Music
Press
“We’re gonna eat your brains tonight,” sing West Philly four-piece Saudi Arabia on the first song of their new $200,000 EP. That says it all about this bizarre band, who make the most of their mood swings and aren’t afraid to throw in a line from “Jimmy Crack Corn.” The aforementioned “Brains” sounds like four or five different songs stitched together in a darkened alley, while the cryptic “A Message to Dr. Dog” is drowned in noise. The closing “Christian Retreat” is just as cheeky but way more melodic. Dwelling somewhere between early Pavement and latter-day Butthole Surfers, Saudi Arabia draw us closer by never revealing their whole hand. (Doug Wallen)
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/articles/16932/music--live-music - Doug Wallen - Philadelphia Weekly
"very inventive"
"I really like this band"
Some of the quotes from Tommy Conwell, DJ for 94.1 WYSP Philadelphia after spinning us 5 strait weeks on his Loud and Local program which airs every Sunday from 9-10PM - 94.1 WYSP Philadelphia (Clear Channel)
Saudi Arabia march to the beat of their own drummer. - PlugInMusic.com
Things begin with "A Message to Dr. Dog" by Saudi Arabia. It’s hard to tell from the song, but I sincerely hope that this is a call to arms for Dr. Dog and we can get some rivalry brewing in the Philly indie underground. I would love to see warring factions of skinny indie kids collecting rival scarves, a la War of The Buttons.
MAY 5th, 2008:
http://www.citypaper.net/blogs/clog/category/music/ - Nate Adams - CityPaper.net
SAUDI ARABIA -"$200,000"
Folky, funky, punky, experimental collision of sound from West Philly's Shorty Boy-Boy and his band of musical misfits. Sounds like Beck, Wilco, The Dead Milkmen, and Ween rolled into one
BEST TRACKS: 1 "Brains", & 4 "A Message To Dr. Dog"
RATING: 4 of 5 - YROCK on WXPN
>>> More Things We Love In The New, Better Fake ’90s: Unfortunately named local band Saudi Arabia. Wait, is this some poppy-yet-sludgy band that we saw at the Casbah in ‘93? It’s not? Amazing! This right here is some right-on-hella-scruffy I-live-above-Guacamole-on-South-Street-with-Shannon-and-Hugh-and-Kurt stuff. [MySpace]
http://www.philebrity.com/2008/10/07/musical-rumblings-things-we-love-or-dont-in-the-new-better-fake-90s/ - Bruce Warren (Program Director of WXPN)
Discography
Shorty Boy-boy - Kicking Your Ass, Than Smoking Your Grass (2006)
$200,000 (2008)
Yellow (2009)
Photos
Bio
It's all about performing, and when you hear the Saudis counting off the first song of the night, get ready for a punch to the forehead. (A pleasant one.) Our first order of business is drive, power and excitement. Don't expect two songs to sound alike. An explosive beginning may fall to a whisper in order to set up the house for an unforseen uprising. Change in life is inevitable and can be disturbing or stimulating. What can you be sure of?
And so it should be in music. Art imitates life. We might howl at you or sing like angels, all in the same song. Welcome to the world. Yet there is nothing angry about Saudi Arabia. We want to have fun, be funny and be your friends. Maybe.
In 2007 and 2008, Saudi Arabia has been performing in clubs throughout Philadelphia, and its suburbs, steadily climbing in recognition. Saudi Arabia recently recorded a live on-air performance with Y-rock on 88.5 WXPN, and have been getting reviews in print and web press, as well ascommercial (clear channel 94.1 WYSP), college, and podcast airplay.
The Saudis' lineage traces from Shorty Boy-boy, a one-man effort whose eponymous CD entitled /Kicking Your Ass, Than Smoking Your Grass/ in 2006 was written, performed and recorded by Josh Pannepacker. With gigs looming, a Shorty Boy-boy band was formed and initially performed just the Pannepacker portfolio. Many new songs soon arose from the ensemble, although Josh, and now Vinnie, are the principal composers. The Saudi sets consist of the best of the past and present.
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