Chelsea Hotel
Conroe, Texas, United States | SELF
Music
Press
Chelsea Hotel -Looking For Tango - Bullyboy Records -
Our old friends are back with a vengeance, and the best Punk band in the county holds true to their roots with a pounding, consistent group of original punk songs to keep the genre alive for the hard-core fans that still worship this form of music and the hard-working bands that strive to keep the faith. Thank goodness for these guys (and gal). The band is Robert Conn on guitar/vocals, Jewels on bass/vocals, Curtis DeGidio on guitar/vocals and Andy Chaos on drums. Right out of the chute, “Stop Breakin’ My Balls” will jar your teeth and make you sit up and take notice, and “These Are The Day” is a hard-driving tune with crazy guitar licks, while TCBY (Shouldn’t Be That Way) has a Social D sound with layered guitars and gutsy vocals. Off the wall, “That Pig Won’t Fly” features straight-ahead, screaming guitars and a tongue-in-cheek message, while the title cut is a rowdy guitar-driven anthem. “Austin” is their take on a Lair Matic song and they do it justice with their own twist, and the cover of “Her Name Was Jane” is a ballsy, gut-busting version with teeth-jarring axe grinding. My favorite cut, “Worth More” comes out swinging, lots of incredible guitar and a fantastic beat and lyrics, while the final cut, “Six And Change” takes us out with a bang. Never a dull moment for the whole disc. Highly recommended and lots of fun.
- North of the Border Magazine... Sept. 2011
Rating: *****
The intro to the first song ”Wasted” knocked me on my ass with the pounding guitars of so many of my cherished punk bands. The further I got into this, the more excited I got. When I realized that this was just recorded a few months ago, and not a reissue from the ‘70’s, I was blown away. Do people still make music this good? Hell yeah! The band is fronted by Robert Conn on guitar and vocals, a former member of the Pagans from Cleveland, Ohio, with Maxx on second guitar and vocals, a founding member of Junkyard, Jewel on bass and Billy the Kidd on drums. The songs are pure punk, hard driving and mosh pit worthy to say the least. From “Wasted” to “Do It Again”, and on to “Hollywood”, the fast pace (Ramones, Tuff Darts) of guitars and drums will make the heart race and the head throb. Their tribute to Joey Ramone, “R.I.P. aka Joey” is worthy of the best CBGB had to offer. My personal favorite “Worth More Than You Say” could have been lifted from an early Social Distortion album and would make Mike Ness proud, and “Johnny Be Good” is a rock n’ roll anthem at it’s best. The frantic beat of “51%” spun my head around and had me bouncing around the living room. Peg thought I was crazy, but she just shrugged it off and laughed. If you ever got hooked on 70’s and 80’s punk bands, you’ll feel like you took a trip (excuse the pun) back in time. Ending with “Look at Me Mom”, this is a fitting close to this spectacular collage of original rock music worthy of national release. Look for them at local club soon. - North of the Border Entertainment Guide
Along with the Dead Boys and Pere Ubu, the Pagans helped put Cleveland on the punk rock map. The band existed just a few short years in the late ’70s, releasing a handful of singles, some of which are worth a pretty penny today. As was par for the course at the time, the band flamed out early on, meaning that their impact and stature — aside from a few attempts later to reunite — would come largely after the fact. Former Pagans guitarist Robert Conn lives in Texas these days, and Chelsea Hotel is his new band, which just so happens to kick ass too. As is to be expected, they sound like a punk band straddling that era's first and second waves, retaining the grittiness of the Cleveland scene but sticking to an older-school rock ’n’ roll sound that isn't quite as snotty. - Nashville Scene
Discography
Do It Again (2004) Bully Boy Records / CD Baby
Photos
Bio
The story of Chelsea Hotel is really the story of Robert Conn (Pagans, Defnics, Plague). At time when radio was dominated by disco and rock ballads, the underbelly of the Cleveland, OH music scene set a course to bring rock & roll back from the dead. While New York was getting ready to take the world by surprise with the Ramones and Talking Heads, Conn and others were already actively testing the waters. Pere Ubu and the Dead Boys were putting the Cleveland scene on center stage for the world to hear. At this time Conn penned the first single for the Pagans, a rebellious sneer at all that was decent, the infamous Six and Change single, guaranteed not to be heard on any rock station, but soon a staple of the underground and college radio community.
While on hiatus from the Pagans, the first of many break-ups for the band, Conn continued to thumb his nose at established conceptions. Soon he took center stage as front man for the Defnics, releasing an arsenal of self produced singles and contributing to various compilations, most notably on the Cleveland-based Terminal Records. For any punk coinsure, the choice 7 of the day being the 51% / Hello from Berlin 45. Other appearances included the legendary Killed by Death series (Vol. 3 - 51%) and Cleveland Confidential (Suicide Trip).
But, almost as a homage to the volatility of the music itself, the Defnics parted ways and soon Conn returned to work with the reorganized Pagans. Singles and albums continued reinforcing the Cleveland stereotype, rock & roll was alive and well in the underbelly of America. The Pagans unique, agitated and angst ridden sound produced the quant essential punk record The Pink Album. All was right in the world for those that loved pure guitar-driven music that took rock & roll to the brink of insanity and held it there for a time, shaking the living day lights out of it.
Enough of what Conn did, now its about what he is doing today. After relocating to Houston, TX, Conn decided that it was time to get back to work. New material was written, a new band forged from the natives of Space City, and soon came his first release in 12 years, Do It Again (2004). Conn, along with Jewels on bass quickly made a point to have Chelsea Hotel established as the rock & roll band to have in a bar. For Jewels it was an adventure, for Conn it was a return back to his roots, small crowded venues wreaking of smoke and old beer, the place where rock & roll was still king. Over the next 5 years and numerous personnel changes, Conn and Jewels perfected the sound of the band, leading to the surge that started in 2009.
The first kick happened when native Cleveland, OH guitarist Curtis W. DeGidio relocated to Houston via Nashville, TN. Having long been associated with Conn and Jewels, Curtis was the natural choice to replace Max Gotlieb (Chelsea Hotel, Junkyard, Max and the Make-ups) on second guitar. The dual six-string assault became a standard Chelsea Hotel affair, leaving audiences begging for more. While Conn leads the band, DeGidio sets the attitude, crawling on his knees, guitar pushed into the faces of the crowd, instigating anybody to challenge their sonic assault.
In 2010, after a Spinal Tap like rotation of drummers following the departure of Billy The Kid on drums, Houston drummer Andy Chaos moved in behind the kit. If Conn, DeGidio, and Jewels are the attitude, Chaos is the voodoo witch doctor pounding beats with a primal fury in attempts to wake the dead.
With the line-up of Chelsea Hotel finally reaching a state of solidity and a new drive for original material, Chelsea Hotel will be welcoming in 2011 with their yet to be titled second album. With enough material for two albums it may be possible that next year sees a release of two albums, in addition to a planned compilation the will serve as a retrospective of Conns career as well as a DVD documenting Chelsea Hotel with rare live recordings, interviews, and video journals. If 2010 is the year of Rabbit, 2011 will be the year of Chelsea Hotel.
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