The Avatars
Never A Good Time
© 2006 No Fun Records (628740798027)
CD IN STOCK. ORDER NOW. Will ship immediately.
Michigan Rock'n'Roll saviors.
tracks
- 1 honey do
- 2 you got somethin'
- 3 never a good time
- 4 there was a time
- 5 revolution revival
- 6 wait
- 7 hey girls
- 8 sooner or later
- 9 warm 44
- 10 wonderin' why
- 11 hidden track
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Hailing from Ann Arbor, Michigan, The Avatars formed in May 2003 armed with a carefully crafted line-up that included members of some of the most-buzzed about bands in the area.
With the right mix of a who’s who of local musicians, The Avatars set out to seduce audiences with their infectious, primitive brand of rock’n’roll. The group plays simple poppy concoctions with ample catchiness – creating a bubblegum bop mix that’s been described as reminiscent of a fresh “Motown-Ramones” sound. Their straight-up contagious tunes proved to be the key to winning audiences in Detroit and beyond, leaving crowds asking for more hip-shaking action wherever they performed.
Working through a set of originals ranging from hard-edged to sultry, the sometimes raw, sometimes nuanced force of singer Mariah Cherem’s intense bluesy vocals is supported by the sonic interplay of guitarist Chris Taylor’s manic, raucous mid-air soloing and Charlie Lorenzi’s fine and tight rhythm swagger. Underneath it all, drummer Claudia Leo and bassist Theresa Kiefer set a rock-solid, foot-stomping, head-melting rhythmic core. The band’s girl-group-meets-Romantics rock formula has allowed them to scoop up some of the most coveted shows in the cutthroat world of Detroit Rock City, playing with many of the most-talked about bands in the scene, such as the Sights, The Detroit Cobras, The Paybacks, Von Bondies, Gore Gore Girls, Demolition Doll Rods, Nathaniel Mayer, and Nikki Corvette.
In early 2004 the band unleashed one of the hottest local 7” singles of year with the release of “Wait” backed with “There Was A Time” on No Fun Records. The fiery single made several of Detroit’s "best of" lists for the year, got impressive international press coverage, and also found the band on tour supporting the Von Bondies' debut on Sire Records, where they gained well-praised exposure to new audiences around the Midwest.
Throughout 2005 The Avatars continued to sway new fans with their brand of Rock ‘N’ Roll at international festivals such as the Motor City Music Conference, CMJ New York, and CMJ Cleveland. The band was featured in MC2's national promo campaign and appeared on international magazines, such as Clear. They also shared the stage with such diverse acts as The Woggles, Holy Golightly, Magnolia Electric Co., Outrageous Cherry, and Peelander-Z. That same year the group booked themselves into Jim Diamond’s world-famous Ghetto Recorders studio. With Mr. Diamond engineering and John Speck (The Fags, Hoarse, Skeemin’ No-goods) brought in to produce, the band set about documenting their live sound onto 2” tape for the release of their first full length platter of sonic rock goodness.
The result would become the album “Never A Good Time”. Set for a June 2006 CD/LP release on No Fun Records, the album documents the band’s intense live sound while adding to it with a mix of local Detroit talent from the likes of John Szymanski (SSM, The Hentchmen) on piano and organ, Eric Stollsteimer (The Elevations, Mondo Mod) on vibes, and Jeremy Abbey (Superdot) on saxophone. The record bristles with up-beat pop energy on songs like the title track “Never A Good Time,” as well as rockers “Sooner Or Later,” and an updated version of “Wait.” The rest of 2006 will find the band performing at NXNE, and relentlessly promoting the record far and wide with upcoming trips back to the east coast and all points in-between, with the rest of the world not far behind.
In short, The Avatars know how to have fun, how to vamp it up, and how to give the tambourine a certain rattlesnake tension that has won them a reputation for being fireballs on stage.