Trash Wednesday

If you haven't heard of the hard driving and intensely driven alt-rockers Trash Wednesday, just ask every other kid in America. They'll know what's up. The brilliant self-titled debut album made the rarefied CMJ New Music Report's Top Ten - a feat most major label band's can't claim.
Lead singer Kid reflects in awe on the beginnings of his own success, as if it were happening to someone else. "It's damn amazing..." - Blur Magazine

So what to expect from a live set by the leather and vinyl clad foursome? Surprisingly, it wasn't a slick pay to play glitterati spectacle, but rather a compellingly fun mix of originals and covers. Wthout exception the 45 minute set lived up to the hype, making converted fans out of the only-in-Hollywood mix of label reps, fellow famous rockers, journalists galore, and most importantly, the public. Trash Wednesday marked a monumental feat playing their first adopted hometown gig on the legendary Sunset Strip. Led by charismatic Brit frontman Kid, Trash Wednesday are the best case scenario of a band defined more by it's love of music than by an obsession with fame.
Opening with scorching guitar chords on "Free Your Mind", onward they marched into a medley of covers including the carefree cool of Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now" and the blissful haze of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"
Already off to a strong start, they jumped back into their original material with "Obh Lah Lah" a melodic tune that allowed the rhythm section to rise to a raucus chorus.
TW's amazing energy didn't stop there. Briefly breaking from the assault, Kid took a breather, chatted with the audience and introduced the next track as "A song about God". What followed was a moment not unlike the best material on Nirvana's Unplugged album with Kid as a Kurt Cobain-like figure with the vocal overtones of the Goo Goo Dolls Johnny Rzeznick pouring his pain into the wonder of contemplating a force higher than his own being.
Crashing crescendos abounding, Kid and company threw CD's and T-Shirts into the audience bringing a great show to an even better ending. (Tara De Lis) - MeanStreet Magazine

This album picks up where glam acts such as David Bowie, the B52's, and Jesus Jones left off while incorporating some elements of 90's pop punk. Most of the arrangements are simple, which is wonderful as this band has talent and originality.
"Katerina" is one of the albums best tracks, with it's mixture of crisp and dark guitar tones and it's bouncy singable chorus. "Stop Tina Modotti" is another high point with its swell vocal harmonies and right-on-cue stops. The guitars do a good job of filling the sonic landscape of the song with several parts going at any given time. The album's most haunting song is the one that it leaves us with, the gloomily titled "The Thrill Is Gone." "Metal rain falling/it flew through the sky/like a free falling stone/when the bullet came down/tore her flesh to the bone/ripped out her eyes/and it smashed in her head" Kid mourns. Words perhaps written down on a matchbook after the death of a friend.
The album has many high points, incuding a reverent cover of the Vibrators classic "Baby Baby" and the Beatles "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds". It does a lot to distinguish itself from all the other two-bit Brit-Pop bands out there. Trash is more than aiming for originality. This is one band you can judge by its music. - Critically Hip

Trash Wednesday's CD is chock full of crunchy nuggets of bratty power pop. There is a wonderful openess to this album. While many artists of their ilk wind their arrangements so tight they sound like they may explode, TW lets plenty of breathing space into its performances. The groove-based melodies and sneering voice of British transplant Kid speak for themselves, and quite eloquently at that. Try the snuggle-icious "Free Your Mind" and the head-bobbing cover of the Vibrators' "Baby Baby" for some cool kicks. - Michael Toland - High Bias

This genre defying band delivers high-energy attitude-laden tunes that are loaded with vivid lyrics and intelligent musicianship. The end product is a handful of catchy songs that ooze charisma and sex appeal. - NIN - Bite Magazine

If there is an inherent pitfall to Brit Pop, it's its ability to lead a band into the trappings of style over substance. Arguably, this is the core of it, but unfortunately too many bands don't get the music part down before the look. Trash Wednesday on the other hand approches this issue in a much more interesting way. They exude a glam pop image throught their music. Serving up solid effect-laden hooks without the use of keyboards and recorded loops, Trash Wednesday gives us irresistible tracks like "Stop Tina Modotti" and "Obh Lah Lah" and offers some diversity with "Into The Sun" a track not too dissimilar from the mood rock darlings Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, as well as "Blue Sky" a reminder of what we saw, and still miss, in The Cult. - Peter Short - HOB.com

Trash Wednesday are closer to the classic "new wave" kind of rock n' roll than to the popular punk-pop sounds of, say, Blink 182. But the band's unique sound owes something to both genres. However, they're edgier than than most pop and far more original than Blink 182.
One major factor with Trash Wednesday is that their music is perfect for radio airplay and chances are they will catch on in a big way. Their songs are well-written radio friendly ditties that will generate a lot of interest and record sales. Two of the CD's tunes "Stop Tina Modotti" and Song Of Love" both have the goods to become radio hits. Other tracks come pretty damn close to classic punk rock.
Trash Wednesday have plenty to offer and their album Absinthe Mind is certainly entertaining. - R. Scott Bolton - Rough Edge

Fresh, melodic, bouncy, infectious, and chock full of hooks. Los Angeles' Trash Wednesday have their sound and image together, which puts them far ahead of other bands. They have definite British influences...which makes sense, particularily since the lead singer Kid hails from Brighton, England. More than any other band, Trash Wednesday reminds us of New York's Thin Lizard Dawn (an incredible pop band that has been virtually overlooked).
Trash Wednesday tunes are upbeat and melodic, featuring super cool breathy vocals...and heavenly harmonies. This band gets a thumbs up. - LMNOP

Los Angeles based Trash Wednesday is an impressive alternative group that debuted in the Top Ten on CMJ's New Music Report and # 11 on national album charts. Both European and American dates are listed on their site www.trashwednesday.com; a show not to be missed. - Tom Kidd - Music Connection Magazine

Trash Wednesday's CD landed at #10 on CMJ's New Music Report, then marched off to debut at #11 on the National album chart, and it's easy to hear why. Spinning off into an Elastica laced "Stop Tina Modotti", a delicious beat is quickly established. "Song Of Love" bops into pop/punk-singed yodeling, an unusual and unique singing style. Their cover of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" is obviously reminiscent of early mop-top flavor, and "Into The Sun" is in infused with a gorgeous flavor and feel and is exquisitely played out. Such a lovely song.
This body of work is a complex blend of styles, mostly mirroring of Bowie and Iggy Pop's 70's work expressed amazingly in "The River Flows".
The band, native to Brighton, England, found most of their influence and inspiration, not in Britain, but rather while living in places such as Amsterdam and Berlin. Something that adds extra flavor to the mix. - Novy Ann - NoHo L.A.