The Sicks
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The Sicks

Band Rock Americana

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Press


"Album Review"

The Sicks - Take It All In (Sick$tring Music)

From the cover to the recording quality and, most importantly, the songwriting, this Vancouver sextet comes across as a band to watch. Reference points would be Tom Petty and also straight-ahead pop acts in the vein of Jack Johnson. So you get the bumping country rock of the opener “Lay Me Down” as well as the not such a good idea “We Need More Reggae.” All in all, it’s the sound of a group that can probably bring a party mood with it anywhere it plays with a talent for groovy ballads such as “Mesmerizing.” Lots of potential here and well worth catching as they become more active on the circuit. Great cover too.
Grade: B-

Stuart Derdeyn - The Province (Vancouver Daily)


"Best of Vancouver 2009"

The Sicks finished 3rd in the Best Unsigned Local Artist category - The Georgia Straight


"Album Review"

The Sicks, formed in 2007 in Vancouver, BC, Canada have answered the question, who and when will someone take the place of O.A.R. as they further stray away from their roots-rock/ pop origins? The Sicks combine similar good-time standards with roots-rock grooves and addicting pop hooks.

The 2009 debut release of Take It All In is a celebration of life, good times and great music. As cliche as that seems, it works for The Sicks as they incorporate 'fluffy' acoustic guitar with upstroke strumming, bouncy bass lines, layered electric guitar, standard rock drumming and powerful vocals into their more than average abilities to write a song. With bands like The Sicks, the most crucial element, and the one that unfortunately ends so many careers is the aspect of songwriting. If a band cannot create songs that flow and feel organic, it won't matter how 'cool' their sound is, they will not succeed. Ultimately, The Sicks are decent musicians writing songs that are nicely layered and well developed that transcend the typical roots-rock group.

Each song uses chord structure in proper fashion, as a blueprint, to develop the melodies and harmonies and even allow for tension and resolution between chords to affect the chorus and how hard it is able to hit. It is the lack of the typical '4 chord' structure that keep The Sicks in a higher echelon than their peers- working with chord structures that fit the tune, not just slapping down chords to fill in the space between each chorus. At times, this does mean using a 4-chord progression, such as Travellin' Blues, which is undoubtedly the most pop-oriented song on the album, but makes no effort to hide that fact. It is the very same mind-set that The Sicks maintain that makes them so respectable- they are what they are. The Sicks are not trying to portray something that they are not, such as a jam band just because they sound 'funky' and 'fun' when they clearly are not such an act. In fact, the band does a nice job of 'genre-jumping' as they do display hints of Americana in That Old Me- a possible glimpse into the future development of the band.

If this all seems familiar, it should, as O.A.R. was creating similar 'vibes' only 5 years ago, but have since become corporate fanfare as their musical style, image and purpose have changed. The band that only wanted to drink and have a good time, now play shows to underage kids. Luckily this works out great for The Sicks, as their style does reflect early O.A.R., but comes off as an influence or a coincidence as opposed to becoming a carbon copy of another band. Only time will tell if their motives are pure enough to stay the course, developing and maturing in a respectable manner, though to the credit of The Sicks, their songwriting is much stronger than that of O.A.R, even at the early stages of their career. - Miccontrol.com


Discography

Cynthia EP: released December 2008

Take It All In: debut full length, released August 2009

Photos

Bio

"Don't bore us, get to the chorus!" With a motto cribbed from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and a style all their own, The Sicks have been barn-storming the Vancouver music scene as of late. Difficult to pigeonhole, the band's' sound references a diversity of styles, from down and out country rockers to rum flavored island grooves. The tie that binds it all together is a direct, no-nonsense approach to song-craft and an emotional honesty that results in tight, catchy tunes no matter how you want to label them.

Since forming in 2007 the band has been hard at work winning over crowds with heartfelt and energetic performances, and having a blast in the process. After releasing their debut full length album in August 2009 their nose to the grindstone attitude and relentless pursuit of a good time have started to pay off, as The Sicks have been generating some great press, radio play, ever increasing web hits, and iTunes purchases from around the world.

Recent success comes as no surprise to the band members, as their motto doesn't just apply to songwriting; The Sicks have never been afraid to think big. From a self-booked Mexican tour in the band's infancy to drawing 2000 people to their 3rd annual Canada Day fundraiser last summer, they always strive to take things to the next level. Continuing with their grandiose schemes, the coming months will see The Sicks begin tracking songs for their sophomore release, and hit the road to further spread the gospel of good tunes and good times, peppered with a healthy dose of rock n' roll.