spy-surf-fuzz-gogo garage rock

12 MP3 Songs
ROCK: Surf Rock, ROCK: 60's Rock



Details:
From a sweaty garage in downtown phoenix, north of the warehouses and south of the pawn shops, comes a new project created during the Summer of 2006 by four established Phoenix rockers - Nicole (Blue Fur), Michael Johnny Walker (The Sonic Thrills), Christina Nunez (The Madcaps), and Jay Lien (The White Demons, The Sonic Thrills).

Sounding vaguely like a 60s b-grade spy-movie theme blasting through an aluminum-siding-covered one-car garage, The Love Me Nots do fuzzy, reverb-y, surf-y, farfisa-drenched spy rock like it's 1963 again.

The debut album was recorded by legendary producer Jim Diamond (White Stripes, Romantics, Charms) in Detroit and was released in January 2007. After only two weeks, the album landed in the Top 100 on US college radio charts and was also being featured on Sirius Radio's Underground Garage Show. The band's debut video for "Move In Tight," directed by Brian Pulido, is scheduled for a March 2007 release date.

The full album is also available on VINYL, exclusively at www.myspace.com/luvmenots, and pick up a TSHIRT while you're there! The album is also available at the following retailers: AMOEBA RECORDS (Hollywood), STINKWEEDS(Phoenix), LOU'S RECORDS (San Diego), and NEWBURY COMICS (Boston) and overseas at garage mail-order giants SOUNDFLAT RECORDS and COPASETIC MAIL ORDER.

Buy any of our merchandise in person at our live shows and we'll give you a few bucks' discount - and you'll save shipping costs too!



PRESS:

"'Move In Tight': With their leggy, go-go-booted singer smacking her Farfisa and purring/shouting demands, this Phoenix outfit turns a geeky garage schtick into white heat."

- SPIN Magazine, "Songs You Need To Download Now," 3/07


"[T]he Phoenix-based Love Me Nots -- a brand new go-go booted combo (well, the two women, anyway; the guys wear sensible suits) with a clutch of sassy songs about broken hearts (not to mention aching ones, lusty ones, and even a few on chains) -- sound as if they've been stashed in a time capsule since the swinging '60s. The foursome is fronted by Farfisa-slinging, single-monikered singer Nicole; its debut CD, 'In Black & White' features high-profile production by White Stripes engineer Jim Diamond, captur[es] the band's old-school hooks and libidinous energy. Even better, Diamond leaves ample room in the mix for guitarist Michael Johnny Walker's sizzling six-string workouts. From the Animals-esque riffage of "Alley" to the Greenhornes-ish "Break My Heart," the Love Me Nots are intent on shaking a tail feather in 2007, and we're betting you won't be able to stop yourself from doing the same when you hear them."

- Jonathan Perry, The Boston Globe, "6 Pop acts to watch in 2007," 1/14/07


"Phoenix's Love Me Nots have the go-go boots and the skinny ties, but what is behind it? A meaty slab of badass '60s garage 'n' roll power drenched in Farfisa organ sauce and dredged through tasty blues bread crumbs, that's what. (I feel like I should add a "beeyatch!" here for effect.) Singer-organist Nicole implores listeners not to break her heart but listen to her voice â the perfect admixture of sass, sex, and soul â and it's clear who's the heartbreaker. Boys and girls alike are guaranteed to swoon when she sings the raunch rocker 'Alley.'"

- Duncan Scott Davidson, The San Francisco Bay Guardian, "Weekly Picks," 2/14/07


"The Love Me Nots come stalking out of the desert in their groovy-cruel white go-go boots and mod â60s dresses on their Jim Diamondâproduced debut album, 'In Black & White' (Atomic a Go Go). Singer Nicole rides Christina Nunezâs coolly-lurking bass line and Michael Johnny Walkerâs tangled guitar on Cynics/Pandorasâstyle originals like 'Break My Heart,' then pumps out hazy sheets of her ballpark organ on the captivatingly spooky lament 'Cry.'"

- Falling James, L.A. Weekly, "Rock Picks," 2/07


"I've got a band cued up right now, brand spanking new from Phoenix, Arizona. They've been recorded by famed producer Jim Diamond. And I will guarantee you: this is not the last time you're gonna hear The Love Me Nots."

- Bill Kelly, (Sirius Radio Underground Garage Show DJ), live on WFMU's Teenage Wasteland, 10/06


"'The Next Big Thing Debate,' one of the panels on the last day of the CMJ 2006 Music Marathon, brought together five tastemakers who introduced artists that they think are poised to generate some big buzz. Panelist Jim Diamond shared 'Move In Tight,' a Nuggets-y, organ-heavy garage rock number by Phoenix's Love Me Nots."

- CMJ.com, "The Next Big Thing Debate," 11/06


"Phoenix's newest rock-and-roll tastemakers, The Love Me Nots, led by the undeniable sexual appeal of singer/front woman Nicole, craft '60s garage/surf/spy rock fusion with a pop-rock sensibility that would make any white-belted hipster nod their head in approval. Already amassing an impressive following in their native Phoenix, their full-length debut was produced and mastered by Jim Diamond and pays homage to bands like Dick Dale, The Cramps, and The Animals. As of press time, this is my top pick for best local rock and roll album of 2006."

- William F-ing Reed, KZON/ Java Magazine, "Now Hear This," 10/06


"The Love Me Nots from Phoenix, Arizona, have released one hell of an album, produced by Mr. Jim Diamond on their very own Atomic A Go Go label. Two real stylish hot chicks and two smart guys dressed in black suits have come up with one of the wyldest garage-punk platters of the last few years. With a big fat organ sound and a tremendous fuzz explosion, they blow the earwax outta your auditory canals. Chaunteuse Nicole has a great soulful voice, backed by an extremely tight and pounding rhythm section that makes you wanna dance from the beginning to the very end of this excellent record. All you garage-heads and beat-freaks out there, buy this CD! A true must-have for all fans of bands like The Staggers, The Cynics, The Lyres, ? & The Mysterians and Fortune & Maltese."

- Soundflat Records, "The Love Me Nots In Black & White," Soundflat.De, 12/06


"Despite their lo-fi, garage rock leanings, The Love Me Nots have delivered a more polished, professional release than many of their Valley contemporaries.. The album sounds both raw and accessible at the same time.. The opener, 'Move In Tight,' quickly establishes the band's signature sound of Nicole's Farfisa organ and Walker's fuzzy, reverb-y fretwork. In 'Keep Talking,' Nicole excudes a Nancy Sintra-esque sass.. But what keeps the album interesting is the band's willingness to occasionally depart from the formula, such as [in] 'Cry," a melancholy dirge that features mournful vocals over Lien's staccato, funereal beat . . . [and] 'Broken,' which sounds downright epic."

- Mike Meyer, The College Times, "Black And White And Loved All Over," 1/07


"Arizonaâs Love Me Nots recorded In Black & White here in Detroit at Jim Diamondâs Ghetto Recorders.. [a] tumble of vintage organ and pep siphoned from 1960s rock ânâ roll.. brief blasts of fevered rock and R&B with hints of danger thanks to the vocalist Nicoleâs supervixen throat tickle. ('Itâs just a matter of time/Gonna tow this line/Until heâs mine all mine!') The Love Me Nots even offer a spiders-crawling-on-my-face mood piece with 'Cry'; it recalls Jefferson Airplane, or at least Mazzy Star."

- Johnny Loftus, Music Editor, Detroit Metro Times, 1/24/07


"Phoenix will not be able to keep this dynamic four-piece a secret for very much longer. Word is out that these cats are hot and they are about to embark on tour to support the release of In Black & White, a gem produced by Detroit studio wizard, Jim Diamond. Like he did with the White Stripes, Diamond has put just a touch of polish on the group's rawness, giving each cut a pop sparkle while still allowing a street-smart savvy to run the show. And what a show it is as lead singer Nicole smokes the keys of her Farfisa organ as she seduces a potential lover ("Move in Tight"), gets a bit possessive ("Mine"), enjoys the ride ("I Do") and ultimately says goodbye ("Broken"). With a voice not unlike that of Morningwood's Chantal Claret, Nicole has the perfect vehicle to convey the aura of lust that surrounds a nascent relationship and that excitement translates into the music 100. This band is together; they are with nary a bad moment on this debut. This is one band not to be missed live when you have the chance.â

- Kevin Wierzbicki, Rocknworld, 1/30/07


"The Love Me Nots, with their sharp wardrobe and punchy, hook-laden â60s-influenced garage rock, have record labels salivating. The Love Me Nots play infectious, Farfisa-organ-embellished blasts of short tunes that should, with vintage garage rock making a huge comeback, see The Love Me Nots leading a garage revolution."

- Chris Orf, Get Out Magazine, "The Love Me Nots Come Out of Garage and Into Spotlight," 12/06


"Move In Tight" is a 1-minute, 42-second shot of go-go, garage-pop bliss that certainly screams 'single.'"

- Kevin Smith, The Arizona Daily Star, "The Love Me Nots," 11/06


"The Love Me Nots' set is much like a 30-minute magic carpet ride through the '60s alongside Nancy Sinatra.. The songs are short, sweet ditties with as much bop-and-pomp as anything Phil Spector produced."

- Niki D'Andrea, The Phoenix New Times, "Garage a Go-Go," 8/06


"The Love Me Nots literally blew me away with their performance at the Lava Lounge back in December. I picked up a copy of the album 'The Love Me Nots In Black & White' that night on both CD and vinyl and it has remained a staple in my weekly listening routine to this date. Songs like Move In Tight, Keep Talking, Come On Over, and Alley are excuted so well, that any notion of this band being a niche band should be tossed right out the window. This band has a real opportunity to cross over, and Iâm not alone here as they have been getting more and more praise from around country and across the pond. The Love Me Nots have made their album available digitally in the US on their myspace page; download it, you will be pumped. I promise."

- InFlightAtNight, "Revisiting The Love Me Nots," inflightatnight.com, 2/07