to the rear of the studio for the duration of their performance. (I’ve decided that I don’t want to lose my hearing because I foolishly neglected to bring ear plugs to concerts.) The Charlie Watts Riots are a power-punk-pop quartet that plays fast and loud, at a breakneck pace the Ramones might have admired. Their songs are catchy and joyous and fun, and I especially like the band’s look — dark suits, white shirts and ties — which seems borrowed from the ska community of the 1980s. (My friend Nachie would say there’s no such thing as the ska community, but I disagree.) - Schenectady Gazzette
Discography
Long Story Short, May 2011
Photos
Bio
The Charlie Watts Riots
Label: Soundcheck Republic
Genre: Rock/power-pop
Members: Mike Pauley: bass/vocals; Seth Powell: guitar/vocals; Joe Putrock: drums
The members of guitar-pop band the Charlie Watts Riots don’t agree on all their musical tastes—though they do share an appreciation for snazzy suits. But bassist Mike Pauley, guitarist Seth Powell and drummer Joe Putrock can cite one primary influence that brought the Charlie Watts Riots together in 2008: a love for rock and roll bands that bring a rush of combustible energy to the stage when they play.
Clips from the Rolling Stones’ Rock and Roll Circus concert film, when the Who started out performing “A Quick One While He’s Away” as an acoustic ditty and ended it with an instrument-bashing, sweat-flying frenzy… a Matthew Sweet gig in Albany when Television’s guitar maestro Richard Lloyd wailed on his guitar strings with a spoon… an A.M.-era Wilco gig at former rock club Saratoga Winners when Jeff Tweedy and his band were on fire….
Those were formative moments that brought Pauley, Powell, Putrock and guitarist Brendan Pendergast (who’s since departed the band) together after realizing they shared an appreciation for the onstage alchemy wrought by energetic rock and roll. For the previous decade, each had been a key player in some of the Capital Region’s most noteworthy pop-rock bands (Bloom, Lughead, the Wait, the Vodkasonics, Coal Palace Kings).
It’s an energy the band strives to recreate today, and their debut album “Long Story Short” contains a dozen original power-pop tunes that balance high-octane rock with the sweetness of carefully crafted pop. Recorded in 2010 at Powell’s Soundcheck Republic studios, the album landed in regular rotation on independent radio station EXT 97.7 and earned the band “best of the year” mentions from Albany’s alt-weekly Metroland to premier Capital Region arts blog Nippertown.
With a batch of new songs already filling out the band’s set-list, the Charlie Watts Riots plan to start recording their next album in the fall of 2011. In the meantime, they’ll continue lighting up the stage where ever they play with the fervent conviction that true rock and roll never goes out of style. And even if it does, it will be back again soon.
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Recent Press:
2011 Best Rock Band: United by a love for high-octane live rock & roll—and a snappy uniform of black ties and sharp suits—Charlie Watts Riots have the kind of pop smarts, stage presence and rock chops that few bands around can match—Metroland Magazine
Building the night to a red-hot climax was the brash and brilliant Charlie Watts Riots, turning up the volume and the onstage energy with a blast of potent skinny-tie power-pop.—Nippertown.com
The Charlie Watts Riots are a power-punk-pop quartet that plays fast and loud, at a breakneck pace the Ramones might have admired. Their songs are catchy and joyous and fun.—Schenectady Daily Gazette
2010 Best Band with Guitars: The Riots are everything we look for in a guitar-pop band: Big choruses with melody to spare, guitars that sound like jet engines, a whip-tight rhythm section, and suits fresh from the cleaners.—Metroland magazine
If we were to pop this band into the wayback machine, then drop them into the midst of the 1960’s British Invasion mania, they could give that Liverpool quartet of mop-tops a run.—Albany Times Union
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Praise for “Long Story Short,” the debut album by Charlie Watts Riots
“Long Story Short” is the real thing, a testament to music of the past that proves… the future looks just fine.—Albany Times Union
“The urgent yet polished collection of 12 songs captures the band’s trademark mix of teenage-like enthusiasm and club veteran swagger.”—CRUMBs blog
“The debut album of the year from a group of long-tenured musicians on the scene. Power pop to the eleventh degree.”—Nippertown
One of the best albums of the year—Power Pop Review Blogspot
More Info
For booking, label or media requests contact
www.charliewattsriots.com
www.facebook.com/charliewattsriots
www.myspace.com/thecharliewattsriots
www.reverbnation.com/thecharliewattsriots
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