"Cult of Sue Todd opened with a blistering set of unpredictable tempo changes and the pseudo-pathetic punk stylings of singer and guitarist Steven Perry. I've been lucky enough to know the folks in Cult of Sue Todd for a while, and have seen the band go from a shambling four-piece with banjo player and a no-show bassist to an incredibly tight three-piece of guitar, bass and drums. Having seen them play a number of times over the past couple of years, I marvel at how they manage to put on a different kind of show each time in terms of mood, but are incredibly consistent in their playing. Thursday was no exception as they ran through their set of fast-paced punk folk songs and smattering of excellent witty banter with a polish not often found in this genre. Look for Cult of Sue Todd's new EP Not... out soon"
• Deepthi Welaratna, "Music Review : Thursday Night Music", KQED Arts & Culture; Music, 11 May 2007
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"Rock and country, punk and folk. These are some of the contrasting musical styles that come to mind while listening to 'Kelsey Grammer Loves Us,' the first full-length album from the San Francisco-based Cult of Sue Todd.
"Many bands can easily be pigeonholed into a pre-destined genre, but not Cult of Sue Todd. CST boasts an eclectic style that at first seems odd, but strangely makes you want to keep listening.
"Part of the band's eclectic style may be due to the wide range of instruments incorporated into its music. Instruments listed on the album besides the standard guitar, bass and drums, include banjo, French horn, bells, organ, piano, trumpet, mandolin and 'spoon-on-plastic.'
"The songs themselves are witty, funny and surprisingly insightful lyrics. Many serious topics are covered throughout the songs, from birth to death, to fear. The songs remain enjoyable, however, due to CST's comic approach.
'ExBoyfriends of the World (Unite and Take Over)' is the first song on 'Kelsey Grammer Loves Us.' The song speaks of an ex-girlfriend moving away and her boyfriend realizing he was tricked after seeing her on the street. The megaphone effect on the 'get, get, get her' sounded like singer Steven Perry was standing atop a soapbox yelling 'get, get, get her' at the world, or perhaps other ex-boyfriends.
'Chatterbox,' the second song, is very upbeat, with a garage band quality that dares the listener not to jump up and down. However, the first words of the song are 'I've been told I've got a year or so.' CST seems to have a way of separating the music from the lyrics. It really makes you pay attention to what is being said. Perry's personalized vocals help his voice jump out of the record.
'Ohio 2' can't seem to decide what kind of song it wants to be, but forces us to listen. It starts off sounding like a punk song, before a right turn into folk territory. The chorus has two men singing together in a more country/folk style. These two buddies sing of 'getting back to Ohio, gotta get back to the friends I know.'
'50cent' is one of the more soul-searching songs. This banjo-heavy track has fast lyrics; it's almost hard to keep up. The song talks of being scared, and with pleasant imagery like, 'I wipe the vomit from your mouth and you wipe it from mine.'
"CST is a very interesting band, which seems to be as crazy as its music. It's not clear who Sue Todd is, but the band Web site claims that Sue Todd wrote all of the songs that it plays. The band believes she is dead now. But, one day, the band will publish all of her poems, stories, and rants she left them, as well as some photos.
"Until that day comes, 'Kelsey Grammar Loves Us' will remain a welcome change of pace to my CD collection."
• Dylana Foy, "Cult of Todd Sue finally releases much anticipated album", Daily 49er, 7 October 2006
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"The lo-fi indie rock of San Francisco based band Cult Of Sue Todd is essentially garage-folk, with a serious punk attitude. Masterminded by lead singer and songwriter Steve Perry, Cult Of Sue Todd is always experimental and interesting. Their sophomore effort, the curiously titled Kelsey Grammer Loves Us, only sees Perry returning from the original lineup, with Jordan Tag and Jason Vasquez joining the fray. Grammer is a jagged listen, with flashes of quirky brilliance.
"Odes to discontentment receive the best treatment on Grammer. A wonderfully restless tune about keeping up appearances, 'Fake Off' alternates frantic verses with passionately frustrated slow-motion horn infused hook. Perry's smirk can almost be seen through the bargaining line 'You throw out your turtlenecks, and I'll throw out my sh*teating grin'. The hazy anger in Perry's vocals turn 'Gnome' into the song that will resonate the most with any music fans who work in an office. The frustration comes to a boil in the brutally honest, 'I once had big dreams of success / Now the only thing I want is for my co-workers to shut up', hook.
"With vocals drowned in heavy beats, 'Nails' is the most anxious and compelling song ever written about breaking a nail. Opening with just a clicking beat and lonely acoustic, 'Nails' steadily grows into a throbbing furry. Laid back folk strummer, 'Fine Fettle' stands out for being the only song that sounds remotely 'normal'. The opening 'ExBoyfriends Of The World' creates simplistic tension with shallow stabbing guitars and transistor radio vocals; turning it into a tattered ball of angst.
"Kelsey Grammer Loves Us is [the best album in the history of recorded music]"
• Chad Grischow, "Pass on the Kool-Aid", IGN.com, 22 September 2006
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"Merry bunch of malcontents loaded with folk/punk energy that is sure to find favor with malcontents everywhere. It's not geared for the top of the charts and it doesn't need to be. With loads of hostility for the man to spread around for all, this cult is going to be recruiting anyplace there's a college radio station or a place to do some downloading. Wild stuff that doesn't know where to quit and really doesn't need to."
• Midwest Record, 14 September 2006
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"Cult of Sue Todd are not slouches in regard to the arrangements that they bring to their listeners. 'ExBoyfriends' is just one of many tracks that builds up from one thing (vocals) to including so many different sounds and layers as to be a 'Where's Waldo' of indie-rock. The one band that seems to be a valid comparison to Cult of Sue Todd has to be the Violent Femmes. Both acts seem to have fun with their tracks, but always keep a certain level of musicianship present at all times.
"Cult of Sue Todd play whatever style of music that they wish to play, and it is up to their fans to acclimate to the act, and not vise versa. This means that a song like 'Nails' can be so different in its Harvey Danger meets emo band style when it is just after a jazzy folk track. Cult of Sue Todd may be off the popular radar, but just given a proper push, they would be darlings of the aging hipster set that program all the alternative stations throughout the United States. The band creates a compilation CD out of fourteen tracks, and the devotion to quality is something that is just not heard in this current day and age."
• JMcQ, NeuFutur, 23 July 2006
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"Kelsey Grammer Loves Us is the second release from San Francisco's Cult of Sue Todd, following last year's Nothing Noteworthy Happened Today EP, a six song banjo enhanced indie-folk record that quickly became one of my favourites of the year. Their often non-sensical but usually witty songs got under my skin in the way that few bands could manage. As such, Kelsey Grammer Loves Us, their first full length album, was one of the releases that I was most excited about for 2006.
"Cult of Sue Todd's website describes their sound as 'anti-social songs for nervous folks'. It's a surprisingly simple yet very appropriate description. This is the kind of band that I could imagine sitting out on their porch on rocking chairs yelling at the 'dang kids' to 'get off our lawn'. But only if they didn't look too intimidating. If you're like me, that description alone would be enough to have me checking out a record, but I guess I should write a little more.
"This is a considerably darker album than Nothing Noteworthy. While that record was made up of largely fun songs with odd flashes of cynicism, Kelsey is almost the opposite. A darker, more paranoid sound is at the forefront here, with witty flourishes occasionally breaking through to the front. The gleefully shambolic 'ExBoyfriends' throws us straight in at the deep end, giving us a rambling, witty and yet still grounded tale. Second song 'Chatterbox' opens with what should be quite depressing content: 'I've been told that I've only got a year or so / So I'm writing down these stupid lines / As murky fluids fill my eyes'. The song is played with such an appropriate sense of urgency though that it never feels miserable at all."
"Conversely, songs like '50cent' evoke the first record with a fun, upbeat sound that sounds like the 2006 edition of previous best song 'Burn Tampa'. Other songs like 'Ohio2′ serve much the same purpose, and provide a welcome respite from the downbeat content on the rest of the album. Witty asides are what make these songs, like on 'Gnome' where lead Steven Perry sings 'Make with the shitty chitchat so we can get out of here'. It's a simple line, but one I can imagine everyone can relate to.
"The instrumentation on this album is far more developed too. While the first album relied on catchy, yet relatively simplistic structures, Kelsey isn't afraid to experiment, at times flirting with the shambolic to the twangy upbeat banjo ('Genuflect') and just throwing in a bit of everything ('Myth of Dirt'). The result of this is a lack of cohesion to much of the record, but an ultimately rewarding one as it's hard to judge exactly what's going to be played to us next."
• Eddie Jennings, Another Form of Relief, 12 July 2006
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"Past the familiarity of other experimental pop, punk and folk sounds, you’ll find hysterical and original songwriting. Songs like 'ExBoyfriends of the World (Unite and Take Over)' and '50cent,' which includes the nauseatingly sweet, but far from mainstream acceptable, line 'I wipe the vomit off your mouth if you wipe it off of mine.'
"Similarly twisted topics of death and heartbreak and mothers giving birth on kitchen floors are covered in silly bits of frivolous fun. Cult of Sue Todd is like the funny guy in any war movie: pissed-off, bitter and destined to be killed in a hail of gunfire, but still cracking jokes."
• RL, "Soundbites" The Daily Texan, Weekend Ed., 9 July 2006
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"On the hottest goddamn'd day of the year, you retreat to your car and find that all of your cds have melted. What a fucking disaster... but wait - what's this?? Your cherished copy of The Meat Puppets II has scientifically joined plastic forces with an original version of Violent Femmes. Oh, Me — Holy Blister in the shining Sun — it... they... still play!?! Sure it's a little on the wobbly side - but what you can make out sounds great!
"Was it all a dream?
"What you do in fact hear before you is Kelsey Grammer Loves Us - a damn divine & quite rocking collection of 'horseshit chronicles' from SF, CA sound team Cult of Sue Todd. If ever there was a need to clock out with your motherly cock out — the event should be backed with this bands very own 'Fake Off': 'Our officemates are frightening. They can go fuck themselves.' How fitting that trumpet is at just this moment. Epic. Steve Perry's new band – and it rocks."
• kaleb, Somewhat Confusing to a Stranger, 2 July 2006
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"...[B]ustling and lean gray minimalism, very post-punk in gesture (note the Joy Division or Tones on Tail bass and flat booming drums on 'Gnome')... There are enough songs to make you nod in keen and inspired approval."
• "Sweet Summer Sass", Left of the Dial Magazine, 30 June 2006
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"This six song country-rock blast comes courtesy of Cult of Sue Todd, a quirky group of folks from San Fran. It starts off the spastic but mediocre pop ditty 'X-mas' before picking things up for rockabilly 'Emile.' The off-kilter 'Burn Tampa' and 'Better Things' are probably the highlights of the record, as they combine a folky country sound with a sense of inebriated absurdity. The finale, 'Foul Fetor,' is also satisfying - it combines dark, somewhat Anomoanon-esque instrumentation with more cowboy-themed vocals. Overall, this EP is a solid contribution by Cult of Sue Todd to the annals of modern country-rock; it may suffer from obscurity (there are simply so many EPs out there), but it's definitely worth a look. 80%."
• Matt Shimmer, Indieville
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"Though they're undoubtedly hipsterish enough to be horrified by the comparison, Cult of Sue Todd are, in some ways, the Bay Area's lo-fi indie version of the early Barenaked Ladies. There's a similar aesthetic here, with lyrics that mask their relative seriousness with a layer of goofy frivolity, set to an enthusiastically punky take on folk-rock. Banjo is one of the main lead instruments, and pennywhistle appears on several tracks, like the jaunty Kinks-meet-the Pogues 'Better Things' and the nervous, jangly rush of 'Foul Fetor,' but at heart, Cult of Sue Todd are a rock band; lead singer Steven Perry has the same kind of casual, untrained voice as Neutral Milk Hotel's Jeff Mangum, but with a somewhat less whiny quality, and his primary co-conspirator, David Nagle, often employs a swampy, tremolo-heavy guitar sound that keeps the songs from sounding as twee as they might otherwise. A particular highlight is '(Worst/First) Time,' which recalls Green on Red and Wall of Voodoo in its mix of Ennio Morricone-style spaghetti Western themes and jittery post-punk clangor. At only seven songs, the album is disappointingly brief, but it's solidly entertaining throughout."
• Stewart Mason, All Music Guide
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"Okay, this opens with organ tones that make me think of the old radio soap operas, but quickly turns into rock 'n' roll, not that there's no soap opera in the world of rock. Except one of the instruments these guys use is theremin, which always puts me in mind of a drug that induces horror. But there's nothing horrific about cult of sue todd's music. Terrific is more like it, when it comes to rock 'n' roll banjo. Maybe we should call it rock 'n' folk. Maybe we should jump up and dance. I'll vote for that."
• Nightflying Entertainment Guide
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"When you're this entertaining, it really doesn't matter just how much sense your songs make."
• Eddie Jennings, Another Form of Relief, 6 March 2006
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"This Tampa Bay area act weaves a wild tapestry of folk and cowpunk with a welcome touch of strangeness. The Jello Biafra meets Meatloaf (Jelloloaf?) vocals are combined with frenetic rhythms and quirky guitarwork. '(Worst/First) Time' is a warped take on a cowboy western while 'Burn Tampa' is like a surfpunk soundtrack for an Ed Wood movie with scathing lyrics. This band has a real 'f**k it - here we are' attitude, which is refreshing in a twisted sort of way."
• Mark E. Waterbury, Music Morsels
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"The most baffling thing about country and bluegrass is that, for all the tales of moonshine haulin' and whiskey drinkin', you don't hear a lot of songs where the performers sound like they were stone drunk when they recorded them.
"Thank you, Cult of Sue Todd, for rectifying this oversight.
"In 15 minutes, the San Francisco country-punk quintet rattles off six songs that include Southern-fried banjo ditties, foot-stomping sing-a-longs, and filthy lo-fi noise. If that sounds completely ridiculous, well, it is — and that's half the fun. These guys — and gal — have a wry sense of humor that keeps you cracking through the husk of these jagged tunes to the sugary, pop-heavy center.
"Blending these disparate building blocks is their greatest strength, as the strong melody of 'Burn Tampa' proves: With a banjo and a bit of riffage, they've got a 1960s pop song on their hands. But the kicker has to be 'Foul Fetor,' an absolute barn-burner with shuffling drums, a killer guitar riff, and a few vocals haphazardly shouted from the background for good measure.
"Nothing Noteworthy Happened Today's captivating, happy-go-lucky charm holds the record together and keeps it from devolving into a baseless mish-mash of genres. It also makes you want to get drunk and punch your friends — which is probably the highest complement the Cult of Sue Todd could ever ask for."
• Mike Krolak, TheOwlMag.com
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"Organic punk? Folk-punk. Maybe punk-folk. Cult of Sue Todd might be kind of hard to pigeonhole, but their debut EP, Nothing Noteworthy Happened Today, has some pretty fun songwriting.
"The instrumentation in this band is what some call organic: banjo, mandolin, penny whistle, etc. There is a regular rhythm section too and even a therimin and horns for good measure. The style of the songs ranges from being sort of punk in form and melody to being a little more folk-oriented in places. The mixture is good and works well when they transition. The songs are kind of dark yet still fun. The fast songs are upbeat, and the rest have enough going on to entertain and keep your interest."
• Valentine, Agouti Music
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"'Foul Fetor' is a dark tale set to the shadowy sounds of a twangy banjo and a haunting flute that dance above the thumping rhythm of the drums and bass. The instruments all come together to give the song a pretty creepy 'things that go bump in the night' kind of urban-legendy feel. The songwriting is fantastic musically and lyrically, from the opening banjo line to the song's final and very climactic breakdown. If you're looking for a tune that has a folk-song atmosphere thick with doom and gloom in a completely enjoyable way, 'Foul Fetor' is your new favorite little weirdo.
"Stupendous songwriting, legendary storytelling, and a banjo. What more do you need from a brand-new, folklore-obsessed rock group?"
• Owen McLean, Delusions of Adequacy
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"Cult of Sue Todd displays a seamless admiration for the folklorish mystique of Americana and a well-informed grasp on modern college rock. It's bouncy, but simultaneously sounds deceptively melancholy. They come off with a kitschy (in a charming way), studied homebrew of drama and wit that sounds more subdued than read. In other words, as soon as something weighty is brought into play the listener is usually offered up an escape, be it twangy bango or loungy organ, to take up in glee. That there are artists that borrow elements of Americana and essentially dilute its potency to offer inroads back to folk is truly a gift. Now we can enjoy both the invitation and the party."
• Mathew, The Faint Largesse
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"San Francisco ist wohl der Ort, der für das Schaffen von seltsamer Musik sehr inspirierend wirken muss. Ob schräge elektronische Klänge oder auch ziemlich wirre Gitarren-Sachen, und oft mit dem eigenwilligen Humor, der von Menschen mit dem Faible für Ironie und Abgedrehtem wie eine Bereicherung wirken muss. Der Cult Of Sue Todd ist auch so ein Phänomen, eine Band die aus 4-6 Leuten besteht. So ganz genau lässt sich das nicht sagen - zumindest mag ich da nicht danebengreifen - auf der Website finden sich nämlich zwar sechs Namen, von Sänger Steven, dem 'öfters-mal-badenden' Wayne, Schlagzeuger Matt (der sich seine Drums u.a. selbst zusammenbastelt), dem 'viel-lächelnden' David, das 'vielleicht-Bandmitglied' Kat und Sue Todd. Abgesehen von der Tatsache, dass sie die einzige ist, die in der Bandmitgliederübersicht auch einen Nachnamen zugewiesen bekam, ist das mit ihr eben auch so eine Sache She wrote the songs. Dead now. We're all very sad about it . Das klingt doch erstmal sehr, sehr mysteriös.
"Genauso mysteriös ist dann wie Geschichte, die sich am 12. Juni dieses Jahres zugetragen haben soll. Sänger Steven soll mit 20 Kopien ihrer neuen CD unterwegs gewesen sein, als er von einem finsteren Gesellen angefallen wurde, der mit einem Messer bewaffnet Steven's Körper malträtiert hat, um dann zum anderen auch noch die 20 CDs mitgehen zu lassen. Die Band bedauert jetzt vorallem, dass der Dieb sich noch nicht gemeldet hat, um mal durchzumelden, wie er denn nun die Lieder findet.
"Im August standen Cult Of Sue Todd mehrmals auf der Bühne in den verschiedensten Clubs in San Francisco (u.a. im 12 Galaxies, in dem aktuell auch Bands wie 50 Foot Wave auftreten) und nun genehmigt man sich eine Auszeit um bereits an der nächsten CD zu arbeiten. Die noch aktuelle EP (neue) heisst Nothing Noteworthy Happened Today ist auf 'Nacho Bake Records / The Orchard' erschienen und beinhaltet 6 Tracks, die aber dann insgesamt die l5-Minuten-Marke nur knapp übersteigen, und das auch nur deswegen, weil sich tatsächlich ein Song darauf befindet, der knapp viereinhalb Minuten lang ist. Die kürze der Songs passt auch gut zur Gesamthaltung, die sich dem alltäglichen Irrsinn stellt und einen individuellen selbstgemachten D.I.Y.-Irrsinn trotzig danebensetzt. Denn wer hätte auch anderes vermutet? Die Bandmitglieder sind alles andere als unpolitisch. Nur muss eben politisches Engagement nicht zwangsläufig mit bierernsten Fahnenbekundungen zu tun haben, sondern man kann eben einfach nur selbst etwas auf die Beine stellen, wie z.B. seltsame Töne von sich geben.
"Steven und David kennen sich noch aus anderen Bands und vorallem aus ihrer Arbeit bei 'Amoebamusic', einem Indie-Schallplatten-Store, der Anfang der 90er gegründet wurde, um unabhängigen Musikern die Chance zu geben, ihre Vinyls, Tapes und CDs an den Mann bzw. die Frau zu bringen (um quasi gegenüber den Majors eine Alternative anzubieten). Und Querköpfe die sich für so etwas begeistern, die machen auch keine glattgebügelte Popindustrie-Wegwerfmusik, sondern ihr ganz eigenes Ding. Und wer sagt denn, dass Punk immer nur aus Gitarre, Schlagzeug, Bass und Gesang bestehen darf? So finden sich im 'Cult Of Sue Todd'-Sound auch Banjos und Mandolinen. Auch das geht, und wenn man dem offen und neugierig entgegentritt, dann ist das gar nicht mehr sooo mysteriös... wobei: vielleicht gehört man dann ja auch zum Cult und merkt es gar nicht mehr? Uahaha..."
• Kim, Swoosh Mag
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"Burnt Pop:
"This was a hard one to classify. It opens with 'Xmas,' an up-tempo pop song complete with a creepy, soap opera organ intro before plunging into full-blown pop tune. At first I dismissed it as trivial, and the band as a They Might Be Giants rip-off. Then I looked at the lyrics. The chorus to this fun/dumb pop song were: 'If I never had to feel this way again/it would be all right/If I never had another memory/that would be all right by me'. Not particularly poppy lines. This kind of contrast in music and lyrics continues throughout. Banjos, mandolins, and a pennywhistle accompany most of the other tunes, and many don't have choruses, sparking a strong folk flavor. But the music is upbeat enough to play on the dark humor of the lyrics."
• Sean Rose, LEO Beat
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"cult of sue todd は音の作り方が自分は気に入りました。"
• http://b-b.seesaa.net/
(Somebody translate this for me, eh?)
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