PASADENA WEEKLY:
THE CONDORS, Wait for It (Rankoutsider Records): Punky rock quartet the Condors finally follow up their debut, 2001’s “Tales of Drunkenness & Cruelty,” with this salvo from Pat Todd’s label that’s equal parts New Wave attitude and bar-band balls. Fronted by guitarist Pat “Pooch” DiPuccio, they pound and pogo their way through a dozen rollicking odes to good times and girls — although, with testosterone-fueled vows like “Don’t Want a Girl Who’s Been With Jack” and “Kiss That Girl Away,” they’re clearly most committed to the romance of dreams and guitars.
DAGGER FANZINE:
11.05.07
The Condors
WAIT FOR IT- (RANK OUTSIDER)- Yeah! This So. Cal. foursome have retained the two most important things that they learned about rock and roll back in first grade; one, it has to be retain n that sense of fun that rock can seem to lose from time to time and two, put as many hooks that you can cram into a song and then put in a few more ! Taking their cues from everyone from Cheap Trick to The Knack to The Replacements to contemporaries like Tsar And The Lolas, this things starts out in 4th gear and remains there for the whole record. The first tune, “Waiting Half the Night’ is full of fist-pumping goodness as is the hilarious “I Don’t Want a Girl Who’s Been with Jack.” “Carnival of Fools” is a but darker but no less melodic. More anthems appear on the 2nd half of the record (“Something better Coming Soon”, “Wake Up”, etc.). Two things of note is that this is Pat Todd’s (Lazy Cowgirls) new label and they get some keyboard help from Brady Bunch alum Robbie Rist (who I think has played in every L.A. power pop record) . Also, I had no idea that leader/songwriter pat “Pooch” DiPuccio is the same Pooch from FLIPSIDE zine all those years ago! Why didn’t he release a record years ago?? The Condors rule! www.rankoutsiderrecords.com
GARAGE AND BEAT :
THE CONDORS
"Wait for it" - CD
Pat DiPuccio, better known as Pooch, has been a friend of mine almost as long as anyone else I know. We both used to write for Flipside Magazine, but his history with the punk rag goes back considerably farther than mine. It's obvious from the music he's been writing and performing through the years that his connection to the scene was more through an appreciation of acts like Nick Lowe, Wreckless Eric and the Count Bishops than the Exploited and Crass. This is the most rocking set I've heard so far, but the emphasis is on strong songs, tight musicianship and impeccable vocal work rather than brute force. From the opening line on "Waiting Half the Night" ("Somewhere over the Rainbow Bar and Grill") through the closer, "Wake Up," Pooch displays a clever command of the English language and he knows how to breathe raspy fire into every line. (www.rankoutsiderrecords.com)
RAZORCAKE
CONDORS, THE:
Wait for It: CD
“The absence of boundaries is the enemy of art.” It’s an Orson Welles quote, and while I’m not sure what Orson thought of skinny tie power pop—I have a difficult time picturing the legendarily rotund thespian at a Knack concert circa ‘79 sipping a glass of Paul Mason, singing “Good Girls Don’t”—his theory fits that genre well. Give someone unlimited resources and they will likely return the favor by producing crap. Give them limitations, challenges, something to overcome, and things might click. Power pop’s boundaries are clearly marked: harmonies, hooks, and heartache. A lot of The Condors’ predecessors couldn’t handle the restrictions, falling victim to the “wee bit of killer, whole lotta filler” syndrome, putting out albums that felt like singles that overstayed their welcome; too many songs that didn’t function well within the confines. These days, there is no brass ring for a power pop band to snag, no commercial incentive to rush out a half-baked record, just the challenge of rearranging those power pop building blocks a dozen times over. The Condors, led by Pat DiPuccio, come up aces, especially on “Spare Time” (which had me searching the credits for a mention of Gary Frenay of Flashcubes fame). Wait for It is barebones and fashion-free (the roots rock camp could claim The Condors as easily as the power poppers) and it’s really, really good. –Mike Faloon (Rank Outsider, www.rankoutsiderrecords.com)
KEVIN K AND THE HOLLYWOOD STARS – ‘COOL WAYS’ CD
The King of the underground is back with his 16th, yes sixteenth, album and you can bet yer ass that it’s another delicious slice of power-pop / punk rock. This time backed by the Hollywood Stars, Mr. K delivers 12 instantly addictive cuts in his unique honest, touching and fun style. This is a man who pours his life and soul into each release and he’s done that 16 times now, this is a committed and unfaltering man. Impressive as hell. ‘Cool Ways’ was recorded in California and that’s reflected in the songs, maybe the tapes were left out in the sun because this record is oozing with that Californian atmosphere, so not only is the guy an authoritative New York icon but he can nail the West Coast style too while stamping his indelible mark and style all over the music. KEVIN K’s records are just so easy to listen to, form the first listen they become a permanent fixture, they are effortless and an absolute pleasure, this is faultless song-writing here and don’t think for a second that he’s released the same record 16 times…not at all, sure the RAMONES and THUNDERS influences are permanently reoccurring but he’s a versatile musician and each release presents it’s own character. I love this guy and I hope he never slows down- sorry Kevin, but you can’t ever stop!!!
Rankoutsider Records
NFT Magazine
