Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
Every time I find myself feeling like a drooling schmuck for overhyping bands that were never that great to begin with (Dropkick Murphys, anyone?), I find solace in the knowledge that a handful of the groups I’ve championed over the years actually are every bit as good as I’ve made them out to be. A case in point: Ruth’s Hat. One can never say enough good things about the Hat. They’re the real deal: a consistently great band that delivers every single time. They’ve got to be North America’s most underrated pop band. And so now Ruth’s Hat is back with a new album, and all I can say is wow. Sheer fucking brilliance never goes out of style. These cats have stepped up to the plate and smashed the ball way out of the park! All future discussions of elite pop-punk/power pop bands that fail to mention Ruth’s Hat will have to be deemed irrelevant. This new record is the shit! The band has managed to “evolve” its sound without losing the qualities that made its music appealing in the first place---and that’s no small feat. They’ve pulled it off by going even more pop. I wholeheartedly approve! When it comes to any band’s poppiness quotient, too much is never enough. You can NEVER go wrong stressing melody, hooks, and harmonies. Never! But while these Pepsi-guzzling Americanadian sensations have greatly improved as musicians and songwriters, their approach remains essentially the same: harmony-drenched early American rock n’ roll and 60’s-style pop played with the crunchy, punchy panache of 90’s punk. Buddy Holly and The Everly Brothers hijack a time machine, score some speed, discover The Ramones, and head off into the future in search of 21st Century pop-punk poon tang. Doo wop, Merseybeat, rockabilly, and surf-rock are rolled together and pumped full of peppy punk velocity. What’s not to love about this band? The group sounds tighter, and the production is better. But the vibe is the same as ever. The Ruth’s Hat experience still encapsulates the vibrant spirit of feelgood summertime rock n’ roll. When you’re listening to this band, it’s eternally a warm day in July. Pretty girls, sunny days, and the Beach Boys reign supreme. You’re cruisin’ with the top down, your radio is cranked to full blast, and life is full of endless possibilities. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Rock and Roll is perhaps the purest display of straight-ahead power pop/punk/rock n’ roll genius since the first Muffs LP came out a decade ago. Simple pop bliss prevails here. No seven-minute songs about dragons, no rapping, no marathon guitar solos, no mosh pit breakdowns, no jazz wanking, and no funk workouts. Just upbeat, super-catchy, hard-edged pop gems replete with great lead vocals and those to-die-for harmonies! Good god, the tuneage is hot: “Don’t Walk Away”, “Sad Songs”, “Arthur And Tricia”, “You’re The One For Me”, “I Only Sing For Me”, and “How Can I Be Right?” (nice Gary Glitter rip-off, fellas!) are easily the band’s best songs to date. The less retro-sounding songs (especially “Sundays In September”) remind me of The Smoking Popes, and I mean that as a supreme compliment. If you’ve been waiting for Ruth’s Hat to produce a whole album’s worth of songs as good as the best tunes on Bye Bye Love, your wait is over. You’ve finally found the album that’ll have you dancing and singing along until you drop. --Joshua Blake Rutledge, opinionated asshole
- Now Wave Magazine - USA
The Weekend, Warsawpack, Hot Hot Heat, Blue Skies at War, RUTH'S HAT: The majority of people who are into the local music scene and have been in London for a while have heard the name Ruth's Hat at some point. This power-pop outfit is one of London's most inoffensive bands. There is a great emphasis placed on harmonies and creating music that simply makes you want to dance. This is another band that can be seen playing frequently at Call The Office in London.
- The Gazette - The University of Western Ontario
Ruth's Hat wrote the soundtrack to the modern Happy Days! Buddy Holly on speed indeed! - Journal Review Press
El Macombo, June 11 - This Detroit / London outfit sings about girls, lost love and first dates, soundling the Ramones with killer harmonies! - Exclaim Magazine
Unlike some bands, gimmicks are not a factor in the international success of Ruth's Hat. Talant and hard work have gotten Ruth's Hat recognition from punk lovers on both sides of the border, as well as from record labels across the world. - Detroit News
London / Detroit punk band Ruth's Hat earned a coveted spot at the Vans Warped Tour - Detroit stop. The guys are out to have fun and know that some hard core punk lovers frequently misunderstand their sugary bubble-gum style.
(WE SOLD 70 CDs IN ONE HOUR AT WARPED TOUR!) - Room Magazine
Discography
- Sounds like rock and / or roll CDEP – self release produced by Dan Brodbeck (April ’05)
- The Hitchhiker's Guide to Rock and Roll CD – Fast Music USA (April '03)
- Spooks Night Out CDEP – Headdip GERMANY (February '02)
- Value Pack CD – Mutant Pop USA (June '01)
- Surf's Down EP – Headdip GERMANY (April '01)
- Bye Bye Love CD – Mutant Pop USA (April '00)
- Sloppy Poppy Punk Band 7” – They Still Make Records USA (December '99)
- Split 7” w/ The Retarded – Gonna Puke ITALY (October '99)
- No Band Photo, Vol. 1 7” – Mutant Pop USA (December '98)
- I Don't Wanna Fall In Love 7” – SPG USA (November '98)
- Toilet On My Lawn cassette – self release (June '98)
- Too Much Box 7” – self release (November '97)
- Also featured on over 20 Compilations, Soundtracks, Wakeboard and Surfing Videos (featured on The Rocky Horror Punk Rock Show w/ The Ataris, Alkaline Trio, Me First and The Gimme Gimmes, etc.)
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Ruth’s Hat: a rock n’ roll band of such magnitude that it hails from two countries! Formed in 1997, the band features members from London, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan. Armed with deadly melodies and harmonies that would make Brian Wilson jealous, the Hat’s vigorous, punk-injected pop ‘n roll will induce even the most cynical critic to sing along! The Hat’s influences – ranging from rockabilly to merseybeat to power pop to punk rock – read like a history of rock n’ roll, allowing the band to revive songs and styles long abandoned by mainstream music. Retro in spirit but distinctive in nature, the songs of Ruth’s Hat reflect a fervent affection for the rock n’ roll of the 50s, the sunny pop melodies of the 60s, and the punk-fueled energy of the late 70s. With infectious, upbeat tunes, rockin’ riffs, and delightfully layered harmonies, each frenzied, sugary blast is worthy of the title “hit”. Ruth’s Hat delivers not only the rock but also the roll, saving the world one song at a time through pure, unadulterated fun! If you can get the 50s rock and roll reference for which we were named, you’re good.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Extensive discography including 2 full length CDs, 2 CDEPs, and countless 7” records released on both foreign and domestic labels.
- Production recordings by Dan Brodbeck and Mass Giorgini, which garnered excellent reviews across North America and Europe.
- Press portfolio of over 50 articles, show reviews, and full-magazine interviews.
- Charted nationally on the Canadian College Radio Charts.
- Achieved tour and in-store sales of 5000+ copies.
- 3 North American Tours
- 2 music videos.
- Rocked the following: NXNE, The International Pop Overthrow, Canadian Music Week, Warped Tour, The Mitch Albom Show, and The Detroit River Cruise.
- 2005 Jack Richardson Music Award winner.
- Shared the stage with over 50 national acts, all of whom count themselves among Ruth’s Hat growing legion of fans.
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