Passionate and catchy, The Sonnets create hook-based powerpop that takes cues from genres as varied as rock, punk, glam, mod, surf, and blues.

14 MP3 Songs
POP: Power Pop, ROCK: Punk



Details:
"This is a type of power pop that is not made too often, at least in the mid double-naughts. With a gritty energy found in the early 90s Chicago or Washington D.C. Indie music scenes, The Sonnets take punky passion, big rocking live band vibe and meld it all with the type of power pop melodies and hooks that we saw in bands like The Romantics, early The Jam, Paul Collins Beat and that proto-punky sound of very early Kinks in, say, 1964. This kicks serious, big butt, man. Each listen will open up new pores of excitement, its unrelenting energy and passion, contagion for a cynical music time. The Sonnets are Rock, Power Pop, Mod, Glam, Punk and surf all mixed in a different kind of musical flavor. The Sonnets *do not* follow trends, bake, drywall, sound boring, master basket weave, nor own pugs. The Sonnets DO rock however. God Bless Them. God Bless Not Lame for telling you about them. God Bless You getting ready to rawk properly, righteously." - Bruce Brodeen, Not Lame Records

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"Let me first say that these guys can play - and I mean play - without ever losing the sense that along the way they're having a great fucking time. Three-piece from Chi-town taking in some 60s R'n'B, a touch of '79 mod, a tad of Steve Earl, and dare I say a feel of that ol' Screaming Trees sound, which in my view is a very high accolade indeed. Not exactly punk - which is no bad thing - but very much rock 'n' roll, which is really what it's all about. Sincere, fun,
and featuring some fantastic songwriting. Made the more worthwhile considering it's a benefit for The Greenhouse Shelter, a safe refuge for abused women." - Sean Dougan, MaximumRocknRoll

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"Think of The Beatles. Got that thought? Now kill George and add some modern day funk and better guitar work and you have the Sonnets. They have a feel like The Hives, Interpol, The White Stripes, or any number of other Bealtes era tribute bands. The thing that sets them apart from the rest is their upbeat rhythem and snapping vocals. An interesting band...they have found their sound and they're sticking to it." - IRA Music Review

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"Good example of garage rock revival done right. Has just enough of that ehco/distortion in the sound to make it really sound like a garage band. The lead singer has a prototypical rick n roll voice; it drives the music with energy and emotion. The guitars don't over power the lyrics. Lots of good crisp rock songs here. When yur show is over burdened with too many sensitive song-writer types, throw this CD in bounce of the walls for a while." - Calvin's Music Reviews

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"On first impressions youâd think that the Sonnets are some standard 60s or 70s throwback band that the world doesnât really need any more of. Listen to the record and you find out just how much it rocks out in a pure rock and roll kind of way. I kid you not, Iâve had to pry this out of the stereo is how good the first three songs (The Sea, Movin On, and Friday Night) are. Elsewhere âFeels So Goodâ has a Beatles kick to it while other songs have a Replacements pop to them. The songs on offer are definitely mature, strange when you consider bass player Chuck Uchidaâs Attica studio is famous for producing so many Chicago pop punk bands including the Smoking Popes." - Tim Scott, ScreamingBloodyMess.com

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"This is pure, straight-up garage rock and roll, a fusion of '60s mod, '70s punk rock and glam, and '90s power pop," that drips with attitude. There can be no mistaking the corner of musical taste to which these guys appeal. They rock, end of discussion. Formed in 1992, the Chicago-based Sonnets have had members come and go over the years, but remained a formidable entity." - Don Pflaster, Impact Press Magazine
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"The first time I spun 2004's Mystery Girl (Failed Experiment), the second album by local ass kickers the SONNETS, I took in their bouncy, gritty mix of punky power pop, surf, Who-style melodies, Motorhead-ish oomph, and Insomniacs-like garage and thought, "Pretty good." But a second listen wrecked my day: the band's rare talent to turn joy and anger into a holy flame of rock 'n' roll passion managed to pierce my jaded skull, and though I had lots to do I wound up boinging around the house playing air drums all fucking afternoon. Mystery Girl wouldn't work without the rough-edged pipes of singer-guitarist Vee Sonnets, who founded the group in 1992 and somehow juggles it with four other bands. He writes a mean lyric, too: if you don't think it's a spiritual experience to hear the lines "I really like the moves you make / I really like the sounds you fake" hissed over a barely restrained surf beat and followed by a paean-to-rawk chorus, get out of the gee-tar church and quit hogging all the incense, OK? If you're the type who cares about punk-rock resumés, onetime members of the Vindictives, M.O.T.O., and the Methadones have passed through the Sonnets' lineup. They plan to record new songs later this winter; no word on a release date, but I'm getting my taxes out of the way now." - Ann Sterzinger, Chicago Reader