The Singles

If you need a rock 'n' roll release on this slow Monday, I think I have the perfect song.

Inamorata, a track from Los Angeles-based band The Singles, hooked me instantly. The duo, which formed in Detroit, pulls from some of my favorite bands to create a glam garage sound all its own.

As drummer Nicky Veltman told me, she's quite happy with the T. Rex sound on this track, which I'm thrilled to debut on the blog:

We were looking to add a new song to our live show, and Vince had this batch of demos that he gave me for a listen. I remembered hearing Inamorata and thinking it reminded me of T. Rex, and I loved that. It's funny, because several of those demos are now part of our show and part of (the new) record, but I distinctly remember that song as the one that really struck me at the time.
Singer/guitarist Vince Frederick reveals a little more about their influences:

"You can definitely hear some T. Rex and glam in the track. Marc Bolan has been part of our musical influence since we were kids. And in listening to the new record, you'll definitely hear bits from all over the rock 'n' roll spectrum: the Rolling Stones, The Cars, Buzzcocks, Roy Orbison, The Zombies and countless others." - USA Today

The Singles is actually two people: Vince Frederick (guitar/vocals) and Nicky Veltman (drums/vocals), and those two people are releasing their debut full-length, Look How Fast A Heart Can Break, next week. But we’ve got the album premiere streaming right here, so you can dive into the L.A.-by-way-of-Detroit duo’s softly sunny garage riffage before anyone else does. Throughout the 13 tracks, you’ll find sundry, buzzed love (Inamorata), sorrow-fueled twang (It’s So Hard To Get Over You) and the misleadingly optimistic (We Don’t Talk Anymore). And that’s not even half of it. Listen to Look How Fast A Heart Can Break below, and check the Singles’ just-announced tour dates too. - CMJ

Think of male/female guitar/drums duos from Detroit and the lazy journalistic mind automatically thinks of The White Stripes. But The Singles hailing from Detroit via LA, are an altogether different proposition. They're a warm blend of '60s garage band energy and late '70s popwerpop sweetness, with a hint of stomping glam grooves and sweet harmony vocals courtesy of drummer Nicky Veltman.

Vince Frederick's songs are perfectly formed pop jewels crammed full of catchy hooks. His guitar strings gnaw and bite and ring and chime in all the right places, though on the lovelorn ballad 'Our Last Goodbye', with its distinct '50s vibe, they're all shimmer, reverb and heartbreak. There's a sense of real elation and celebration lurking beneath the surface of these songs. They surge and soar, creating a genuine sense of euphoria a million miles away from the fake posturing and arch-cynicism of most rock revivalists.

A lovely, feelgood gem of a record.

- Neil Hussey - Shindig Magazine UK

The market place is awash with breakout duos of a blues-rock-cultured nature, from Babajack to Deap Vally and in between, and here we welcome The Singles, originally from Detroit and now based in Los Angeles.

Vincent Frederick, on guitar, and Nicky Veltman, on drums, tear their way through modern-day jangly hooks that sit somewhere in a roster perhaps imagined of The Beatles in California. It's hard not to like and foot-tap along to the album — especially the infectious vibes of '(She's Got) A Heart Of Stone' and 'It's So Hard To Get Over You'. The rocky, radio-friendly approach should not diminish the serious listener's attempt to dig deeper, and lyrically the lines are both playful and redemptive.

There are a couple of slower numbers, 'I Only Wished You Loved Me More' and 'Our Last Goodbye', and these head down a sentimental avenue with a distinctive rock ' roll flavour that keeps the duo firmly on an American canvas. With elements of glam-rock, punk and power-pop, there is a raw attitude and a background of edginess amongst the smooth catchiness that gives the duo an indefinable punch." - GARETH HAYES, ROCK N’ REEL MAGAZINE UK - Rock N' Reel

Los Angeles garage pop group The Singles just released their new album, Look How Fast A Heart Can Break, and premiered the single, “Inamorata,” with USA Today. Today, The A.V. Club has the premiere of the video that accompanies that single. The clip for “Inamorata” is a little T. Rex, a little depressing, as the clip syncs the song with some sad-looking bar karaoke.

Look How Fast A Heart Can Break is out now and available to purchase via both iTunes and Big Cartel. The band has a number of upcoming tour dates, all listed below. - AV Club

Since the birth of Rock’n'Roll in late 1940′s America, the genre has been a powerful platform for young people to express themselves and feel a sense of belonging…

The beginnings of better race relations in the US can be attributed to the collective nature of Rock’n'Roll. Of course, the teen ‘Baby Boomers’ of the 1960′s British Rock and Blues scene used their new-found money and power to behave against fossilised pre-conceptions.

That’s not to say other genre’s haven’t had similar results, but Rock’n'Roll has also survived and thrived against a 60 year backlash. From Councils closing down Rock’n'Roll venues to the media portraying Rock’n'Roll part of the ‘dirty’ working class, Rock’n'Roll has been a pillar of faith and power for many.

So amid difficult times for young people right now, it feels very refreshing to hear absolutely brilliant and entertaining Rock’n'Roll music being created and released.

After ten years in the making, The Singles are set to release their debut LP as a duo. ‘Look How Fast A Heart Can Break’ will be released on April 1st on the label Sound Artifacts and distributed in Europe by Cobraside.

The Singles are duo Vincent Frederick (guitar/lead vocals) and Nicky Veltman (drums/back-up vocals), born in Detroit but joined forces in LA. As a follower you’re instantly warmed by their playful, grown-up charm, which is evidently thrown into their stripped-down mix of Garage Rock, Power Pop, Glam, Blues and Punk. Speaking to Ghettoblaster, Vince explains he had difficulty with ladies growing up, and that the album latched onto these themes in the music of the 50′s/60′s. “All of the songs on our new album deal with heartache and heartbreak. The title track, “Look How Fast A Heart Can Break,” sums up the prevailing mood and stories told over the course of the album. The babes are diggin’ me now though, so the next album could go in a different direction…who knows?!“

Opening track ‘Inamorata‘ offers-up a super-catchy blend of happy melodies and instrumentals to form a blistering glam garage sound. It feels so retro, and is very likely to get you swaying to-and-fro. This contrasts against ‘Turn The Other Way‘, which hints towards their punk-rock influences. The guitar riffs are slightly heavier, faster, dirtier, bigger in fact – and Vince hanging onto the vocals only helps in reinforcing this track as a probable crowd-winner. Apart from the lead, track ‘We Don’t Talk Anymore‘ is a particular album highlight. It pulls together everything the band is about – the glam, the rock, youth, and love and throws out a humdinger of a rock tune.

I dare you to sing-a-long. Just like those rockers in ’51. - Fortitude Magazine UK

In the video for the Singles’ single “Inamorata,” an assortment of probably drunk people do some ostensibly bad karaoke. And it’s kind of perfect. Because the Singles’ full-length “Look How Fast a Heart Can Break” is full of the kind of familiar power-pop and garage-rock nuggets that live on in karaoke machines everywhere. The album, which came out this month, is the brainchild of singer-guitarist Vince Frederick and drummer-singer Nicky Veltman, who made it with producer Rick Parker (whose credits include Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, the Dandy Warhols, Gliss and the Von Bondies, among others). It’s nothing if not concise — only one song exceeds 3 1/2 minutes — and the Singles live up to their name by getting to the hook without any fuss. Any of “Look How Fast” would have been good in 1972. Better, maybe. There was no karaoke in those days. - See more at: http://www.buzzbands.la/2014/04/18/video-singles-inamorata/#sthash.1GeY99mA.dpuf - Buzzbands.LA

Fire Note Says: The Singles hit a home run on their third swing.

Album Review: This long-awaited, third full-length release from former Detroit band The Singles may be the ideal record for summer 2014. Look How Fast a Heart Can Break, the band’s first long-player since bandleader Vincent Frederick relocated to Los Angeles, is at once a hook-filled power-pop fest and an introspective look inside heartbreak, loss and picking up the pieces.

The first track, “Inamorita,” opens with a riff from Frederick, and new drummer Nicky Veltman kicks in with a solid backbeat that sets the tone and launches the story into gear. The band builds the record on the familiar foundation of upbeat songs about breaking up and not making up. It’s tough to not fall for tracks like “You’ve Runned Away,” “(She’s Got A) Heart of Stone” and “It’s So Hard To Get Over You.” They’ve got great hooks, plenty of jangle and just enough rough edge to offset the sadness at the root of the tracks. Shifting gears, the power-pop burst of “Turn the Other Way” and “I Can’t Believe What I Got Myself Into This Time” really punch through and stand as an island apart from the opening tracks, setting the stage for more nostalgic down-tempo tracks, “I Only Wish You Loved Me More” and “Our Last Goodbye.”

singles-pic
By the time the false start of “She’s Not Interested” reveals the rockingest tale of unrequited love in years, listeners should realize they are on a carefully crafted ride that tracks the narrative of the demise of a relationship, which ultimately pays off with the title track and the denouement of “Don’t Want to Ever Fall In Love Again.” Before that final track fades, Frederick’s narrator declares: “I never, ever want to fall in love again,” yet simultaneously, we know he’s destined to return to the “Baby, I knew that you were the one that would hold me tight” clarity of “Inamorita”, either with the same girl, or a new love yet to be discovered.

You can still hear Detroit in The Singles’ sound, but Look How Fast a Heart Can Break definitely reflects the influence Southern California has had on Frederick. Much of the record is awash in reverb, and the deftly layered vocal harmonies are as pure as anything that ever rolled out of the Wilson family’s garage. This record is a great soundtrack for summer — the bright harmonies and the upbeat tunes will sound great blasting out the windows as you cruise the boulevards, and the thread of the cautionary tale might just save you from a misstep that could break your heart.

Key Tracks: “Inamorita,” “Turn The Other Way,” “She’s Not Interested”

Artists With Similar Fire: Material Issue / Redd Kross / Best Coast - The Firenote

The Singles were an '00s-era Detroit band who dared not be be garage but power pop, releasing three albums before fizzling out. Frontman Vince Frederick and reactivated the band in Los Angeles with another Detroiter, Nicky Veltman, and just released Look How Fast A Heart Can Break, the first new Singles album in six years. We've got the premiere of the Martijn Veltman-directed video for "We Don't Talk Anymore" (not a cover of the Cliff Richard song) and you can watch that, and stream the album via Rdio, below.

You can catch The Singles on tour starting next week, including a stop in NYC onNovember 13 at Pianos with Banker$, Dennis Cahlo & the Change, and Rally. All dates are listed below...

The Singles - 2014 Fall Tour Dates
11.05 - Ace of Cups - Columbus, OH
11.06 - Beachland Tavern - Cleveland, OH
11.07 - Cattivo - Pittsburgh, PA
11.08 - Bug Jar - Rochester, NY
11.09 - Silver Line Tap - Trumansburg, NY
11.10 - TT the Bear - Cambridge, MA
11.11 - AS220 - Providence, RI
11.12 - BAR - New Haven, CT
11.13 - Pianos - New York, NY
11.15 - The Fire - Philadelphia, PA
11.16 - Galaxy Hut - Arlington, VA
11.17 - Pour House - Raleigh, NC
11.18 - Green Room - Athens, GA
11.19 - Mammal Gallery - Atlanta, GA
11.20 - The Basement - Nashville, TN
11.22 - Heavy Anchor - St. Louis, MO
11/23 - New Vintage - Louisville, KY
11.24 - The Drinkery - Cincinnati, OH
11.25 - Township - Chicago, IL
11.28 - The Magic Stick - Detroit, MI - Brooklyn Vegan