Tsar

Their pad is very messy, they got whiskers on their chin, they're gone on powerpop music, and they always play to win. Or so the A-side tries to convey, though these L.A. formalists clearly mean to beg the straightness question merely by raising it. In their first songs to surface since their worthy 2000 debut album, they pound and swing the boogie harder and sweeter than ever; both tracks would fit real well on Cheap Trick's All Shook Up, so Tsar's guitars could offer quite the machismo lesson to Weezer, whose T-shirts their "Tsar the Rock Group" slogan recalls. Even more blatant: quotes/references to "Pretty Vacant," "Bat Out of Hell," and "I'm Straight" by the Modern Lovers, who meant the word differently. Then, on an almost-as-flawless flip side alluding to adolescent bodies metamorphosing monster-like, "My Generation," the Move's Shazam, and BC's "Godzilla." Or maybe the Dolls' "Frankenstein." Or Edgar Winter's. Do the crossword puzzle yourself for once, bucko.
- Village Voice

Tsar is finally back with their long-awaited sophomore effort. Five years after
their self-titled debut, the best band in LA has unleashed an awesome album which will
be in my top few albums of the year without a doubt. Hopefully the world is ready to
hear it this time and make them the stars they should be. After several years of
working out different songs during their live shows, Tsar has come up with ten gems,
starting with the lead track, the rocking Band-Girls-Money, right out of the gate.
They don't slow down from there, with the catchy as heck Wanna Get Dead coming next.
Later in the album, the brilliant Wrong, which has hit written all over it, leads into
the crunching Everybody's Fault But Mine. Conqueror Worm, another favorite of mine,
lyrically and musically reminds me of Suede but is better than most anything they have
ever done. A favorite during their live shows, Startime is following by the only mellow
song on the album, You Can't Always Want What You Get. This album has a lot harder
edge to it than their first, which captures their live energy much better than anything
they've ever recorded. If you liked their first album, you'll love this one. If you
haven't a clue who Tsar is, run out and get this album now. (Check out www.tsar.net
for their upcoming shows).
- Desperately Kind Fanzine

Two a.m. on a weekend night at the Double Down Saloon isn't the most comfortable place on Earth.

You can cut the cigarette smoke with a knife. The guys' toilet is unmentionable. There's even a kid wearing a spiked Mohawk. (Damn, that's a lot of Mom's hairspray.)

Worse: On April 8, opening bands the Livends (Texas gothabilly) and the Wastrels (San Diego hardcore) performed the most miserably irritating sets I've heard in the 15 years I've been attending punk shows. Dudes, quit prolonging the inevitable; jump right into flipping burgers or withdrawing from your trust funds. You suck, no matter what your girlfriends tell you.

After the out-of-towners, Vegas punk trio the Pervz went on. I've heard they're about to sign a deal with an independent label. This is likely true, as the Pervz are polished, good-looking and demonstrate a considerable amount of energy. Too bad their music lacks emotion, passion and intelligence.

Tsar, on the other hand, is an L.A.-based quartet that specializes in punked-out, hell-for-leather power-pop. The band's music sounds like James Williamson-era Stooges covering Cheap Trick after ingesting a shitload of speed. Tsar absolutely tore the fucking roof off the Double Down, so much so that I don't think the audience even knew what was happening. Songs like "Band, Girls, Money" and "Straight" hit like a gale-force hurricane filled with razorblades, causing me to pledge that whenever some hipster praises the lame butt-rocking of The Darkness I'm gonna flay him with a copy of Tsar's upcoming (June 7) release on TVT Records.

The next night, Tsar set fire to Matteo's Underground Lounge in Boulder City. Lanky frontman Jeff Whalen, wearing a T-shirt that reads, "I Have the Pussy So I Make the Rules," played to an audience of 40. You wouldn't have known it from watching him. The guy put his heart into every note, riff and pissed-off lyric. That night was also Poizen Ivy's birthday party, and the SinCitySounds.com mistress had the great taste to bring Tsar to Vegas for these shows. For that, she gets a big sloppy one from this music writer. - Las Vegas City Life