Viva Caramel

Sure this has been out for a while, but the band just sent it to me, I liked it a lot, and it’s my zine so I can review whatever I want even if it’s a little bit old. Viva Caramel plays what the kids these days call indie rock, a term I hate almost as much as “alternative” music. Thankfully, unlike a lot of bands lumped in the indie rock category, Viva Caramel haven’t forgotten to bring the rock. No moody introspection or pretentious art rock self indulgence here. If I had to describe their sound, I’d say The Flaming Lips meets The Stooges. That’s probably not 100% accurate, but close enough. The lyrics are vague enough to be interesting, but not so obscure as to require an interpreter. “Amateur Recovering Catholic” decries how education is treated with less importance than whether or not The Browns are having a good season (“In my hometown/they have no classes/all the children have is/professional sports”), while “...You Still Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” questions whether music still has the power to transform and transcend. The production is solid but still retains that rough around the edges feel that (in my opinion) all good rock records should have. If you haven't already picked this up, I’d highly recommend doing so. (Bob Ignizio)
- Utter Trash

The biggest set of the night, however, was without a doubt the Cleveland-based indie rock quartet Viva Caramel. Viva Caramel's challenging set closed the night with unbelievable style. They had everything one could hope for, from complexly organized and legitimate songs to duct tape-tagged amplifiers. Stated simply, Viva Caramel has the essence of rock and roll down to a science, and the only way to make their 40 minute set better would have been to make it longer.
(Nate Cavalieri)

- The Oberlin Review

Viva Caramel • s/t • Viva Recordings/Molecular Laboratories. • Think about the lead singer of The Flaming Lips fronting a band like Guided By Voices, in fact the latter's Doug Gilliard makes a guest appearance on track 12. The album is layered with sweet and catchy indie rock that made me find myself bouncing around with the songs. Overall this is an enjoyable record. (MC) –Impact Press.

- Impact Press

Viva Caramel – From the opening straining vocals of “Russian Wheelchair” to its epic length (6:22) closing on “…you still love rock
and roll” this self-titled disc by these degenerate Cleveland, Ohio pop punksters rolls out one of the finest battles between snotty-assed
vocals and perfect pop playing since…well, since godknows when. you will wind up smiling a wonderful and happy screwed up
smile when these madmen set fire to these perfectly played pop songs. Sounds to me like these boys have done their homework – or
rather, rarely did, opting to sit in their rooms watching Andy Griffith reruns with the sound turned down (they know every episode by
heart anyways) and with their Great Plains cassettes turned WAY up. Absolute inspiration: “A.R.C.” –Kurt Hernon-bangSheet
Liner Notes
- bangSheet

“intricate well thought out indie”-Punk Planet” #57 - Punk Planet