Tim Boykin, Mark Reynolds & Waylon
Smith
prove that the sublime debut Ballerina Breakout was no flash-in-the-pan
with
another example of breath-taking, pulsating powerpop. Combining the
punk
energy of the Ramones with the bubblegum charm of the Monkees, songs
like
"See Yer Picture Too," "In My Car," "Dog and Pony Show" and the title
track
will light up the lives of every guitar pop junkie!
Kevin Mathews, Power Of Pop
http://powerofpop.tripod.com/reviewed_feb_1.htm
In the album's liner notes, the writer,
taking
a quote from Jon Landau when describing Bruce Springsteen, says, "I
have
heard the past, present and (hopefully) the future of power pop, and it
is
the Lolas." Such a quote is a high plateau to attain, but the core trio
meets
the challenge with flying power pop colors. The adorable harmonies with
a
Byrds-era bridge on "Who Am I Talking To" is just one of the many
highlights
within. Knowing when to cut across the grain is also another highlight,
as
"See Yer Picture Too" kicks the album out of a possible formulaic sag.
The
early-'60s British Invasion is another visible influence, as the simple
no-nonsense
tempo is rigid and non-conforming. Handclaps and sing-along choruses
are
aplenty from start to finish, with the only aspect missing being the
hiss
and crackles from the needle touching the vinyl. Also added to the mix
is
the occasional touch of urgency, such as "Silver Lakes," a two-minute
stomp
through party rock. A miscue occurs during the softer, tender ballad of
"Long
Time," which could break out into full arena rock chords but stays
close
to the vest instead. Nonetheless, it's a very credible and at times
incredible
album that recaptures past power pop glories while plowing ahead.
~ Jason MacNeil, All Music Guide
http://www.artistdirect.com/store/artist/album/0,,1639941,00.html
Lolas - Silver Dollar Sunday: The band led by former Shame Idols member Tim Boykin is simply one of the spunkiest outfits around - not since the wave of Swedish power pop bands of the '90s has there been such a great mix of sugary sweet melodies and explosive guitars, coated with a Southern honey barbecue sauce. http://www.fufkin.com/Topten.htm
THE LOLAS - Silver Dollar Sunday A fresh,
new
power pop band out of Brimingham, Alabama that take the tried-and-true
jangle-pop
formula to new heights with crafty, memorable songs, aggresive playing
style
and lush melodies, harmonies, and guitar textures. The perfect album
for
summer!
Jeff Shelton http://members.tripod.com/~Jeff_Shelton/
Lolas - I can’t stand it (Silver dollar
Sunday;
JAM) Audio-traps that are really imposible to avoid ..... Alternating
buzzing
and jangly guitar riffs and heavenly melodies, causing a confusing
feeling
of belief that you’ve heard them all before ..... Everything that ever
deserved
the “pop music’s defining mark” status is captured in a little more
than
half an hour here ..... (read the
complete
review on www.popism.org
But the true blue treasure of this digital
threesome
just must be BALLERINA BREAKOUT by The Lolas. FINALLY, here is a record
that
not only understands, but honestly embraces and exploits that
oft-mishandled
bridge between the most cutely melodic of mid-Sixties pop ("Skating
Rink"
could actually become part of Herman's Hermits' canon, I kid you knot!)
and
the crunchy-guitar urgency that's underpinned only the best of rock 'n'
roll
ever since ("Don't You Wanna," "Goodbye Rose," and especially "I Became
Somebody
Else" are pure hard-pop ravers that just beg me to attend a Lolas
concert
appearance --and quick). Elsewhere, "Sophia" is the kinda tune Pete
Townshend
hasn't been able to bless us with since about 1968, and head-Lola Tim
Boykin's
utterly gummy vocal washes bring a shimmering sense of buoyant big fun
to,
mentioning just a few, "The Best Part," "Otaku," and the utterly
astonishing
title tune itself. Why, speaking of chewy chewy, these guys aren't even
afraid
to cover an Archies tune -- my FAVORITE, in fact -- "Feelin' So Good"!
I
hereby say: Watch out for The Lolas throughout Century 21, believe you
me,
and yes, Thank You Jeremy Morris for continuing to bring such uniformly
fine,
fine sounds to us discerning consumers everywhere. You are, without one
single
doubt, THEE Prince of Pop.
~Gary "Pig" Gold
In Music We Trust
The Lolas: Ballerina Breakout Those who
enjoyed
the the poppier side of The Shame Idols will flip when they hear
Ballerina
Breakout!...Brimming with big guitar, bigger drums and harmonies
galore,
[this] is a headturner of a disc.
...I dare you to find a clunker on this record.
Bill Holmes, Amplifier
(also, contributor to Consumable Online, Cosmik Debris, Pop Matters and
only the finest print and new media publications)
Other raves:
"My favorite album of 1999": Gary Gold, To M'Lou Music
"My#1 Album of the Year": Stefan Johannson, Yesterday Girl Records (Sweden)
"One of my Top Ten CDs of 1999": David Bash (Contributor to Amplifier, Goldmine, Bucketfull of Brains and the best music publications)
http://www.fufkin.com/lolas_press.htm
LOLAS "Ballerina Breakout" (Jam Records)
Y'know, even if head Lola Tim Boykin
hadn't
the brain (or the brawn) to cover my all-time favorite Archies tune
herein,
"Ballerina Breakout" would STILL have spent the majority of A.D. 2000
lodged
within my nearest disc, man. This is a record Jam-packed end-to-end
with
exactly the kind of trash-happy rec room rollickin lesser bands would
cower
behind their effect units to shun from. Not our Lolas though: They put
the
F-u-n BEFORE the A-r-t and nobody but nobody who comes within ten yards
of
this mini masterpiece will ever be able to resist.
~ Gary "Pig" Gold http://www.cosmik.com/aa-january01/gary67.html
Lolas - Ballerina Breakout Buzzsaw
guitar-pop
at its finest, Lolas mesh the loud with the sugary sweet and produced
Ballerina
Breakout - a place where The Archies meet Kiss. The hooks are plenty
and
run wild here, as leader Tim Boykin (former Shame Idol) continues to
hone
his craft with exceptional results.
- Claudio Sossi
http://www.powerpop.org/shakeitup/articles/top201999.htm
LOLAS - “SILVER DOLLAR SUNDAY”
Reviewed by Eytan Mirsky
The Lolas immediately became one of my favorite new bands the first
time
the sounds of their debut disc, “Ballerina Breakout,” came pumping out
of
my boom box in late 1999. (In fact, I liked them so much that I
recruited
them to back me up on one of the tracks of my own most recent album,
“Was
It Something I Said?”) Hailing from Birmingham, Alabama, the Lolas are
the
brainchild of Tim Boykin, who formed the unit after the breakup of his
previous
band, the Shame Idols, who released two fine albums of their own on
Frontier
Records in the early 90’s. Handling the singing, songwriting and lead
vocal
duties himself, Tim recruited old pals Walon Smith on bass and Mark
Reynolds
on drums to fill out the dynamic new lineup. Building on the power of
the
old punk-influenced Shame Idols sound, the Lolas created their own new
garage/bubblegum
hybrid. The Lolas’ second release, “Silver Dollar Sunday” basically
picks
up where its impressive predecessor left off, as Boykin orchestrates an
unlikely
combination of “dirty” garage band guitar (often of the 12-string
variety)
and sweet, multi-layered harmonies. While I wouldn’t say that the Lolas
actually
sound like the Ramones, many of their songs have a similar energy, and
Tim’s
vocal style expresses a strange innocence reminiscent of the sadly
departed
Joey. The tracks, many of which contain distant echoes of pop hits of
the
60’s, are usually short and to the point - but long enough to feature
some
sparkling guitar solos, most notably on “See Yer Picture Too” and “Dog
and
Pony Show.” Changes of pace like “In My Car” and the Beatlesque ballad
“Long
Time” insure that the disc continues to engage the listener throughout
its
running time. And knowledgable pop fans are also sure to get a kick out
of
guest appearances by Tim’s former Shame Idol bandmates (on “I Can’t
Stand
It” and the riff-rocking stomper “Silver Lakes”) and by Jam Records
founder,
Jeremy Morris (on “You and Me”). You can find out more about the Lolas
and
their rockin’ new CD at http://members.fortunecity.com/lolas/index.html
Eytan Mirsky http://powerpop.home.att.net/reviews.htm#lolas
