Reviews
Nuthin' Zine #17:
Another great release from Whoa Oh Records! Teaming up two great bands that sound great
together. First off we have the Vents, who play catchy punk rock that actually reminds me of early MXPX and definitely
have a bit of a that poppy vibe thrown in. Their opening song, Anna, might be one of the best things I have heard this
year. In contrast to The Vents straight up rockingness, The Teen Sensation Glasses bring a lighter note to their half
of the CD, bringing a modern Devo feel to the pop-punk genre, very clever and funny, but at the same time you find
yourself singing along. The Cobra Kai Song in particular cracks me up every time. - DW (4/5 Skulls)
Read Magazine:
Whoa Oh is the best pop-punk label at the moment. Everything they put out seems to be
exactly what I want to listen to. This split CD is no exception - The Vents play dorky, slightly bratty but straight-forward
pop-punk that's like a cross between Squirtgun and Screeching Weasel. They're good, but maybe a little flat. Teen Sensation
Glasses are the winners here, with a unique pop-punk sound: at the forefront is sloppy punk (with very loose drumming),
Undertones guitar riffs, and cutesy Beach Boys-inspired vocal lines and handclaps. In the background though is in-and-out
Casio noises. The whole thing sounds garagey but different, especially for pop-punk.
Now Wave Magazine:
Whoa Oh Records is to pop-punk music what Arby's is to fast food - a first-class operation specializing in a product
that's fiercely loathed by most self-appointed arbiters of taste. What do the enlightened folk always tell us about fast
food? That it's crap and it makes them puke? Don't they say the exact same thing about pop-punk? Hmm. But there are still
lots of us who actually like pop-punk, regardless of how bad it's supposed to be for us. So let the haters talk their shit
and roll their eyes and do whatever else they need to do to make themselves feel better about their inadequately-sized
sex organs. I for one am glad we've got Whoa Oh around right now to serve up the sort of nutritionally bereft but oh so
yummy fare once peddled by the likes of Mutant Pop and Lookout! Records. New on the menu is a tasty value combo teaming
The Vents with the Teen Sensation Glasses.
If pop-punk is my guilty pleasure, then The Vents are pushing my guilt factor to the very edge of the dial. Aesthetically,
spiritually, and sonically, they bring to mind the Blink-182/New Found Glory, MTV-friendly, happy-go-lucky, cutesy mall
punk thing. Songs like "These Days" and "Jackie" could easily wind up in the dating montage of the next Chad Michael Murray
movie. But try as I might, I just can't manage to dislike The Vents. They're just really good at what they do, ya know? They
know how to write a decent pop song, and the band sounds tight and ultra-energetic. It's clear that they're having a real
good time playing these songs, and those of you with a sunny outlook on life will definitely dig their vibe. You know the
formula: melodic lead guitar, smooth nice-guy vocals, fluffy lyrics about girls and stuff...Sure, these songs aren't
groundbreaking or even particularly memorable, but they make for a surprisingly enjoyable listen. I like filet mignon
as much as the next guy, but sometimes an Arby's Beef n' Cheddar really hits the spot.
The Teen Sensation Glasses have evolved their musical approach a bit since I last heard them. They've added poppy synths
a la The Cars and Rentals, and they've upped their dork quotient exponentially. They essentially remain a pop-punk band
of the Mutant Pop archetype, but the new wavey keyboards and indulgent nerdism give them a distinct, utterly likable
sound. And to a sub-genre usually plagued by lyrical cliches, they bring cleverness and comedy of near Erg-ian
proportions. Self-effacing, fun-loving, and perhaps a little too obsessed with karate, the TSG fellas are the geeks
you wanna hang out with. They scored points with me by referencing not one but two AC/DC songs on their intro track
and then pilfering the opening riff from the Undertones' "Male Model" at the beginning of "Girls Are From Venus". And
while this set of songs is neither as strong or as consistent as the Glasses' debut CD, I'm absolutely gonzo about
"Lather, Rinse & Repeat". It's the pop-punk smash hit of 2005...just a simple little tale about an unattainable girl
and her nasty case of head lice. Also pretty fab: "Wait", which goes from Beach Boys sublimity to punky juvenilia in
the blink of an eye, and the snappy closer "Crybaby". I can only hope that another TSG full-length is forthcoming. Jonnie,
I'm pulling up to the drive-thru window.... - Rutledge
Go Metric #20:
The Vents have top billing here but they're completely upstaged by The Teen Sensation Glasses.
Supporting evidence: The Vents are working a tired genre, Lookout-style pop punk, and doing so with threadbare lyrical ideas
("These Days"??? It's been nearly 20 years since someone wrote a good song titled "These Days" (see R.E.M.'s Life Rich Pageant).
10,000 Maniacs tried and failed. Gaunt tried and failed.) The Teen Sensation Glasses, on the other hand, have graduated from pop
punk high. They've got their keyboards percolating at the proper times and a healthy Devo influence that pops ups throughout
songs like "TSG (Done Dirt Cheap)," "Secret Weapon," and "Girls Are From Venus." Then "Wait" jumps out of nowhere with a Beach
Boys-like intro. Hop in your golf cart and skip to the back nine. - Mike Faloon (Boxed review indicates editor's pick)
Pocketful Of Change
The Vents sound like they'd be big on MTV. Of course, I'm speaking as a person who doesn't have cable and hasn't watched MTV in, say, 5 years. So, maybe I'm overestimating the music they play on MTV - maybe they don't have anything this cool. Of course, someone out there is saying "Listen Grandma, they don't even play music on MTV anymore. It's all about MTV3." Or something to that effect. And to this I reply, "Listen here sonny - I'm not that old. I'm not even 30 yet. And just because I don't know what does and does not get airtime on MTV, or whatever you kids are watching nowadays, doesn't mean I'm not hip, dammit!" Or something to that effect. Geez, I don't even know why I bothered to bring up the subject of MTV anyway. Except that I think the Vents should have a peppy video, because they'd be popular with kids today. The Teen Sensation Glasses, on the other hand, have a heavier sound (although they still fall firmly in the pop-punk genre). They'll probably have a big "underground" following, and five years from now people will argue about who started listening to them first. That's assuming that people are still listening to either of these bands in five years.- Chuckie
BMO's World:
It was hard for me to get too excited about this cd, with the arrival of the new ones from The
Flakes and The Briefs in my mailbox just days later. I mean, it's ok, but it's not gonna be a perennial favorite. What you've
got here is two pretty good pop/punk bands: The Vents are sort of a Green Day Lite, while TSG are more in the Weezer mode. They've
both got a good sense of melody, and The Teen Sensation Glasses seem to have a keen interest in The Karate Kid, which is nice,
'cause Mr. Miyagi just died. They both have catchy melodies and decent lyrics. They both play fast and bouncy. On the downside,
there's not a lot of difference between the two bands: a bit of organ for the Teen Sensation Glasses being the one thing that
jumps out. One of the better lyrical moments comes in TSG's "Girls are From Venus": "Boys are from Mars and girls are from Venus/girls
have vaginas and boys have a penis". Actually, now that I think about it, another difference between them is that almost all of
TSG's songs are funny (or try to be funny), while The Vents deal more with relationships and girls and stuff like that. The best
song on here is The Vents' "Anna", which is the lead track. I think that's always dangerous, putting the best song first. I'd put
it more like 3rd, if it were me. Then again, maybe they don't think that's the best song. Either way, I'd give this around a "3"
on a scale of 1 to 5, if I did that sort of thing.
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$10