Heather Hates You

Heather Hates You Middle East Upstairs
472 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. Doors open at 1 p.m., $9, all ages.
Heather Hates You's "Math Class" tells a familiar story of unrequited love - waiting for the cheerleader to notice the geometry nerd behind her. The joke's on her when at the reunion 10 years later: She's not the hot chick she once was. Take that, Heather. - Boston Globe - May 11, 2006

This kick-ass fast pop-punk band from the Boston area plays manic, high-energy songs with above-average lyrics. The opening track, "Math Class," leads you to expect something straightforward, at least thematically, but the band is surprisingly political and introspective. Heather doesn't hate Heather Hates You. Great stuff. (AE)
- Punk Planet #63, September/October 2004

How many local punk bands throw in a line of lyric in French? I don't really know the answer, but here's one. This is a powerful, fast paced, intelligent debut CD. There's a bit of a Green Day sound, but smarter, without being pretentious. Go ahead and try to listen to Heather Hates You without breaking into a pogo. The songs are about everything from high school crushes, to a salute to waitresses; from a new generation of young believers taking over the streets of Boston, to the life of a globe-trotting fashion model. The production is clean enough, without removing the passion and the edge; and with hooks enough to keep you whistling for the rest of the day, at least, there's not much here not to like. I do find the occasional fake-snotty-English kid accent a little annoying, but that's probably part of the deal with this type of music. Overall a very nice debut from this Southie trio. (Brian Mosher)
- The Noise - June 2004

You know how with a lot of the cds you buy, the first time you listen to it, it sucks? But after a few spins you think this is amazing? That was not the case with this cd. This Boston band breathes life into the crossroads between old school and new school punk rock (think old Green Day meets Alkaline Trio meets Jawbreaker). When I first opened the manila packet folder containing the cd, the album art really caught my eye. It's a photograph from the Seattle Museum of History and Industry of a girl choking and preparing to punch a boy (which goes well with the album's title). All the songs on the album are upbeat, some a little more than others. If you're looking for sappy and slow emo songs this band is not for you. They lyrics are all very different. They range from cynical to simple to funny to introspective. The topics also range from depressed girls to breakups to waitressing. Japanese themes also arise through out the album (the songs "Oh, Ingenue" and "Otaku!" are perfect examples). The names of the songs are just as clever as the lyrics they title. "What's next for a Broken Glass and a Slice of Lime?" (which happens to be my favorite song) or "Guess What I Found behind the Couch" are two songs that have witty titles to go along with well written lyrics. In most of the reviews I write, I say that some parts of the band are stronger than others, like a prominent bass line or a singer who sounds like he's been trained vocally. All elements of the band compliment each other perfectly. No part sounds better than the rest, they all sound magnificent as one (which should be the case in all bands). This is a really great album that I think a lot of people would like, even if they don't necessarily like new or "post" punk. If you are into music from Jawbreaker, Green Day (pre-Warning), Blink182 (pre-Dude Ranch), Alkaline Trio, or Bayside do yourself a favor: take a trip up to Boston, check out one of Heather Hates You's awesome live performances, and pick up a copy of this album!! - ItsDorkRock.com - 5/2004

Boston-area trio HHY straddles the line between melodic hardcore and pop-punk. Bassist and main vocalist Dave Buse has a slightly sneery tenor, while guitarist Rick Subrizio supplies canny harmony and shifts easily between crunchy chords and hooky melody lines. There are hundreds of bands cast from a similar mold, but this one stands out from the crowd. Veteran producer and engineer Paul Kolderie, whose credits include Big Dipper, Hole, and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, has turned in a crisp and powerful recording. Most importantly, the songs are both catchy and varied, and the lyrics (by Buse and drummer John Pappas) are smart in both personal and political modes. Highly recommended.
- Tone and Groove - May 2004

Boston-area trio HHY straddles the line between melodic hardcore and pop-punk. Bassist and main vocalist Dave Buse has a slightly sneery tenor, while guitarist Rick Subrizio supplies canny harmony and shifts easily between crunchy chords and hooky melody lines. There are hundreds of bands cast from a similar mold, but this one stands out from the crowd. Veteran producer and engineer Paul Kolderie, whose credits include Big Dipper, Hole, and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, has turned in a crisp and powerful recording. Most importantly, the songs are both catchy and varied, and the lyrics (by Buse and drummer John Pappas) are smart in both personal and political modes. Highly recommended.
- Tone and Groove - May 2004

"Takes off like a shot and reminds me of the Vandals/Kung Fu "sound." Melodic, full of pep, sometimes poppy, intelligent / comedic, a little this and a little that; all in all very cool. Excellent production, artwork, songwriting, and performances: HHY has the whole package! Great CD! Keep your eyes and ears open - I'll bet they put on a heck of a show!"
- SoundCheck Magazine Review - May/June 2004

"Imagine marrying nerd-rock wailings of Weezer stirred together with the aggressive, British bounce of the Clash. Somewhere in that music stew would be Heather Hates You. Calling their sound “an edgy and intellectual brand of aggressive but melodic pop-punk,” Heather Hates You isn’t afraid of mixing things up. This hometown favorite will be playing tracks off of their first studio album Operation Suckerpunch and will be joined by Simple Discourse and The Casual Lean. Tickets $6. 18+. 9:15 p.m. T.T. the Bear’s Place, 10 Brookline Street, Central Square. (ACE)" - The Harvard Crimson 3/19/04

Operation Suckerpunch begins with a musical (and mathematical) maxim with "Math Class" as the proof: Green Day-esque vocals minus faux British accent plus decent chops equals power pop punk success! Further analysis yields elements of Bad Religion, Blink-182, and noodlings of The Offspring! Nowhere is the Blink-182 analogy (minus the annoying post-adolescent whine) more apparent than the third song, "The Politics of Service." Yet HHY can not be pigeonholed as I soon find myself immersed in an unexpected reggae riff. These are head-bobbing hum-able hits! The playful meanderings of Dave Buse's bass and John Pappas' daring drum fills add adrenaline to "Oh, Ingenue." Rick Subrizio's teasing guitar snippets are peppered between buzzing chords on "It's Not Too Late." The tune starts in one speaker then careens to the other with a guitar slide worthy of Social Distortion. "Guess What I Found Behind The Couch?" terminates this fine effort. A pretty ballad, it is the most polished tune on the CD. It supports our hypothesis: HHY have talent. While Heather Hates You does not break new ground they solidly represent the genre. If it were on the radio I wouldn't change it. If it were Friday, I might even turn it up. Trust me, you will love Heather for hating you.heatherhatesyou.com (Tony G)

- The Noise - February 2004

Whenever you talk about punk, some asshole with four billion safety pins in his tits opens his jaw about how punk is and how punk isn't. I usually prefer pussy Brit pop music, but every now and then I roll over for a band like Heather Hates You, who may or may not be punk. They remind me of the Lemonheads, circa Hate Your Friends. HHY's new CD, Operation Suckerpunch, features fast driving songs with a super sneaky pop sensibility. Singer Dave Buse's voice manages to sound both angry and melodic and their interesting song structures pay homage to their influences while injecting new and interesting flavors. To sum up, don't be small, head over to their record release party at the Common Ground on Friday, August 29 and check them out. With Last Mission, 9pm/21+/$5.
- Weekly Dig - 8/27/2003