Spitzz

Boston's Spitzz have two seven inches out on their own label, Tario Records. Buy them now or be forever lame.
The Spitzz play a style of rock/punk not unlike the black-hearted American quartet The Pagans. The difference is that the Spitzz do it with more style, skill, and reverb. The first seven inch, "I'm not Alive" b/w "Blonde and Pretty," was released in 2001. "I'm not Alive" is a vinegar-laced track that showcases the creepy and grinding guitar sounds of Cloherty and Johnny Evil. Victoria provides a thick hollow-body bass sound and Tender Roast, although not with the band anymore, plays simple and solid drums. Cloherty's angry and snarling vocals add the perfect amount of attitude. "Blonde and Pretty" is a straight-ahead riff rocker that finishes before your head has time to stop spinning. "Take me to the Hospital" b/w "Get Kicked" was released in 2002. "Take me to the Hospital" falls into a laid back yet menacing groove that is reminiscent of The Cramps. Reverb soaked guitar compliments Cloherty's snotty mush-mouthed vocals quite nicely on this one. "Get Kicked" is a full force rock anthem, complete with guitar hero solos and a shout along ending.
These two releases can be bought at any Newbury Comics location, or you can order them directly from Tario Records. Go to www.Spitzz.com for ordering information. If you missed the Spitzz when they recently played Providence's Safari Lounge, they'll be at The Middle East Upstairs in Cambridge, Mass. on October 23rd. The New Bomb Turks are headlining.
- Providence Anchor

Not to be confused with The Spitts from Sweden, The Spits from Seattle or any other grouping of saliva, this fan-fuckin’-tastic pair of 45s comes to DeadBeat courtesy of a young Boston, Massachusetts four-piece. These Spitzz share at least a couple of members with the now-notorious Showcase Showdown who seem to have hurt so many Norwegian feelings a while back with their song entitled “Fuck You, Norway”- hell, mebbe this band IS actually Showcase Showdown- gone underground with a new identity in order hide from the angry, humorless Norwegian hordes (you would think that any country capable of spawning the likes of Turbonegro would have a generally thick-skinned populous, but apparently not…) WHATEVER the connection between the two bands, these two Tario Records 45s are withoutta doubt the coolest punk rock singles that have come my way in many a moon.
And-so- just what IS the sound of hot Spitzz hitting your turntable? One of sinister, snaking guitars, a crunching rhythm section, and a peek into the over-packed noggin of one reaaaallly messed up personality. Angry outsider music fostered by a lifetime of exposure to far too much mind-numbing television, countless dead-end jobs, and years of getting the shit kicked outta you by people much stupider than yourself - all coming to a head in the shape of under 3 minute caustic blasts of rock’n’roll revenge. This is definitely NOT “punk rock” as defined by Green Day mall-rat singalongs, macho jock rock posturings or whiny, self-righteous PC sloganeering. While you’re definitely gonna hear an unmistakable Dead Kennedys’ influence in both singer Cloherty’s waivery vocals and in the film-noirish guitar atmosphere being laid down by Cloherty and fellow guitarist Johnny Evil - in both perspective and direction Spitzz sound more like something that crawled out from underneath the Amphetimine Reptile scuzz rock rather than from off of the Jello Biafra political soapbox.
The A-side of the first 45- the feroicous and dramatic “I’m Not Alive”- is what The Misfits might’ve sounded like had they begun life as a 1990s garage band on Estrus Records. Certainly there are moments that recall the rock’n’roll formula of The Drags- especially in Cloherty’s snide, snotty vocal style combined with bassist Victoria’s scream’n’shriek backing vox. The flipside-“Blonde and Pretty”- is a gonzoid, 45 second tirade against the Kens and Barbies that populate so much of the idiot box (and thereby so much of the general public’s headspace)- think of it as The Germs’ “Media Blitz”, re-edited for 21st Century attention spans.
“Take Me To The Hospital”- from the second 7”- sounds as if The Cramps circa Psychedelic Jungle had car-jacked the Dead Kennedy’s “Police Truck”- speding off onto an Interstate crime spree in order to try to appease the soundbite-spouting “heads on my TV” which torment poor Cloherty day and night. And then, just to shatter any preconceptions which you may have formed, these nutters go and get their Irish out on “Get Kicked”- a boozey, bittersweet, “times-are-tough-so-I’ll-have-another” pub-rock type of ballad that wouldn’t seem too far out of place if slurred from the lips of Paul Westerberg, Phil Lynot or Shane MacGowan…A heartfelt tip o’ the glass to their home turf of Boston, and one that shows that - like so many sociopaths- these kids can come off as quite sincere and…well, normal , when that’s what they want you to think (but I’d still lock my doors at night)…
- deadbeat

I thought the tattooed, punk contingent of Abbey regulars would be too cool to dress up but surprisingly, everyone is decked out. In my long pink wig and faux Pucci print mini, I am a go-go girl in need of a tambourine, although one guy says I'm simply "a good imitation of a woman." There are even two amazing robots---guys inside refrigerator boxes painted silver, one with flashing light up eyes and corrugated tubes for arms and legs. There are farmers and nurses, clowns and creeps, babies and freaks.
Next comes The Spitzz doing their now famous annual event, covers of Cramps songs. Singer Tom looks appropriately Lux-like with his gothic black wig, makeup and deep voice. "Poison Ivy" plays bass instead of guitar, sneering and swaying in her stilettoed boots. The bass and drums are spooky heavy and the guitar is reverb city. They tear it up with mental versions of Cramps classics like "Goo Goo Muck," "The Crusher," "Thee Most Exalted Potentate of Love," and "Can Your Pussy Do the Dog." Every cartoon character in the room is dancing around and sloshing beer on each other's costumes. To top it off, "Lux" and "Ivy" have a party afterward at their house and the whole bar goes. There's a keg of good beer and a blacklit bedroom on display, with skeletons wearing CBGB T-shirts, scary record covers placed about and a real black cat at the foot of the bed. We dance to "Lux's" greatest hits till 4 AM, I vaguely remember Iggy Pop's "Five Foot One." (Laura Markley)
- The Noise Boston

Second single by the always wonderful Spitzz from my old neighborhood in Allston Massachusetts. Shit, the title track of this is a real ringer for the DK's "Police Truck" - an influence I never noticed in the band before, but its a real screamer of a tune to open the 7" with. The Spitzz have an original sound of their own that's built on rock n' roll music from the past four decades, most apparent comparisons being the Cramps and Iggy Pop. It's smart punk rock that isn't as steeped in tradition as it might sound. The band has a lot of experience too and that shows up on this , being that it's only their second record. The flipside is a more basic song that reminds me a bit of Generation X and has a real cool hook going on, with a voice somewhat reminiscent of Shane. Smashing!! - Riot 77- Ireland

Thank you to the SPITZZ for keeping the short, blasting punk song alive on their I'm Not Alive 45 (Tario/PO Box 501/Cambridge, MA 02238). They use DEAD KENNEDYS-like surf riffs in the title song and as I listen through the record, I can't help but think how amazing this band is...and how, if they'd been around in the late-70s, this record would be in thousands of punk kids' collections (or booted on KBD). I mean that in the best way possible. For all you jaded fucks whining about "no more good bands...no bands like there used to be..." check out this record. Everything really clicks in a way you just don't hear enough anymore. Great, catchy, punchy songs that don't fuck around and are recorded really well. Such a rarity these days… - Blankc Generation