The Piniellas- Struck Out Looking

Back in late 2011, I took notice of a newly formed band from Seattle called The Piniellas due to their association with one of my all time favorite bands. Anyone in the know and with good taste quickly grew fond of the Wanna-Bes, who during their run of activity from 96' to 04' put out a small handful of what in my opinion are some of the best to happen in pop punk. After I discovered it was their drummer Scott Matthews now fronting this new outfit, I fully tuned in and became an instant fan with the release of their "Without A Fight" EP. I was so excited to hear something coming from them that is sadly becoming more rare by the day for American bands who describe themselves as a part of this genre. It's classic, uncomplicated, catchy rock 'n' roll that's true to what the architects of pop punk from the late 80's and early 90's actually created!! Praising Dee Dee for a sound I treasure showing some signs of life in a country it was born in, I became smitten with what I first heard out of them but naturally, it wasn't enough for me and I wanted more. There was a long wait for that to happen but I can say with full confidence that these guys made it more than worth the wait and then some. Their first full length album called "Struck Out Looking" is finally available and exactly what I want to make sure you check out today!

The recording process began in July of 2013 with Guitar, Bass, and Vocals being done at Scabbey Road Studios in Atlanta, GA by Joe Queer. The drums were later tracked by Scott, who returned to his post as drummer back at home in Seattle, WA during May of 2014 at Crackle And Pop Studios by Johnny Sangster. Mastering was done by the always highly skilled capabilities of Justin Perkins at Mystery Room Mastering in Milwaukee, WI. The cover art was done by Ole O'Brian of Ole Art. I've been a fan of Ole's self described "low brow toon art stuff" style for a few years after discovering him through his band, The Evil O'Brians located in Germany. He does a lot of really cool monsters but his ability to be versatile came through for The Piniellas in a scene from a baseball game. With the batter not doing such a good job, an assorted less than amused crowd in the stands is looking on featuring anyone from Lou Piniella himself to my personal favorite, Johnny Ramone(of course!). I love all those little intricate details and this cover art is a perfect representation of why people are taking notice of what he does. Julie Moore completed the layout and with everything done, Kid Tested Records is handling the release! It's available on CD for now from the band or label as far as physical formats go, digital only should be showing up on iTunes soon, and you can also stream the songs in full over on The Piniellas ReverbNation page.While I'm elated this album is available, I do really feel that it is worthy of being pressed to vinyl also. Hopefully that will happen at some point because these guys deserve it!

Thanks to my Resident Riff Randell tactics of persuasion(aka asking about it repeatedly haha!)  and super secret keeping abilities, I got to hear this album when the recording process was finished. I've been smitten since the first listen and simply put, The Piniellas get it. In the first ten seconds it's easy to tell they're a band that's graduated from the class of Rock 'n' Roll High School. Starting out by playing in a way that honors the foundation, they also nod towards the early 90's where bands did things right, but then there's also a vibrant streak of Paul Collins-esque pop sensibility with Scott's vocals. Joined by Leif's Dee Dee powerful bass playing and spot on backing vocals, these songs are nothing short of attention grabbing and my accolades given can be easily verified in the opening track. It's like a breath of fresh air to hear a song like  "Count 1-2-3" with it's straightforward and effortless approach. Just stripped down rock 'n' roll with a playful story line of taking a romantic chance and a chorus that gets stuck in your head right away! It actually lines up numerically with the title as well at one minute and twenty three seconds. I thought that was a cool coincidence. In one of my favorite Johnny Ramone interviews, he talks about the importance of a good bridge in a song which I couldn't agree more with and "Another Night" has it in spades along with some lovely harmonies. "Run Away" is a song that people who've been following this band will know from the EP but it's got a nice update, played just a touch faster and remains one of my favorite songs. In thinking of my top picks though, the next two that follow are tied for first place. "Mystery Girl" has such a cool intro that's very Riverdales where the guitar is quickly joined in by the bass, then drums, sticking to my brain like glue and then the absolutely beautiful title track "Struck Out Looking" comes in next. Things are taken down a notch tempo wise for this very doo-wop inspired song about not taking a chance in love and I'm so crazy for the backing vocals in it! It's got all the appeal of a  1950's ballad but exists in the moment! Some other highlights you'll discover are in "No One Cares" featuring Joe Queer making a guest appearance to sing the bridge, "Not Looking For Love" being a perfect anti-romance anthem, and the closer, "I Wanna Be Normal"which lyrically is exactly about what the title says. That kind of down to earth approach is something that's easy to connect with, actually makes Scott stand out as a songwriter, and I think it's very cool.

Pop punk within the U.S. has needed a swift kick in the ass for years and after all the waiting, it's wonderful to see a band like The Piniellas take things back to basics. They're the reminder that rock 'n' roll can be fun and not so over convoluted with unnecessary influences. "Struck Out Looking" without question is taking a spot in my top five for this year so I of course recommend it for your collection, punk rockers. Shortly after the album was recorded, both Miles and Jeff were added on to complete the band as a solid four piece and they've been sounding magnificent live. After playing some big shows with the likes of the Mr. T Experience, Screeching Weasel, and The Queers recently, it's safe to say this band will only continue advancing in their pursuit of showing that American classic pop punk is far from dead, so be sure to like their facebook page if you haven't yet to stay tuned for what's next!!

The Piniellas are...

Scott Matthews- Vocals and Guitar

Leif Larson- Bass and Backing Voclas 

Jeff Mangalin- Guitar and Backing Vocals

Miles Ezra Freeborn- Drums 

All songs written by Scott Matthews 

Tracks

1. Count 1-2-3

2. Another Night

3. Run Away

4. Mystery Girl

5. Struck Out Looking

6. Down And Out

7. No One Cares

8. Without A Fight

9. I Think Of You

10. Not Looking For Love

11. Head In The Clouds 

12. I Wanna Be Normal