The Grates are great!

I was watching TV late one Friday night and this show came on that showcased bands as they played in a studio with horrible sound production and a cramped little black space to play in. One of the bands showcased that night was The Grates. They played this punky little ditty that sounded good, even though the recording was sub-par, and it stuck with me. I couldn’t remember which song it was or who was in the band or any real details but it didn’t really matter. I ended up downloading one of their albums and an EP and they are all great punky little ditties with the occasional slower song that has a waltz beat or a nice melody to mix it up on the album. At times I heard bits of L7, The Breeders and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs sneaking in but I think they have their own unique sound that shouldn’t be labeled by sounding like other bands. Then why the hell did you compare them you ask? Reference points I guess. If you like anything about those bands you’ll probably like The Grates. Check out Gravity Won’t Get You High or The Ouch, The Touch EP. Some of the songs are on both but the differing versions are good all their own. Unfortunately one of my favorites on their EP, the last track called Wash Me, is only 2:15 long and it is not repeated or extended on the album. Oh well. I like ‘em.

Oooh, I just found that they have a new album called Teeth Lost, Hearts Won. I'm downloading it now and I can't wait to hear it. Turns out they are a three piece from Australia on the Dew Process label. Click the covers to go to their MySpace page. Click their name to the right under Artist/Band for info.