The Ones
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The Ones

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"Musicfest NW Preview"

One listen to local rockers, The Ones and you know theese guys just ooze self-confidence. I mean, they pull off '80s-esque guitar licks with ease and absolutely no sense of irony. And since the local three piece is a little bit Southern rock and a little bit Rolling Stones, they've gotta trump their own cheesey moments, too. Most of The Ones' lyrics are filler like "Something wrong with my streo/Getting signals out of Tokyo" - but they're still undeniably fun. (Sept. 8th @ Kelly's Olympian) - Willamette Week


"The Ones s/t CD"

This debut full length release from The Ones kicks some serious ass. Equal parts rock and punk barrages explode from both barrels. Musically they draw from all sorts of styles, old school late 70’s punk, guitar based New Wave, a dash of roots rock, and other genres while placing their indelible style stamp on the final results. Whatever it is, it’s high energy rock n’ roll octane and I dig it. I haven’t been this blown away by a new band in quite a while. The material’s fun and lively with balls and teeth intact and after catching them live I’m proud to report that the recorded material translates seamlessly onto a stage. The Ones are easily one of the best bands working the Portland scene right now and rumors of a U.S. tour have begun to surface. Can’t recommend this one enough. 10 on a scale of 1-11.
- The Swede
- Culture Bunker Dot Com


"The Ones s/t CD"

Portland dudes who play scruffy power pop, very much in the Dream Police-era Cheap Trick vein, with maybe a little pogo-ready Tuff Darts thrown in for extra kick. They sound like chicks dig ‘em. And that's the whole idea behind all this bullshit, isn't it?
- Sleazegrinder
- Sleazegrinder Dot Com


"The Ones s/t CD"

I’ve heard the Ones described as both the best band in town and the worst. Which leads me to wonder: What could be so heinously awful or unbelievably awesome about a band whose music lies somewhere between Cheap Trick and Bruce Springsteen? Going into the Ones’ self-titled debut, I had yet to see the band live, and its first single (while only a taste) was a song I already knew. All of these factors led to a similar ambivalence. So why has this straightforward four-piece elicited such extreme reactions from Portland music fans? Well, the Ones’ first full-length actually makes some sense of these contradictory opinions. Though made up of seasoned rockers—members’ past bands include Poison Idea, Religious War, the Procrastinators and the Weaklings—the Ones do make a brand of retro rock that’s worthy of both praise and derision, often in the same song. Take “Sweet Little Bombers,” for instance: The alternately ringing and choppy guitar chords during the chorus lend themselves perfectly to Pete Townshend-style air-guitar windmills, and the female vocals on the “Don’t ya know/ Don’t ya know?!” verses remind me of Toody Cole’s off-key shouts on Dead Moon’s “It’s OK”—an all-time favorite. But “Sweet Little Bombers” misses perfection thanks to several cheeseball moments like the line, “All the sweet little bombers/ Got their eyes on the mambas.” Another lyric that’ll make you cringe is “My head, my head/ Feels just like lead” (from “My Arms”), as does the hokey, awkwardly played guitar shuffle in “Dead on My Feet.” Yet the sweet pre-chorus of “Dead” (“I remember your lips and a cigarette”) is brilliant, the kind that gets perpetually stuck in your head. So The Ones is a little flawed. But you know what? There are three factors that, for my money, redeem its downfalls: Vocalist Andrew Coursen has a unique and fantastic voice for rock ‘n’ roll that, in its earnestness and spirit, just begs to be yelled along with. Drummer Tim Slapper keeps it simple throughout, but he can really play when he needs to, as evidenced in his rare and stellar fills. And, finally, there simply could not be more energy packed into this record. Folks may love and hate the band in general, but anyone who doesn’t find him- or herself occasionally moving to this record just hates fun, if you ask me.
- Jason Simms - Willamette Week


"Bowie Tribute"


The Best "Rebel, Rebel" Attitude Award , though, goes to the Ones. This local retro-rock quartet not only played "Rebel, Rebel," but its members looked incredibly badass in their leather jackets, and copped some serious attitude with the sound guy to boot. The Ones even casually puffed cigarettes on the stage of the nonsmoking venue. Oh, hot tramps, I loved you so! - Willamette Week


"The Ones s/t CD"

Super (almost annoyingly) catchy power pop tunes. So peppy, so poppy, so high-energy. I can just feel the uppers in the room. People still take them, right? The musicians are very tight and the singer has very distinctive voice. If you like THE PETS, I know you'll like this too.<br>(CK) July 2007 - Maximum Rock And Roll


"The Ones s/t CD"

Members of The Ones carry quite the musical pedigree (Weaklings, Poison Idea, Procrastinators, Religious War), but this Portland rock n' roll outfit is quickly building a rep that's all its own. Start with a singer who sounds like a cross between Rob Tyner and "Hot Love" era Robin Zander, mix in a high energy bar band attack, and cap it all off with some hook-heavy songcraft leaning towards powerpop. And BOOM! You've got The Ones. On its debut album, the group strips away the fancy stuff and just lets loose some seriously good rootsy rock n' roll. Mixing poppy punk n' roll with straight-up blue collar classic rock, The Ones make music that sounds the way a PBR tallboy tastes: basic, pure, and accessible to the average Joe. Whether you're a powerpop kid with a hard-on for Cheap Trick, a graybeard who brags about having seen Bob Seger at Cobo Hall back in '75, a swanked-out scenester with a Faces haircut, or a grizzled old punk rocker with a Tuff Darts pin on your leather jacket, you're a prime candidate for Ones fandom. Granted, a few songs here and there are a little generic-sounding. But when these guys hit it, they really hit it. Songs like "Yeah, You Make It", "Tunin' In Tokyo", and "Dead on My Feet" may be formula rockers, but they're just about the best formula rockers you'll hear all year. I'll give "Yeah, You Make It" one listen while I'm driving to work in the morning, and that damn chorus will be ringing in my head the rest of the day! The playing here is muscular, gritty, and totally from-the-gut. There's not a lot of wanking or showy musicianship happening on this record. Just simple, driving guitars; rock-solid drumming; and a singer who can really belt it. It all works because these tunes are so absolutely indefatigable. Like a car giving off heat minutes after the ignition's been turned off, these songs emit an energy that does not quickly dissipate. Couple that with this band's knack for catchy choruses, and you've got yourself a hell of a good debut album. Check it out.
Lord Rutledge - Now Wave Zine


Discography

The Ones s/t 11 song CD
Shame Shame Shame 7" b/w Tunin In Tokyo
Split 7" with The Slip-Its "My Arms"
Cat Piss Studios comp CD "Dead On My Feet"

Photos

Bio

The Ones have been shaking up the rock-n-roll scene in Portland since early 2005. Between opening for acts like The Nice Boys, The Romantics, The Go, Andre Williams and Tyla (Dogs D’Amour) they’ve found time to record a couple of singles, one on Snakehead Vinyl (co-released on Waxvaccine Records) and the other, a split with the Slip-Its on Waxvaccine Records as well as an appearance on the fabulous Cat Piss Studios Compilation “Jukebox Yearbook 2006” on Last Chance Records. And now, Waxvaccine Records is proud to announce the release of The Ones’ first full-length self-titled album. 11 brand new punk-rock-n-roll hits that are tough enough for all the rock-n-rollers, yet the ladies can still dance to it.
(Picture a drunken fistfight with The Stones and Who on one side and The MC5 and Jam on the other.)
LIVE FOOTAGE CAN BE FOUND ON YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/waxvaccine
Radio Play: WMBR KBOO KPSU KUFO
Podcast:3 Tune Dude May13 2007 The Rock and Roll Show 5/13/2007 Tunin In Tokyo
GDs Bite Size Bonus May15 2007 Bite Size Bonus # 367 Tunin In Tokyo
Darrin Dishong's Drive Home May16 2007 527 Whatever Wednesday Tunin In Tokyo
Il Nissardo May28 2007 Episodio 30 Tunin In Tokyo
Raging Titter Radio Jun8 2007 Raging Titter Radio Episode 17 (The Courtesy Flush) Shame Shame Shame
LONG GONE LOSER PODCAST #6 Dead On My Feet

IF YOU'D LIKE A "HARD COPY" PRESS-KIT, EMAIL waxvaccine@yahoo.com . WE'LL SEND YOU ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE!!!