WHO are the Suspicions?!
 Karen Mitchell Singing and guitars |
 Bryan Standridge Bass and backing vocals |
 Nick Larson Drums and backing vocals |
|
Karen Mitchell Singing and guitars |
Bryan Standridge Bass and backing vocals |
Nick Larson Drums and backing vocals |
Influenced equally by 70's garage punks like DMZ and the Scientists and unlikely pop heroes such as Rick Springfield and Joe Jackson, Seattle's the Suspicions strip both genres down to raw jangly riffs and catchy, sing-along choruses. Formed in early 2004, the group consists of Karen Mitchell on guitar and vocals, Bryan Standridge on bass, both formerly of the Knock-Ups from San Francisco, and Boom Boom Records alum (and current Fe Fi Fo Fum) Nick Larson on drums.Read an interview with Karen and Bryan at Terminal Boredom.
"Here's one explanation for the lack of female-fronted power-pop bands through the years: While girls might appreciate the power, as well as the pop, they're creeped out by the teenaged male geek emotional state -- mainly obsession with and over-idealization of girls -- that laces the chiming hooks together. If that's true, The Suspicions' Karen Mitchell is no typical girl. Her tunes pack exactly the kind of stylish expressions of overgrown teenage yearning that mark power pop -- cars, radios, love notes, hand-claps, whoa-ohs -- but somehow, maybe because they come from a female perspective, feel refreshing and genuine. On "Much Too Late," like her male counterparts since ever, she's too shy to talk. On "Runaround" she gender-reverses a line straight off a Rubinoos or Raspberries song: "Don't break my heart, 'cause you're the best little boy I've found." She's got an aptly reedy voice, like a rougher Ronnie Spector or a smoother Kim Shattuck (of The Muffs), and her guitar work splits the difference between chiming lilt and tough riffage straight down the middle. Mitchell should beware: Geek sex-symbol status awaits."Press for our single:- Phoenix New Times, 3/16/06
"Seattle power pop Roolz!! The full length from the Suspicions is finally here and it is even better than the single. Great power pop/bubblegum that is the best thing Rip Off has released since that 1st Kill A Watts LP. Fans of Bobbyteens, early Joe Jackson, Lipstick Records or anything involving Travis Ramin(Total Babes, Fevers, Nikki Corvette, etc.): Here is your new favorite band!! -Mike Frame (Rip Off)"
- Razorcake Magazine
...It's hard not to love The Suspicions. On their debut LP they deliver the goods, a succint, charming, little record just chock-full-o-hits. The A-Side of this is one of the greatest album sides Rip Off has ever released. The two tunes from the bebut single buffered by three other hummable pop gems, with "Runaround" and "Much Too Late" being the front-runners. Side B is no slouch either, kicking off with the near beautiful "Radio" and proceeding on from there in fine form. The B-Side will take a little bit longer to grow on you. The A-Side: instant garage-pop hits. "All Night" even gets a little Sixties-punk tough sounding. The multitude of handclaps, harmonies, and pleasant vocals, and even the tasteful guitar solos offer a welcome bit of unabashed and honest fun in today's world of who-is-crazier-punk-rockitude. A really charming band, especially in the parts where there is a just that very slight hesitation and you think they might stumble a bit, but they don't and everything falls into sync and it makes you happy. The inclusion of a lyric just makes me fall for these kids even more. Along with the Lids LP, this record forms a good foundation for what could be the third-wave of Rip Off classics. Scums stats: 500 LPs, 200 of them on blue.(RK)"
"Back in late 2004, the Suspicions gave us one of the most promising debut singles of the past five years, and that particular record has held up wonderfully after (numerous) repeated spins. In fact, by the time 2006 rolled around and a full album from the Suspicions was imminent, it was hard for me to imagine said LP not being at least a little disappointing. It wasn't that I was expecting the group to blow it. It was just that the single was SO great, and anything less than an absolute gem of an album was going to seem like a letdown. Well, well, well...the album has arrived, and it's no letdown! The Seattle trio's sound remains a perfect blend of two distinct styles - mixing the lo-fi production and primitive playing of the best garage-punk with the catchy melodies and stellar songwriting of the best powerpop. So while the group rocks with a "Whoa, it sounds like they just learned to play last week!" simplicity, its songs are beautifully crafted and chock full of radio-worthy hooks. Other bands attempt similar blends of seemingly contradictory musical qualities, but none pull it off with more charm or "realness" than The Suspicions. None of the things that most people hate about "pop"-oriented punk bands are present in this group's music. I can't think of another band to compare The Suspicions to....but I will say that if the early, pre-major label Muffs had managed to record a full-length while they were still a "garage" band, it might have sounded something like this Suspicions LP. Sure, the songs from the single ("Memory", "We're All Wrong") are two of the best tracks on the album. But there are several more prime cuts that are just as good - "Hold Me Now", "Radio", and "Much Too Late" are all A-side caliber tunes and very much in the running for Song of the Year consideration. You just can't beat a band that knows how to cook up a melody worth whistling! Those who are amazed that Rip Off Records would release an album this poppy will be less surprised once they get an earful of the fuzzed-out, bare-bones guitars and thumping, trash-can drums. Out front, terrific singer Karen sounds enthusiastic, likable, and fun - but not annoying or overly cutesy. The bottom line is that whenever I put on this album, it quickly gets me in a good mood. Ya gotta love a release like that - it's just got that feel, that energy, that vibe. When you listen to The Suspicions, you just know you're listening to some great music. "
"I’ve been accused of never meeting a pop record I didn’t like. Now, the problem with this is the word “pop”, and just exactly what it means to me….and to you. Most likely it means very different things to each of us. I know it means something different for me than it does for the person who made the aforementioned accusation. One punk’s pop is another jerk’s punk. Another factor is time – when was the thing recorded and released? For instance, if this record by The Suspicions had been released in 1977, it would have been called “punk”, and the band would have been compared to The Ramones and Blondie (if only because of the female lead singer). If it had been released in 1967 it would probably have been labeled “garage”, or maybe just dismissed as sloppy, under produced and undisciplined. If it had been released in 1957 the radio audience would probably have thought that the recording engineer had accidentally sped up the tape of the latest sessions from Buddy Holly and the Crickets (or that Buddy and the boys had been taken over by aliens). As it is, here and now in the year 2006, what we’ve got is a very catchy bunch of very short songs (total of 10 tracks in just over 22 minutes) with fuzzy, crunchy guitars and lots of harmonies. The pace is furious, but the mood is fun. You can call it “pop” if you want, or you can call it “punk” or “pop/punk” or “punk/pop” or whatever the fuck. I don’t know, and I don’t care. It’s just damned good, and I’ll be listening to it a whole helluva lot all summer, with the windows down, volume cranked until the speakers start to rattle a little and the old lady in the car next to me at the traffic light flips me the bird. Cause everybody’s heard that the bird is the word."
"With this album the Suspicions have climbed right up near the top on the shortlist of modern bands I actually give a fuck about. This record is a total anomaly in this day and age: no gimmicks or "crazy" production techniques, just well-crafted, pretense-free pop songs delivered with honesty and passion. Every song on here is an instant classic, but among those that stand out as the real diamonds in the treasure chest are the sublime pop-perfection of "Radio" (seriously, this song is so good my reaction upon first hearing it was, "Fuck, THAT'S how you write a pop song!!!" My second was "Dammit, I'll never be able to write a song that cool!"), the bouncy verve of "Weekend Friends", "We're All Wrong" from the single, and "Much Too Late", a fantastic tune that's all gutsy vocals, drumrolls, handclaps, and hooks. Those are only the ones that stand out to me the most at the moment though. Really, everything about this record is perfect. Best Rip Off release since "16 Wires from the New Provocate". Nothing else even comes close.(SB)
"The debut single from Seattle’s Suspicions is a powerpop diamond in the rough. Catchy, hook-filled, jangly pop songs that could have easily been on Bomp! circa 1980. Singer Karen Mitchell evokes Nikki Corvette or Joan Jett, with a tough but sweet voice. A little sloppy, a little low-fi, a lot awesome." (JC)- Punk Planet #67
" Do you have this single already? If not, you're missing out on as charming a record as you're ever likely to hear. The A-side is a totally infectious pop tune that brings to mind the likes of the Lids' "Something to Do" and Candygirl's "Oh Jacky Boy" with its three chord riff, handclaps, backing vocals on the unforgettable chorus, classic lyrics, and perfect lo-fi production. Seriously, I've listened to this song ten times in a row before and never once gotten sick of it. If in the year 2025 there are such things as Powerpearls type comps and this song isn't considered a classic of the genre I'll eat Brian from the Fevers' stocking hat. The B-side ain't no slouch either, with vocals that remind me of a more lo-fi, jangly version of the early Muffs. This is a perfect record in every sense of the term. Buy or cry."(SS)
- Terminal Boredom.com, Spring 2005
"This isn't punk in sound, but it is punk in spirit. That's what punk used to be. Punk used to be an attitude, now it's a sound. Too bad, because this is going to get overlooked by some, simply because it doesn't sound punk enough. This is going to sound horrible, but it's sort of jangly pop. It reminds me of early Television Personalities, only with female vocals. Now doesn' t that sound cool? It's got a very raw, basic, late 70s power pop sound to it. Very, very cool. Sometimes it's more punk to be less punk." (KK)
- Maximum Rocknroll #261, Feb '05
"I love it when great records come out of nowhere. I have no idea who The Suspicions are, and I still don't. They won't answer my e-mails. Maybe I came on too strong. But I couldn't help it. I am actually in love with this record. It's just two songs, but it's such charming lo-fidelity catchy-hooky stuff that you can't help but be smitten. Reminiscent of the Lids or Tie Reds in it's simplicity and endearing near-ineptitude, but way more power-pop than either of those bands. This isn't going to come roaring off the vinyl and grab you by the collar. It will just melt into your ears and make you wish you had a whole LP worth of the same. For awhile I thought the B side ("Memory") was the winner here, but after a few dozen listens I'm now convinced the A side is just as sweet. Handclaps, harmonies, great girl vox, it's all here. Instantly likable and a lot of fun, and one of my faves of the year."(RK)
- Terminal Boredom.com, Winter 2004/2005
"This could play right after Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues" and nobody would think anything of it, yet everybody would think something of it because it's catchy and sounds like it was recorded in someone's basement - a magical fucking basement because now I can't get this song out of my head. Buy this 7" - $4 post paid - go to their website to find out where to send the check."
"...It’s good to have something to make you smile once and a while, and The Suspicions fit the bill nicely with their debut vinyl. A lo–fidelity cross between Nikki And The Corvettes and the poppier side of the garage is how best to describe the tunes “We’re All Wrong” and “Memory” off this record. The trio plays with spunk and seems like they’d be a fun band to catch live, and judging from their website, folks from Seattle to parts unknown will soon have that pleasure."
Discorder, Feb '05
"...The Suspicions sound is a straight-up blend of lo-fi garage punk and Bomp!-style powerpop, with raw, jangly guitars and a spunky singer who sounds kinda but not really like Nikki Corvette. Both songs are catchy and chock full of invigorating energy. The A-side cut “We’re All Wrong” reminds me a lot of that great LA band The Pinkz who put out two great singles a few years back and then quickly disappeared. The Real Kids by way of Eddie Cochran riffery is top-notch, and the backing vocals have lots of gusto. The production can best be described as, uh, basic. Which is fine with me. Karen Mitchell’s fuzzy guitar is way up in the mix, as is Nick Larson’s thumping drumwork. The mix obscures the lyrics, so I honestly don’t know what the spirited, nasally-voiced Mitchell is saying. For all I know, she could be singing out the ingredients in her favorite cleaning product or chronicling the time dead fetuses rained from the Seattle sky. But even if she was, her vocal style is so peppy and infectious that the song would still come across as “upbeat”.
On the flip, “Memory” picks up the pace and sets the dance party in motion. This song just has that bounce going for it, ya know? I mean, when I listen to it, I can’t help but picture this band playing live, and all the kids in the crowd are swaying to the beat, their sweaty, hormonally-charged bodies surging with goodtime spirit. The song even has me doing a little dance of my own. I have to get up off my computer chair and do this dance where I keep my feet still but swing my hips. I actually think this is the better of the two songs, if only because its melody is the one still stuck in my head a day after I last spun the vinyl. And this song’s feelgood vibe quotient is 11 on a scale of 1-10. Even if you’re depressed about war, ethnic cleansing, and the woeful state of the environment, one listen to this song will immediately have you smiling and loving life."
Now Wave Magazine, April '05
