Monty Vega & The Sittin' Shivas

MONTY VEGA & THE SITTIN’ SHIVAS: Closed No Fun: CS
Jul 20, 2021
Monty Vega & The Sittin’ Shivas are one of my favorite discoveries of 2021 so far. The band’s ’60s power pop meets Ramones-esque punk sound had me rocking out from the opening notes of “Last Step,” the first of fourteen tracks jammed onto this album. The needle on the gauge between their power pop and Ramones influences swings from track to track, but I enjoyed the variety this provided. Every one of the songs on Closed No Fun is a banger, making it hard to pick a favorite, but there’s also nothing that you don’t want to hear after repeated listens. I particularly enjoyed their cover of Scandal’s “Goodbye to You,” an example obviously leaning more towards the power pop end of their sound, but with an edge to their version not present in the original. –Paul J. Comeau (montyvegathesittinshivas.bandcamp.com) - Razorcake

RAMONES-influenced rock that has a good bit of depth musically and lyrically. MONTY VEGA’s webpage cites paying musical respect to Joey and they also have a song entitled ”Poor Dee Dee.” There’s a bit of GROOVIE GHOULIES here and the keyboards bring in some punk new wave Á la the MINDS, which culminates in a great cover of ”Goodbye To You” by SCANDAL. The social commentary video ”Failed State” is worth checking out and furthers the case that this isn’t just a homage party band. Seems like this is a two-piece quarantine project, but post-COVID they should be back to a full band which gives me something to look forward to.

REVIEWER TIM JANCHAR
LABEL SELF-RELEASED
ISSUE MRR #456 • MAY 2021 - Maximum Rock N Roll

REVIEW - Monty Vega And The Sittin' Shivas - 'Sonic Gloss' (Album)
Following on from the 'Closed (No Fun)' album released at the beginning of this year, Portland's Ken Weiner (Monty Vega) and Paul Damone are back bookending the year with another album 'Sonic Gloss'. For those of you who enjoyed 'Closed (No Fun)', 'Sonic Gloss' will also appeal, another 38 minutes or so of fast paced pop-punk and glam influenced rockers replete with catchy-as-hell choruses, fierce buzz-saw guitars, driving drums and a fun ambience to the whole thing.


The guys have 'dialled down' the Ramones influence of 'Closed (No Fun)' a little bit and stretched the structures of some of the songs this time to include breakdowns in the middle eights of songs such as 'Facebook Fighting' (which also comes with a hooky guitar riff), and 'Not This Time', which in the middle of its full-tilt journey has time for a slowed down passage with a slightly pyschedelic tinge, while '7 Foot Sswede' also drops down to a 'tribal' drum interval before building up to an explosive finish. But it's on the flat out quicker numbers such as the fantastic opener 'Don't Wanna Do What's Right', the 'sounds exactly like it's title' 'Flashbang Grenade' and the glamtastic 'Gravity Man' with it's 'Batman' guitar riff running through it where the album really shines and is the essence of Monty Vega And The Sittin' Shivas.


If there's one gripe I have about the album, it's the covers that pepper the record - while the versions of 'Daydream Believer', 'Hungry Heart' and 'The Edge Of Glory' are enjoyable enough, they detract a little from the guys' excellent original material, and don't possess the 'quirkiness' of 'They Don't Know' and 'Rock, Rock (Till You Drop)' that appeared on the previous album. Having said that, their version of Suicide's 'Ghost Rider' is a brooding, menacing, fine addition to 'Sonic Gloss'. Perhaps hive the covers off onto a separate covers EP and leave the albums for your own tunes, guys?


Of which 'Sonic Gloss' shows a burgeoning facility for good songs and with 'Too Much Time' - the album closer - shows that Ken and Paul can vary the tone, pace, and atmosphere in a song and are able to move away from the hundred mile an hour pop-punk anthems they do so well when required. 'Sonic Gloss' is another thoroughly enjoyable album from a band that is showing they can transcend their 'Ramones roots' and develop into a varied and accomplished outfit. - Ballroom Blitz Man At The Back