The Sweet Things

If ever there was a Rolling Stones and New York Dolls love child, it would be The Sweet Things.

This is one of those rare instances that I found a new place at the right time. Right around when they started teasing the recording of their first album. With about 5 songs released on Spotify, I played the shit out of them for months, hungry for more. 

First thing I listened to was the Slather/Dustianne release. From the guitars to the handclaps to the organs by Rob Clores to the awesome guest vocals by Liza Colby, the boogie in the drum & bass and the instantly recognizable vocals of Dave Tierney, I couldn’t believe how complete these songs sounded! This is rock n’ roll at its best.

But what did I know? I hadn’t heard first single Love to Leave yet! Again I was blown away by the sheer brilliance of the Sweet Things. You can actually hear the smoke and whiskey on this song, like the classic 70’s bands before they either started to suck or got old. There’s pure joy dripping of this record. If whiskey and smoke wasn’t enough, there’s cocaine to be found on footstompin’ b-side Cocaine Asslicker Blues. 

Then in May this year debut album In Borrowed Shoes, On Borrowed Time was released. As far as debut albums go, this is one of the best ever in my opinion. There’s not one weak song or moment to be found here. 

When opening track Liquor Lighting starts you know you’re in for a good time, baby. The clinging of bottles and Chuck Berry-esque guitars sits you down and prepares you for the ride of a lifetime. Dead or Worse has a lot of things going on and it’s perfectly arranged. The harmonica, slide guitar and organs make for an instant classic rock n’ roll song that wouldn’t feel misplaced on Exile on Main Street.

Title track In Borrowed Shoes, On Borrowed Time slows things down for a bit. A melancholy blues ballad to listen to while you cry into your Jack Daniel’s at your local watering hole. The beautiful horns here and on other songs are provided by legendary The Uptown Horns (The Rolling Stones & Robert Plant are among the names on their resumé).

The party pick up again with Almost Faded, a dirty rocker 

Dr. Crazy Girl takes you to a whole new world of cool, if you thought only the Dolls could pull this off, you thought wrong. Heavy use of wah pedals over a tight as fuck backbeat and a 60’s doowhop backing choir added for extra flavor, and speaking of the Dolls, the spirit of Johnny Thunders is alive and well on the guitar solo here.

They keep up the booze-fueled rock n’ roll goodness with Drained, Coke’n (featured on my first Mixtape) the epic Through the Cracks of the City and the cocksure snotty Fix to Kick. 

The record closes with the melancholy masterpiece that is Feed My Dog. Not only does Feed My Dog feature guest vocals by Alejandro Escovedo, the arrangements here are spot on, harps, slide guitars and organs are all perfectly placed. This song will make a Hell’s Angel cry.

Long story short, The Sweet Things is one of the best band around these days and everyone should keep a close eye on them as they will soar to unprecedented heights in the coming years and records. 

Buy their records here.

Listen to In Borrowed Shoes, On Borrowed Time on Spotify:

ShouldaWouldaCoulda #2 - Crystal Pistol

Whatever the fuck happened to Crystal Pistol?

Their self-titled album is one of the best debuts I’ve ever come across and I remember thinking they were the best thing since sliced bread when 16 y.o. me first heard it in ’06. My opinion hasn’t changed much 13 years down the line.

Founded in Vancouver in 2000, Crystal Pistol is/was one of those sleaze bands that was actually good. Sure they had the guy-liner and dyed black hair like many glam punk bands in the 2000’s, but this band went beyond the looks and image. CP had a rare sense of honesty in their music.

Mik Ireland’s raw and snotty singing and primal screams are the perfect fit with the fast and blasting guitar riffs and solos being thrown at you like a blitzkrieg of squealing notes while the bass and drums drive you forward like a locomotive. 

From opening track “Watch You Bleed” until the final notes of “No Fun City”, Crystal Pistol takes you on a drug fueled joyride that appropriately ends with Mik Ireland screaming he wants to burn the city down. In between there are the delightfully arrogant proclamations of being a rockstar in, well, “Rockstar”. Of course there’s a song about everybody’s favorite Colombian brand of powdered sugar, if you don’t know what kind I’m talking about they spell it out in the intro of “Line It Up”.

The only point the band slows down is on “Salt of the Earth”. Once again Crystal Pistol differentiated themselves from their peers here. Though the song is something of a ballad, it’s not the clichéd obligatory copy-paste attempt at Poison’s “Every Rose Has It’s Thorn” for extra radio play. They kept their integrity here and recorded something that doesn’t feel forced.

 “XXIII” is my favorite Crystal Pistol track. The perfect anthem for someone like me, growing up in the economic crisis of the last decade, working shit jobs for shit pay, “XXIII” was and still is often necessary kick in the ass for me. “You sit around and you always complain / That life is boring and it’s always the same” always hit home & inspired me to get off my ass and stop waiting around for someone to solve my shit for me.

Songs like “Locomotive”, “Shake”, “All The Freaks” and “Live Fast” are Crystal Pistol at their best. Straight up balls-to-the-walls rockers about sex, drugs and rock n’ roll”

In 2007 the band released a 3 track E.P. called “Serpentine River”, another collection of loud n’ fast glam punk and a taste of more to come. 

Then things get a bit quiet, I’ve been searching around on the web for a while now and can’t figure out whether they broke up or not. They do seem to do some shows every once in a while though. I’m still holding out hope for more releases, I stumbled upon Mik Ireland’s Soundcloud the other day and it features 3 awesome Crystal Pistol demos and I would love to hear them finished along with more new songs on a long awaited follow up to their classic debut album.

When, by some miracle, Crystal Pistol comes through your town make sure you cancel any plans you might have the next day because one thing’s for sure, the party ain’t over until they say so.

Crystal Pistol is: Mik Ireland - Vocals, Brian Bresset - Guitar, Pinto - Guitar, Dave Troutman - Drums, Greg Laikin - Bass

Buy their record here.

Listen on Spotify: