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Savannah Creative Loafing March 2001
I'd like to call this the first rock AND roll record of the millenium, but this CD came out last August. I'd also like to tell you to go see this Atlanta trio at the Velvet Elvis on Friday night, but with publication lead time, that would now be last weekend. Time warps aside, this band puts forth social observations with the seasoning of old Mellencamp and the fire of young Cougar. Today's conveniences are seen with a wary eye ("Welcome to the new modern kitchen/It cooks and cleans without the bitchin'"), but the old ways aren't exactly the greatest either ("Well the Bible Belt has come loose/Fat City officials can't even fit their boots"). Every song has the conviction of the old heartland rockers that sang it like they meant it in their heyday - talk about your time warps. A band to watch.
BABYSUE
FEBRUARY 2001
Smart young Atlanta based band with strong songs and a tight command of their instruments. The tunes on Wardrobe for a Jet Weekend are, for the most part, middle-of-the-road rock. But what makes the songs work are the melodies. These guys know enough about putting twists and turns in the road to make the ride interesting. Lyrics are reminiscent of The Jam, while the overall sound of the music is more like basic Americana. The Young Antiques have a sound that could very easily translate into big commercial radio hits. Our favorites on this disc are the ones with more abstract tones ("New Modern World," "Missing Man"). For more info, click on the band's web site (link above). (Rating: 4OUT OF 6)
FLAGPOLE - Athens, Ga
OCTOBER 2000
By Matt Thompson
"If nothing else, the Young Antiques live up to their name. The band mixes country leanings with a post-punk, new wave delivery that recalls the roots rock of Steve Earle and post-Bring The Family John Hiatt, new wave stalwarts like Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe, and classic '60s power rock like the Who and the Kinks. This is a band that's equally at home with a power pop stomper and some sweet steel guitar, often in the same song. The Atlanta-based trio brings all these separate yet connected elements together on their latest stack of wax, Wardrobe For A Jet Weekend, a solid and rollicking collection of pop-infused roots rock.
Throughout the record, the Antiques take Costello-style pop ditties ("New Modern World"), Chuck Berry-esque rave-ups ("More Soul"), new wave ravers ("The Last Thing") and country stompers ("Bury Me Down") and bounce them off the wall to see what sticks. Pleasingly enough, it all does rather handily. Plenty of bands would collapse under such eclecticism, but the Antiques hold it together with Blake Rainey's sharp, clever lyrical takes, particularly on "Wartime Town," and a rock-solid rhythm section of bassist Blake Parris and drummer Mason Brazelle. Along with Rainey's strong vocals and jangly guitar playing, the Antiques pull of such genre acrobatics with plenty of aplomb.
Throughout Wardrobe, there's an undeniable sense of energy infusing each tune despite whichever genre the band happens to be dabbling in. "Missing Man" is a wonderfully distortion-drenched post-punk rock tune that sounds straight out of the Husker Du songbook, and the new wave sensibilities of "Bad Lucky Street" dip and swirl old-school style yet sound refreshingly up to date.
The band's overall sound is polished enough to warrant possible airplay on mainstream radio, but the sound is never overly slick or as depressingly predictable as most of what we hear on the airwaves these days. Truly a little bit of old and a little bit of new, a little bit rock and roll and little bit country, Wardrobe For A Jet Weekend is a top-notch record by a promising young band."
*****
AMPLIFIER MAGAZINE
OCTOBER 2000
By Joe Joyce
"For those of you seeking revved-up guitar, chugga-chugga drum bombastics and impassioned vocals, look no further than Wardrobe For a Jet Weekend. Singer/songwriter/guitarist (not to mention harmonica/e-bow/Casio/toy pianist) Blake Rainey has fashioned an album of gritting subject matter ranging from alienation (“New Modern World,” “Missing Man”) and loss (“Your Life Is For Real”) to urban decay (“Wartime Town”) and despair (“Bad Lucky Street”). An odd mix of downcast lyrical content and a primarily upbeat, energetic musical framework that works well, driven by Rainey’s rapid fire verbal bursts - check out the chorus on “Bury Me Town” – and stellar guitar forays, both acoustic and electric, that are engrossing and hard-driving. There’s no doubt that the Young Antiques have put heart and soul into this release and imbued it with generous slices of rock and country, with a bit of snarling punk added for good measure. It all comes together quite nicely on the album’s final cut where Rainey turns down his bite and croons a gorgeous ode to hope… “And one day you will shout / Just look up at the sky / I know that you will see / A million stars that shine / Just one for you and me.” A fully realized album of conscience, passion and musicianship."
*****
INK 19 MAGAZINE
NOVEMBER 2000
By Mark Chester
"The debut effort from this Atlanta trio fully lives up to their oxymoronic name, a contradiction of old and new sounds. Influences are disparate, save for the fact that they're all worthwhile -- from '60s sounds like the Who, Kinks, and Beatles to modern roots rock, the Young Antiques fashion an individual sound that offers something for everyone without degenerating into lowest-common-denominator blandness. The opening "New Modern World" gives you a quick preview of what's in store, with a Nick Lowe opening that quickly into a singalong chorus with a new wave sensibility. It's quickly followed by "More Soul," which rages and burns like a lost Replacements track and is over way too soon. Tempering the hot rock is a fine ear for country melody and sentiment, apparent on tracks like "Your Life Is For Real." Wardrobe for a Jet Weekend is a gem of a record, showcasing a band with musical maturity and youthful energy. Chances are, you're going to love this band sooner or later; might as well grab a copy of Wardrobe and get it over with now."
*****
METROPULSE
NOVEMBER 2000
By John Sewell
It's rather odd to use the phrase "good taste" when referring to a rock 'n' roll band, especially when it's a brash, four-chord garage combo composed of swaggering young guys who just finished their adolescence, like, yesterday. But that's exactly the case with Atlanta's Young Antiques.
The 'tiques have got attitude and testosterone to burn, but that's just a jumping off point. The band manages to sound current while mining the sounds of '60s British Invasion pop (The Kinks), pub rock, early new wave (Costello, Lowe, Graham Parker) and a little bit of hillbilly twang to boot. These influences might not be the trendiest thing this week, but they're quality stuff—as is the Young Antiques' original material.
The title of the New Antiques' debut album, Wardrobe For a Jet Weekend, sounds deceptively emo. But don't let that fool you for a minute. The trio instead delivers 11 rough-cut, rockin' pop songs that are surprisingly well crafted and memorable. Sure, the production might be a bit lacking. But the band makes up for it with sweat, sincerity and urgency.
With very few overdubs, Jet Weekend sounds pretty live. And I'd bet the Young Antiques can reproduce the feel of the album in a live setting, maybe even better. The raucous atmosphere at the Longbranch seems like a perfect atmosphere for what these guys are doing. The band already has quite a buzz going in Atlanta, and I'd bet they can keep it going with their Knoxville debut.
