Fans: 25,916
To tide everyone over until the new album comes out, the band has released a four-song EP that’s available online via their MySpace site (www.myspace.com/vonbondies) and at their shows. It’s called WE ARE KAMIKAZES. The track listing is: “Pale Bride,” “21st Birthday,” “Wake Me Up” and “I Don’t Wanna.” Soon the band will follow with a second EP titled AIMING STRAIGHT FOR YOUR HEART around US tour dates in May TBD.
The new album was recorded in multiple cities, produced by Rick Parker (BRMC), Peter Katis (Interpol) and Butch Walker (Hot Hot Heat), and written by singer/songwriter/guitarist Jason Stollsteimer. Complete album details, credits and release date will be revealed soon.
LOVE, HATE AND THEN THERE’S YOU is The Von Bondies’ third studio album and the first new recordings since March 2004’s critically acclaimed PAWN SHOPPE HEART, which featured the hit single “C’mon C’mon.” Without giving too much away, it’s safe to predict that the new album will surprise everyone. Suffice to say, it’s very melodic, lots of guitars and sounds almost nothing like PAWN SHOPPE HEART or LACK OF COMMUNICATION. There’s also a new line-up as well. Joining the band’s founding members Jason Stollsteimer (vocals, guitar) and Don Blum (drums) are Christy Hunt (guitar) and Leann Banks (bass).
Here is some feedback from the media on WE ARE KAMIKAZES and the Bondies’ performances from earlier this year:
“The new songs show impressive diversity. ‘Pale Bride’ for example, leads off with guitars and Kinks-gone-garage sound, while ‘21st Birthday’ might evoke comparisons to British power pop faves like the Kaiser Chiefs. The soaring sound of ‘Wake Me Up’ could be a classic song from The Who, that basic guitar-rock foundation enhanced with an almost orchestral arrangement. And “I Don’t Wanna” merges New Wave guitar pop with contemporary style.”
---Jay Miller, THE PATRIOT LEDGER (Boston, MA; 1/18/2008)
“The group is back with a new lineup, new material and a poppier sound.”
---DETROIT FREE PRESS (1/4/2008)
“2008 should mark the band’s return. A new EP, ‘We Are Kamikazes,’ brims with energetic, garage-style rock.”
---Regis Behe, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW (1/11/2008)
“…the new songs find The Von Bondies picking up in that more melodic and pop mode.”
---Scott Mervis, PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE (1/14/2008)
“The band’s gender diversity seems to be an advantage, as opposed to the typical gender-specific rock bands popular today. The mix of male and female provided an upbeat dynamic, which seemed to add to the edgy yet perky sound of the group. They have a relatable appeal to both guys and girls, and the stage presence of the band is improved with the different emotions that separate genres bring to the table.”
---Alexandra Coleman, THE LATERN (Ohio State University; 1/14/2008)
“’Pale Bride,’ ‘21st Birthday,’ ‘Wake Me Up’ and ‘I Don’t Wanna’ all suggest the album will offer fans the raw energy and catchy riffs the band’s previous discs possess.”
---Brian Wong, LONDON FREE PRESS (1/11/2008)
“Detroit’s Von Bondies are scrappy, dirty, exuberant, and spirited. They’re everything you could want from a choppy guitar group that’s so obviously channeling Motor City predecessors like the MC5 and the Stooges.”
---Lizz Kannenberg, CHICAGOIST.COM (1/10/2008)
“Give them more music than they know what to do with: This summer The Von Bondies will release their third studio album, Love, Hate and Then There’s You. But proceeding that there will be another EP out in the spring. Stollsteimer’s philosophy is refreshing in the ever-changing terrain of the music biz.”
---Christen Thomas, UR CHICAGO (1/9/2008)
“With the new year comes a new album from The Von Bondies. The group that made its name at the turn of the millennium on Detroit’s much-ballyhooed garage-rock scene is sporting a revamped lineup, a fresh sound and a string of U.S. and European tour dates…Love, Hate and Then There’s You is the the title of the group’s third studio disc, which is set for release this summer. The album features help from several producers – including the famed Butch Walker, Peter Katis (Interpol) and Rick Parker (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club) – and it strays a bit from the gritty blues-rock sound of the group’s two previous albums, offering up a rocking, retro-pop vibe.”
---Rachel May, DETROIT FREE PRESS (1/3/2008)
“…[Stollsteimer]’s written a clutch of terrifyingly cool songs…”
---Jonny Loftus, DETOUR-MAG.COM (Detroit, MI; January 2008)
"...Stollsteimer still has one of the best voices in indie rock."
---Chris David, THESENTIMENTALIST.COM, (January 2008)
