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Angel Marie Mexico doesn't come with a lyric sheet, which is a pity since most of what Shazy Hade's Eric Shinker sings on the band's new CD is worth knowing. Not to mention real and true. Sometimes the words are deceptively simple, as is the case on the jangly pop-rocker "Danny X," where ex-New Recruit Shinker sings "You tell me you love me/I choose to believe it" in a plaintive whine that's by turns desperate and tender. And sometimes they're a little bent and, well, psychedelic, as is the case on the hopeful, upwelling Stones-styled anthem "Strawberry Cake." But the one thing they never are is showily sophisticated or overwrought.
The same is true of Shazy Hade's music, which uses guitar, bass, drums and the occasional keyboard to fill out beautifully produced pop and rock tunes that are steeped in some of the most creative music of the '60s. (Members of the well-traveled alt-rock outfit Hum Machine fill out the quintet's lineup.) If I had to choose, I'd probably pick the oddly innocent "Bone Drag" as the tune most likely to succeed on college radio. Then again, there are half a dozen songs on Angel Marie Mexico that fans of wistful, psychedelic atmospheres are apt to latch onto once they get in sync with Shinker's ramshackle singing style.
- Isthmus - Madison, WI
Yes. I want a song that starts out soft and then gets loud and a little rowdy about 30 seconds in. I want one-car-garage rock that sounds like it wasn't just recorded in a garage, it was written there, by a guy who doesn't have any idea why he woke up there. Gimme a greasy, asymmetrical distortion pedal and a catchy hook to run through it. And give me a single, genuine mantra of a chorus, maybe one that also works as a verse, and I wanna hear it the whole song long. "When you tell me you love me I choose to believe it" is what it should assert, and the voice should be grainy and straining. "When you tell me you love me I choose to believe!" Yes, "Danny X" could be the simple, imperfect counterpoint to these brainiac bar-band days. Craig Finn's gonna win in the end, he probably should, but Wisconsin-based Shazy Hade's got a case full of indie-pop cred and some jangly rock melodies to echo in your head all summer long. Yes. - City Pages - Philadelphia
Discography
Shazy Hade - 2006
Angel Marie Mexico - 2007
Triumphant Returns Again - 2009
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Bio
Formed by drawing members from two of Madison, Wisconsin’s most prominent independent bands, Shazy Hade combines over 50 years of recording and touring experience to create a unique chemistry that allows them to make music that is both refreshing and timeless. All four members of Hum Machine are part of Shazy Hade utilizing the knowledge gained from releasing 6 full-length albums and embarking on several North American tours over the past 10 years. Singer-songwriter Eric “Shinky” Shinker comes from the New Recruits, whom more than any Madison band, adhered to the edicts of punk. “They were irreverently comic, shamelessly snotty and probably laughing at you behind your back.”(Laskin-Isthmus)
This alliance produces infectious songwriting in the vein of Robert Pollard, Neil Young, and Harry Nilsson. The symmetry of these local heroes provides a challenging view of what has shaped the collective imagination of what American music can be.
Shazy Hade has already been playing shows nationwide and will continue it’s lengthy touring schedule to support the upcoming vinyl album Triumphant Returns Again which is set for a spring 2009 release. Their 2007 Shortwave Records release Angel Marie Mexico has already gained attention from their home base of fans in the Midwest as a strong freshman release you can really get your ears around. "We have all been around long enough to know that Shazy Hade has a special chemistry. When people hear this music we hope they willl feel the chemistry we have.” says Eric Hartz, who runs Shortwave Records and doubles as the band’s drummer.
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