The Shrills

The Shrills


The Shrills sound nothing like an African-American girl group from the '60s. In fact, if the Shirelles—the group that inspired their moniker—were around to see them play at a bar somewhere, they probably would run out screamin...g as though the place were on fire. Upon first listen, their name obviously reflects the caustic nature of their screeching, psych-punk sound. But this brazen pack of OC weirdos manage to pay homage to the days of doo-wop in subtle whispers between the cracks of their aural chaos. The song "Morgana" from last year's Pink Hotel EP juxtaposes fluttering, rhythmic piano with werewolf howls and lyrics about a lovelorn psychopath who sleepwalks with ghosts.

They're the kind of off-kilter local band who naturally wander into the Distillery in Costa Mesa, trying to book some time. Inside the belly of this dank gem of a recording studio, a flotsam of mangled circuitry; battered, vintage amps; and the occasional fire-melted guitar litter the all-analog set-up, including a soundboard that Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird" was supposedly recorded on. Parked on a couple of rusty garden chairs outside the alleyway entrance, Shrills members Dan Simmons, Zack Grimm and bassist Fabian Ruiz commiserate about what sets their band (rounded out by guitarist Dan Cano and drummer Patrick Tapia) apart from the typical flock of jangly garage groups.

"Everybody thinks they can record at their house on their laptop," Simmons says. "A lot of times, you depend on a place like this, where people know what they're doing, but they have the same mindset as you. The first couple of days, we didn't even get any work done because we were fucking around, lighting fireworks the whole time."

That sense of mischief and mayhem has permeated the band since founding members Simmons and Grimm met as juniors at Mission Viejo High School in 2007. What started as a bizarre, David Bowie cover band eventually morphed into a full-time, all-original project in 2011; the band members had little aspiration to do anything outside of simultaneously scaring, insulting and exciting people with their music.

In the past, Simmons says, their crass, gear-busting live show caused members to quit the band while onstage. After accidentally splitting his head open by throwing his guitar up in the air at the Prospector in Long Beach, Simmons, who was bleeding profusely, got into a shouting match outside the club with one drummer who simply walked off, leaving his drum kit behind. Instances such as this make the title of their forthcoming album, Meltdown, all the more fitting.

"Most of our shows over the past year and a half have been a complete meltdown," Simmons says. "But now I think we've learned to harness all the energy of that without getting hurt really bad at a show."

Though this kind of masochism seems to border on gimmickry, the Shrills' aptitude for insanity is winning them fans, including the blues-rocking, psychotic showmen of Death Hymn Number 9 (the two bands share Tapia). On the strength of their first EP, Santa Ana garage label Resurrection Records promptly agreed to put out their full-length, which will kick off the band's tour of the Pacific Northwest this fall. Then there's the fact that the Distillery, run by legendary, eccentric soundman Mike McHugh, usually reserves its studio time for signed bands with prominent indie-label backing. Leave it to McHugh to recognize a band with heart and take them under his wing, even if they are a bit hard-headed.

"Being in Orange County, we tend to get lumped in with hipster bands who are total pussies," Simmons says. "So we went into those shows with the mindset that 'This is the band everyone is here to see, so we're gonna show them why they shouldn't look at that and think that it's the face of Orange County punk.'" - The Echo- Silverlake

In case you're wondering why I stopped accepting new releases for review recently, this is a good example: it's a great record I received for review about a year and a half ago, and never listened to because it was buried in a pile of other submissions (in addition, I still pretend to have a social life while acting like an adult at times to earn a paycheck).

If you come to DrugPunk for the dirtyassrock'n'roll and loath my forays into other genres, you'll love this. Shrills is as much fun as making out in a bar bathroom after your eighth beer of the night. "Coconuts" is as sweet as the aforementioned fruit. It blatantly rips off a punk song whose title I can't think of. There's nothing complex about this band: it's just direct, unabashed garage punk that I'm pretty sure Californians were great at before they all started listening to Drake and Lady Gaga (or whatever it is my students love currently). There are moments of complexity-"Pink Hotel" veers dangerously close to Sex Church as far as guitars go-but this is mainly just straightahead garage fun. "Chthulu," however, is in a world of its own: it's six minutes of menacing, slow-motion cinematic tension that slowly segues into lurching, heavy caveman rock a la Bleach-era Nirvana. Totally makes the kids go crazy, I'm guessing.

Put quite simply, if I had gotten around to listening to this it woulda been in my Top 10 for 2011.
I dunno if any physical copies of the tape are left, but if so, BUY IT HERE!!!! - Drug Punk

In case you're wondering why I stopped accepting new releases for review recently, this is a good example: it's a great record I received for review about a year and a half ago, and never listened to because it was buried in a pile of other submissions (in addition, I still pretend to have a social life while acting like an adult at times to earn a paycheck).
If you come to DrugPunk for the dirtyassrock'n'roll and loath my forays into other genres, you'll love this. Shrills is as much fun as making out in a bar bathroom after your eighth beer of the night. "Coconuts" is as sweet as the aforementioned fruit. It blatantly rips off a punk song whose title I can't think of. There's nothing complex about this band: it's just direct, unabashed garage punk that I'm pretty sure Californians were great at before they all started listening to Drake and Lady Gaga (or whatever it is my students love currently). There are moments of complexity-"Pink Hotel" veers dangerously close to Sex Church as far as guitars go-but this is mainly just straightahead garage fun. "Chthulu," however, is in a world of its own: it's six minutes of menacing, slow-motion cinematic tension that slowly segues into lurching, heavy caveman rock a la Bleach-era Nirvana. Totally makes the kids go crazy, I'm guessing. Put quite simply, if I had gotten around to listening to this it woulda been in my Top 10 for 2011.
I dunno if any physical copies of the tape are left, but if so, BUY IT HERE!!!! - Drug Punk

Loud, fuzzy, psych, garage doo-wop...I don't know! Call it what you want but it's gooooood! Really excited me when I first heard it. Think The Cramps locked in a garage with The Black Lips. Amazing sleeve too. Just buy it!

Limited run of 500 copies on colored vinyl
released 02 January 2013
Recorded 2010-2012 at The Distillery costa mesa, ca
LP released via Resurrection Records

Go freak out here:
Meltdown by The Shrills

Cool review here:
http://lo-pie.com/review-the-shrills/
- Very Gun Records

Orange County punk is in good shape, thanks in part to psych-punk five-piece The Shrills. In between raucous percussion and '60s garage-soaked guitar are the crazed, desperate vocals of Dan Simmons, which altogether make their band name credible on all counts. Mixing in elements of doo wop, '60s psych rock, The Shrills artfully craft a head-busting sound that will make you dance with frantic abandon, if not run out of the venue in complete terror. Their follow-up album to 2010's Pink Hotel, Meltdown, continues their psychotic punk fury; you'd be sorry to miss out on their show tonight at Detroit Bar with Cotillon, The Abigails and Matt McCluer.
Sat., May 11, 8 p.m., 2013 - OC Weekly

Mind bending psych punk from Orange County, CA. “Meltdown” contains material from The Shrills first 3 releases plus additional new songs that were recorded at The Distillery (Costa Mesa, CA) over the last 2 years. This album is arranged so that each song blends seamlessly into the next, creating one chaotic mess of trippy, psychedelic fuzz. Recorded and pressed on wax directly from the original master tapes using all analog equipment. Artwork by the insanley talented Grant Earl Lavalley. First pressing limited to under 500 copies. Colored vinyl. (Resurrection Records) - Slovenly Records

Loud, fuzzy, psych, garage doo-wop...I don't know! Call it what you want but it's gooooood! Really excited me when I first heard it. Think The Cramps locked in a garage with The Black Lips. Amazing sleeve too. Just buy it!

Limited run of 500 copies on colored vinyl
released 02 January 2013
Recorded 2010-2012 at The Distillery costa mesa, ca
LP released via Resurrection Records
- verygunrecords

On February 20th, The Orwells played with Pangea, The Shrills, and Zig Zags at Unit B Skatepark in Santa Ana. If you live in the area and are not familiar with the venue, I highly recommend you check it out. It’s a fairly new warehouse skatepark with 3 bowls and a stage. And it’s located just a few blocks away from The Observatory (smells like competition). You are allowed to skate while the bands play, which is rad because it just makes it more of a dangerous place to be. In other words, you can either get hurt skating in a bowl, or get hurt in the mosh pit by the stage.
The Shrills played first, but unlike other shows they play, their faces were not painted black this time, which I preferred since we could see their beautiful faces. As more people started coming in, Pangea set up their equipment and it was party time. The crowd went wild, pushing and shoving into each other to the froggy voice of the lead singer, William Keegan. When The Orwells started playing, everyone was already enthused. They put on a great show, and entertained us with the lead singer climbing on the terrace on top of the stage and hanging upside down like a monkey. That was definitely my favorite part of the show - kucievents.blogspot.com

The Shrills- Ghoul Kids TAPE. Weirdo night owls, people who like to hang in graveyards, and after midnight creepoids will definately dig this one. The Shrills have fully embraced a full on loud-and-proud psych punk sound with this creepy little masterpiece that rams those feel good 60's vibes through the wacked out funhouse mirror. Just don’t be alarmed at the amount of noise coming from your speakers. “Ghoul Kids” wants to sound like it was recorded in a trash can, but was actually laid down at the Distillery in Costa Mesa where bands like the Hunches, Black Lips and Cheap Time have recorded. The shit-fi production totally works and that’s a compliment because the music is so damn good. - Dead Beat Records

While the crowd was still trickling in for openers, The Shrills, those who did show up early were pumped for the psych punk quintet. All in all it was fairly difficult to distinguish one song from the next as crumpled guitar riffs fused with more crumple guitar riffs. I’d like to see what these guys can do when put up next to artists more akin to themselves.
- Restless Cities

The Southern California garage/punk group The Shrills just dropped their latest endeavor, Meltdown, on Resurrection Records. I’m a big sucker for a good garagery doo wop jam, and thats why I have been stoked on their newest song “Morgana” and ” Kill My Baby”. “Morgana” is a slow spooky surf ballad, while “Kill My Baby” is a morbidly uptempo tune featuring some sweet backing vocal harmonies. “Broardzilla” is another fast paced catchy jam, that has a rad dickdale style surf guitar brake. You can stream the whole album below, and catch them live with The Orwells, Pangea and ZigZags Feb. 20th at Unit B in Santa Ana, CA. - Rockadelia

Seeing the Shrills for the first time can be a daunting experience. It's rare these days that an OC band sees the acquirement of scrapes, bruises and bloody gashes as an everyday bi-product of being on stage. The fact that there's always a chance that every show could end in a meltdown (a fact that inspired their aptly-titled debut full-length, Meltdown) is enough to keep crowd watching after they launch into the string-snapping guitar work of "Coconuts" or "Pink Hotel." Given our innate desire to watch extreme debauchery unfold from the comfort of our living rooms, It's only natural to think, "Damn, I wish someone would give these guys a reality show. I'd watch it." Funny thing is, it almost happened.

Back in September 2011, vocalist/guitarist Dan Simmons got a random call from some producers at Uprising Television Productions, who was looking for a some young, wile bands to partake in a some series called "Ambassadors of Rock." The concept was simple: Follow around a scrappy, unsigned band and document their gigs and dealings with fans, friends, and Internet acquaintances who offer them a roof over their head while they're in town. The production company was working on a pilot episode to deliver to national music channel Fuse as a prospective new show. To this day, Simmons had no idea how they found his band, which had barely been together for more than a year at that point.

"They didn't even tell us what it was gonna be about until they showed up at my house with a bunch of cameras and paperwork and stuff," Simmons says. Still, the opportunity to fuck shit up on camera, get paid and document their live show was too good to pass up. The bulk of the filming included watching them practice for an outdoor generator show in San Clemente gig (not quite a "touring gig" for the band who was based in Mission Viejo) and watching them hang out at a house of some friends in that area who agreed to let them crash there the night of the show.

As you'll see in the footage below, the whole episode turned into a major clusterfuck the minute they band revved up the generator and turned on their amps. After playing approximately one song in the middle of a dark culdesac filled with drunk teenagers, police busted up the party and all hell broke loose.
"All these kids just started scattered everywhere, there was a hardcore underage drinking," "Simmons says. "Someone threw a vodka bottle at a cop car and shattered on a cop car, people were lighting fireworks, it was insane." The camera crew (who were probably feeling really smart for filming this gig) disappeared within seconds. At the end of the mass exodus, guitarists Zack Grimm and Dan Cano ended up being detained by police when they stayed behind to grab their amps and gear and were each given $200 fines for being a part of the ruckus. Thankfully Uprising TV paid the fines for them.

As insane as that was, it was the the footage of the band going back to their friend's crash pad to party after the gig that confirmed that this pilot was never going to air. Mostly because of the band's unwillingness to participate in the usual "reality" aspect of the show that involves re-enacting certain occurrences the cameras didn't catch, reading lines and pretending to party with this obviously embedded cast member who, in addition to being about 20 years older than everyone at the party, is sporting a seriously heinous double mohawk.

"And we were doing all kinds of gross, crazy stuff...some dude was smoking out of a dick-shaped bong on camera, people were whipping their dicks out, it was pretty crude," Simmons says. "But on the upside, a lot of people did think we were famous for like an entire day. We even showed up to KFC with the camera crew."

Surprisingly, the show was never picked up by Fuse TV, the band never got paid for doing it, and Uprising Productions kept them in the dark for about a year until they informed them the show was a bust. On the bright side, they did give them the edited footage to do with it what they pleased. Thank god for us, they put it on YouTube. Watch a clip of the show and tell us if you think this would've been a hit.
If you'd like to catch the Shrills in a non-reality show setting, see them tomorrow at the Observatory opening for Deertick. - OC Weekly

Muchas veces te preguntas ¿como cojones no ha llegado este disco a mi? ¿Por qué no he oído hablar de este grupo? Exactamente eso pensé cuando escuché Meltdown, el primer LP de The Shrills.
Básicamente contiene la esencia de esta banda de Orange County, California, material ya publicado anteriormente y nuevos temas grabados en los últimos 2 años en el estudio The Distillery (Costa Mesa, CA).
Meltdown es un viaje, un viaje demencial, psicotrópico y delirante, grabado a partir de los másters originales analógicamente (lo que le da un sonido más amateur, menos tratado y más lo-fi que obviamente adoramos), enlazando perfectamente tema tras tema como si los hubieran compuesto para sonar todos seguidos.
El inicio es bestial. Escuchando "Coconuts" te da la sensación de que tienes el grupo delante de tus narices y sólo necesitas coger una cerveza para sentirte como en un concierto. El tema parece sacado del disco de Demos de Ty Segall, por los gritos o por el garage-punk salvaje (salvo que aquí no hay drum-machine), con un toque burlesque, algo así como música de circo hecha garage.
La distorsión analógica da paso a la música en "Meltdown" (que a partir del minuto 1 se pone seria con una antológica y caótica ráfaga de ruido, volviéndose algo fantasmagórica al final), la midtempo "Teen Wolf" o "Home Alone", totalmente Black Lips, los del S/T o el Let It Bloom, coros y aullidos incluidos.
Encontramos también toques del fetichismo vintage psicodélico de The Cramps ("Redhead"), de doo-wop garajero y surf para enamorados de Shannon and The Clams ("Kill My Baby", una de las mayores perlas que han dado los californianos) o de los Stooges de los inicios del punk ("Punk Rock Town").
Hay veces en que la letra ni se entiende ni hace falta, como "Broadzilla", que le sobra con tener un título genial y una oscura melodía que podrías escuchar repetidamente un buen rato, que va in crescendo hasta llegar a la extenuación. Absolutamente brillante.
"Pink Hotel", que daba título al EP de 2010, más ruido infeccioso y más nueces garajeras, hasta mitad de canción, donde se transforma en un llanto eléctrico y desgarrador que haría estremecer al más duro de la sala, seguido de "Morgana", una balada doo-wop, The Penguins haciendo garage, gritando y escupiendo sangre, y uno de los mejores temas del álbum, que termina con un último corte "instrumental" (distorsión pura y dura).

Estamos ante otra maravilla engendrada por Resurrection Records, en una edición en vinilo en diferentes colores limitada a 500 copias y con artwork espectacular.


- Lo-Fi Your Brains out

Recommended Track: Morgana
Slip in a Cramps tape, pop a tab of acid and cruise down Pacific Coast Highway with Ruben and the Jets, and you might just stumble into The Shrills. Meltdown is their latest vauedville freak show of demented punk and twangy surf wop (not a real genre) out on Resurrection Records.
The prickly analog composition of Costa Mesa’s Distillery Studio really pops on tracks like “Home Alone” and “Teen Wolf”. Distortion heavy “Redhead” sounds like a pack of wild monkeys trying to drown a kid in an electric pond and “Meltdown” plays like a punk cover of some random unreleased garage acetate.
The Shrills’ lyrics can be just as batshit loco as their erratic stage presence. “Kill My Baby” is no exception. Zack Grimm and Dan Simmons croon, “Try to do it nice and humane/Two in the stomach and one in the brain/What if I start to miss her/Well that’s ok cause she’s got two sisters.” It’s a perfect piece of zany bubblegum rock tailor-made for the Hatchet-Faces of this world. “Broadzilla” is feet-tapping mongoloid surf punk and “Pink Hotel” blasts two minutes of Patrick Tapia’s (Death Hymn #9) drum rolls and cymbal crashes that transition into Segallesque guitar riffs and vocal harmonies. Meltdown‘s most serious track “Morgana” is a potpourri of raspy doo-wop balladry and classic surf slide riffs.
The one misstep here is instrumental album closer “Welcome to Hellvis”, which serves as some sort of ambient warped vinyl outro that inexplicably cuts eight seconds too early. But who knows, maybe The Shrills trashed the studio so much by that time the engineer simply pulled the plug? Meltdown has an amateurish panache that lends itself nicely to their campy influences. It’s got a magnetism that will charm your friends and piss off your neighbors. Fans of King Khan, Guantanamo Baywatch and Shannon and the Clams would be wise to check this one out.





- Lo-Pie » Review : 4.2/5 Pies

Capturing the troubled psychosis of the Shrills on a record is no easy process. While plenty of new jack garage and indie acts see the recording process as a time to get riffs polished down to a science, this psych-punk outfit seems to be a magnet for mishaps, drunk follies and last-minute magic. Come to think of it, that pretty much sums up their live show too. And translating that energy in the legendary Distillery recording studio in Costa Mesa involved more than a few potentially disastrous situations. After all, there's a reason why their debut record is called "Meltdown" (check out the album here). We recently took a few minutes to talk with members Dan Simmons and Zack Grimm about putting together this ungodly squall of sound (released on Nov. 16) and in turn they schooled us on how to make the fine art of chaotic, slap-dash, drunk recording sound way more intentional that it actually was.
On recording the title track:
Dan Simmons: We finished writing that a week before we went in the studio and Patrick [Tapia], our drummer. And I didn't even have it down perfect at all. At the end of the song, he had this idea of keeping the same drum beat, but then doubling the temp and making it this crazy sounding thing. We didn't think we were gonna be able to do it because every time we practiced it, we fucked it up. At first we figured we'd just record it and leave it fucked up on the record but somehow we pulled it out of our asses and after it was done and perfect, we were like "There is no way we could play that song live." So that kinda makes it special in a way, it's that isolated recording, the one time we did it right.

Zack Grimm: "Kill My Baby" is pretty funny song to record too because I got really drunk to do the vocals and a couple sentences in it don't make sense. I had the lyrics written down but I messed up so bad. There's like three mistakes that I caught, some you don't really here. But I said the wrong words all over the place.

On recording the album's secret track "Welcome to Hellvis" with producer Mike McHugh:

Simmons: Mike and I were piecing the record together on tape--because when you record to quarter inch tape you literally have to cut the song out and tape it in the order you want it on the record. That's a really long process and Mike and I both have terrible A.D.D. So we took a break from pasting the record together, and we were already about an hour late for our appointment to go master the record up in L.A. and he Mike all of the sudden is like "Maybe we should record a song." And he just set up this cassette recorder and recorded over some band's cassette and did this song. He ran the studio microphones through this old NASA equipment that he had and when it was done, we both decided it should go on the record. That was done literally 45 minutes before the record was actually taken into be mastered.
On pressing Zack Grimm's phone number inside all the Melt Down records:
Simmons: The mastering guys, they ask you to make your own serial number and whatever you want said on the inside of the record because the etch it into the lacquer and it gets pressed into all of the records. So they asked for a number and I asked if it mattered how long the number was and they said no, so I used his phone number. If you have comments on the record, feel free to give him a call, haha.




- OC Weekly

Weirdo night owls, people who like to hang in graveyards, and after midnight creepoids of all stripes ought to like The Shrills. The band’s demented beach punk could be the soundtrack to any z-grade youth exploitation film from 1965 that’s playing on loop forever somewhere between 2 and 4am. “Home Alone”, a track from their upcoming Meltdown LP on Resurrection Records, is appropriately creepy for a song set to be released on Halloween. The accompanying video ain’t much to look at, but the song itself has a thrashy verse wrapped around a groovy surf breakdown that’ll make your inner ghoul girl shake a tail.

The Shrills have seemingly dispensed with the dirgey doo-wop of their Pink Hotel EP to embrace a full on loud-and-proud psych sound that rams those feel good 60's vibes through the funhouse mirror. Just don’t be alarmed at the amount of noise coming from your speakers. “Home Alone” wants to sound like it was recorded in a trash can, but was actually laid down at the Distillery in Costa Mesa. So, if nothing else, ya gotta admire how hard The Shrills must have worked to make their music sound this shitty. And that’s a compliment.






- Lo-Pie

In your face, mind bending psych punk. First pressing limited to 500 copies. Co-released between the band and Resurrection Records. Recorded At The Distillery in Costa Mesa, CA on all analog. Mixed straight from the original tapes with no computers whatsoever. - Discogs

Free, distortiony (yes, that’s definitely a word), emotional and inspiring- The Shrills. I totally love them. For what feels like forever I’ve seen them on my suggestions list on facebook and on nearby concert lineups, but never did I actually take the time to listen to them- until now, and I’m seriously lovin’ the fact that I did. These lo-fi garage meets 70s revolution vibe filled sounds are the first step to one hell of a night, it’s definitely been decided. It’s not even that these tunes are overly meaningful and rambunctious, its more that they just give you this feeling of freedom, of taking a night without responsibility and just partying the hell out of it. Which is something I need to do more often, and I owe it all to The Shrills. Download their EP for free on bandcamp and enjoy this worry free symphony.

Sincerely,

California
- Sincerely, California

Resurrection Records is a radical music label based out of Orange County, CA. With bands signed like The Shrills. it’s no wonder Resurrection Records continues to be one of my go to labels for interesting releases. Hardcore and fuzzy, The Shrills conquer all ideas of average garage psych rock, while adding twists of 60s rock n roll inspirations and eerie aftertastes.from completely different areas, Orange County’s The Shrills tunes come together to complement your spooky evening nicely, with the ability to make any situation a total party. Posted above are some vibes to keep you pumped for what’s to come, however stay tuned until HALLOWEEN for these awesome releases to finally be revealed via Resurrection Records and preorder it here!

- SINCERELY, CALIFORNIA!

Weirdo night owls, people who like to hang in graveyards, and after midnight creepoids of all stripes ought to like The Shrills. The band’s demented beach punk could be the soundtrack to any z-grade youth exploitation film from 1965 that’s playing on loop forever somewhere between 2 and 4am. “Home Alone”, a track from their upcoming Meltdown LP on Resurrection Records, is appropriately creepy for a song set to be released on Halloween. The accompanying video ain’t much to look at, but the song itself has a thrashy verse wrapped around a groovy surf breakdown that’ll make your inner ghoul girl shake a tail.

The Shrills have seemingly dispensed with the dirgey doo-wop of their Pink Hotel EP to embrace a full on loud-and-proud psych sound that rams those feel good 60's vibes through the funhouse mirror. Just don’t be alarmed at the amount of noise coming from your speakers. “Home Alone” wants to sound like it was recorded in a trash can, but was actually laid down at the Distillery in Costa Mesa. So, if nothing else, ya gotta admire how hard The Shrills must have worked to make their music sound this shitty. And that’s a compliment.

- Lo-Pie

The Shrills, a four piece from Callllly forneye ay, haven't digitally released anything since September 2010; however, their five song EP (with a bonus live track!) is fantastic enough to milk for awhile. They are playing around a bit, so you can't blame them. If you have been following the blog, then you may find their sound similar to WILD INJUNS; a little creepy, a little lazy, a little wierd, and a whole lotta.....right on. Their rythmns and riffs are surf influenced and straight from the adolescent years of rock and roll, while their vocals, drenched in a dated and familiar echoverb, sling about in a wierdo I don't give a shit fashion. Next time I take a girl to the good ol' Look Out Point, er Makeout Point as the youngsters call it, I will be sure to slide in this slimy and satisfying sock hoppin' 60s garage treasure. it's a sure fire way to get a little 'above the blouse' action - Die Pop

The Shrills sound nothing like an African-American girl group from the '60s. In fact, if the Shirelles—the group that inspired their moniker—were around to see them play at a bar somewhere, they probably would run out screaming as though the place were on fire. Upon first listen, their name obviously reflects the caustic nature of their screeching, psych-punk sound. But this brazen pack of OC weirdos manage to pay homage to the days of doo-wop in subtle whispers between the cracks of their aural chaos. The song "Morgana" from last year's Pink Hotel EP juxtaposes fluttering, rhythmic piano with werewolf howls and lyrics about a lovelorn psychopath who sleepwalks with ghosts.
They're the kind of off-kilter local band who naturally wander into the Distillery in Costa Mesa, trying to book some time. Inside the belly of this dank gem of a recording studio, a flotsam of mangled circuitry; battered, vintage amps; and the occasional fire-melted guitar litter the all-analog set-up, including a soundboard that Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird" was supposedly recorded on. Parked on a couple of rusty garden chairs outside the alleyway entrance, Shrills members Dan Simmons, Zack Grimm and bassist Fabian Ruiz commiserate about what sets their band (rounded out by guitarist Dan Cano and drummer Patrick Tapia) apart from the typical flock of jangly garage groups.
"Everybody thinks they can record at their house on their laptop," Simmons says. "A lot of times, you depend on a place like this, where people know what they're doing, but they have the same mindset as you. The first couple of days, we didn't even get any work done because we were fucking around, lighting fireworks the whole time."
That sense of mischief and mayhem has permeated the band since founding members Simmons and Grimm met as juniors at Mission Viejo High School in 2007. What started as a bizarre, David Bowie cover band eventually morphed into a full-time, all-original project in 2011; the band members had little aspiration to do anything outside of simultaneously scaring, insulting and exciting people with their music.
In the past, Simmons says, their crass, gear-busting live show caused members to quit the band while onstage. After accidentally splitting his head open by throwing his guitar up in the air at the Prospector in Long Beach, Simmons, who was bleeding profusely, got into a shouting match outside the club with one drummer who simply walked off, leaving his drum kit behind. Instances such as this make the title of their forthcoming album, Meltdown, all the more fitting.
"Most of our shows over the past year and a half have been a complete meltdown," Simmons says. "But now I think we've learned to harness all the energy of that without getting hurt really bad at a show."
Though this kind of masochism seems to border on gimmickry, the Shrills' aptitude for insanity is winning them fans, including the blues-rocking, psychotic showmen of Death Hymn Number 9 (the two bands share Tapia). On the strength of their first EP, Santa Ana garage label Resurrection Records promptly agreed to put out their full-length, which will kick off the band's tour of the Pacific Northwest this fall. Then there's the fact that the Distillery, run by legendary, eccentric soundman Mike McHugh, usually reserves its studio time for signed bands with prominent indie-label backing. Leave it to McHugh to recognize a band with heart and take them under his wing, even if they are a bit hard-headed.
"Being in Orange County, we tend to get lumped in with hipster bands who are total pussies," Simmons says. "So we went into those shows with the mindset that 'This is the band everyone is here to see, so we're gonna show them why they shouldn't look at that and think that it's the face of Orange County punk.'"








They're the kind of off-kilter local band who naturally wander into the Distillery in Costa Mesa, trying to book some time. Inside the belly of this dank gem of a recording studio, a flotsam of mangled circuitry; battered, vintage amps; and the occasional fire-melted guitar litter the all-analog set-up, including a soundboard that Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird" was supposedly recorded on. Parked on a couple of rusty garden chairs outside the alleyway entrance, Shrills members Dan Simmons, Zack Grimm and bassist Fabian Ruiz commiserate about what sets their band (rounded out by guitarist Dan Cano and drummer Patrick Tapia) apart from the typical flock of jangly garage groups.

"Everybody thinks they can record at their house on their laptop," Simmons says. "A lot of times, you depend on a place like this, where people know what they're doing, but they have the same mindset as you. The first couple of days, we didn't even get any work done because we were fucking around, lighting fireworks the whole time."

- OC Weekly

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Goofy skater dudes from Mission Viejo, CA playing trashy garage rock how it was meant to be played… drunk, sloppy and fun. The presence of treble gives of a very spooky vibe, I wouldn’t go so far as to call them surf rock it seems more like decelerated Dead Kennedys riffs. Their performance includes flying guitars, broken equipment, spitting vodka into the crowd, black face, masks and in some cases, cops. Aside from being an excellent band they are rad dudes that would probably take you bowling. Garage rock that won’t put you to sleep?! It exists, who would’ve known?

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The Shrills sound nothing like an African-American girl group from the '60s. In fact, if the Shirelles—the group that inspired their moniker—were around to see them play at a bar somewhere, they probably would run out screaming as though the place were on fire. Upon first listen, their name obviously reflects the caustic nature of their screeching, psych-punk sound. But this brazen pack of OC weirdos manage to pay homage to the days of doo-wop in subtle whispers between the cracks of their aural chaos. The song "Morgana" from last year's Pink Hotel EP juxtaposes fluttering, rhythmic piano with werewolf howls and lyrics about a lovelorn psychopath who sleepwalks with ghosts.

They're the kind of off-kilter local band who naturally wander into the Distillery in Costa Mesa, trying to book some time. Inside the belly of this dank gem of a recording studio, a flotsam of mangled circuitry; battered, vintage amps; and the occasional fire-melted guitar litter the all-analog set-up, including a soundboard that Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird" was supposedly recorded on. Parked on a couple of rusty garden chairs outside the alleyway entrance, Shrills members Dan Simmons, Zack Grimm and bassist Fabian Ruiz commiserate about what sets their band (rounded out by guitarist Dan Cano and drummer Patrick Tapia) apart from the typical flock of jangly garage groups.

"Everybody thinks they can record at their house on their laptop," Simmons says. "A lot of times, you depend on a place like this, where people know what they're doing, but they have the same mindset as you. The first couple of days, we didn't even get any work done because we were fucking around, lighting fireworks the whole time."

That sense of mischief and mayhem has permeated the band since founding members Simmons and Grimm met as juniors at Mission Viejo High School in 2007. What started as a bizarre, David Bowie cover band eventually morphed into a full-time, all-original project in 2011; the band members had little aspiration to do anything outside of simultaneously scaring, insulting and exciting people with their music.

In the past, Simmons says, their crass, gear-busting live show caused members to quit the band while onstage. After accidentally splitting his head open by throwing his guitar up in the air at the Prospector in Long Beach, Simmons, who was bleeding profusely, got into a shouting match outside the club with one drummer who simply walked off, leaving his drum kit behind. Instances such as this make the title of their forthcoming album, Meltdown, all the more fitting.

"Most of our shows over the past year and a half have been a complete meltdown," Simmons says. "But now I think we've learned to harness all the energy of that without getting hurt really bad at a show."

Though this kind of masochism seems to border on gimmickry, the Shrills' aptitude for insanity is winning them fans, including the blues-rocking, psychotic showmen of Death Hymn Number 9 (the two bands share Tapia). On the strength of their first EP, Santa Ana garage label Resurrection Records promptly agreed to put out their full-length, which will kick off the band's tour of the Pacific Northwest this fall. Then there's the fact that the Distillery, run by legendary, eccentric soundman Mike McHugh, usually reserves its studio time for signed bands with prominent indie-label backing. Leave it to McHugh to recognize a band with heart and take them under his wing, even if they are a bit hard-headed.

"Being in Orange County, we tend to get lumped in with hipster bands who are total pussies," Simmons says. "So we went into those shows with the mindset that 'This is the band everyone is here to see, so we're gonna show them why they shouldn't look at that and think that it's the face of Orange County punk.'"



- OC Weekly