Keep your eye on this page (our tour dates). Lots more to come, in multiple countries. And speaking of multiple countries, here’s some quite engaging press pieces about the new album, from many far corners. We’ve gotten some nice radio play in Germany, the Netherlands…even the Ukraine/Kiev! Please don’t forget to actually go get the album, here on the Yellow Dog Records website. Check it:
FRANK GUTCH JR, NO DEPRESSION Holy Mackerel…I hear so many levels of what I consider amazing creativity…The Claudettes give me that same rush I get every time I hear Gruppo Sportivo…this album will end up on a very special list at the end of the year…I hear touches of Jerry Lee Lewis at his most manic…of cinema…of multiple genres wrapping around one another…These guys are the B-movies of the music world—maybe not understood now, but in the future, the kings and queens of the universe!
FRED MILLS, BLURT The quartet…musters more per-capita energy across these dozen tunes than most any garage combo you’d care to mention…epic in feel…cinematic…a kind of cross between Dr. John-styled N’awlins rock and Krautrock-laced psychedelic punk….a musical magician’s act, primarily based around hi-nrg blues-jazz compositions for piano, bass, drums, and vocals, and a helluva lot of fun.
BILL BENTLEY’S BANDSTAND, THE MORTON REPORT They’ve got firepower to spare, a bushel of original songs…that can be detonated at will, and in lead singer Berit Ulseth someone that sounds like they’ve been waiting their whole life to front this band. There is simply no way to lose…a place not often visited these days by rock & rollers….These are a dozen songs played for keeps…guaranteed to turn everything from a gymnasium for juveniles to a geriatrics ward into a hothouse of delirious delight. Wear it out.”
GARY GRAFF, BILLBOARD The Claudettes begin a whole new era with Dance Scandal at The Gymnasium! The 12-song set showcases a different lineup of the band…but that’s only made the Claudettes’ distinct and idiosyncratic blend—punk, blues, R&B, rockabilly, some jazz—more potent.
BILL KOPP, MUSOSCRIBE They look like a jazz trio and vocalist; they sound not at all like that…I can’t think of another group that combines barrelhouse piano and female chanteuse vocals with heavily-effected electric guitar and slamming drums…draws as much from hard and psychedelic rock as it does from N’awlins piano boogie…you must listen to the Claudettes…I liked these guys when they started out, and I think I love them now.
LOUDER THAN WAR (Manchester, UK) A magnificent melange of masterful musicianship and multifarious melodies…as infectious as it is eclectic…start with some Delta blues, add a bit of old-time jazz/swing, sprinkle on some rockabilly guitar here and there and add a smattering of punk attitude….The music is joyous, a celebratory fusion of the best of the different styles that make up the melting pot that is “Dance Scandal at the Gymnasium!”
THE SECOND DISC The Chicago group…introduces vocalist Berit Ulseth’s smoky stylings….blends crunchy riffs with rhythm and blues, sixties-style pop and soul, and plenty of attitude….The sound is raw and immediate….This Scandal boasts punk spirit, earworm melodies, and a neo-retro sound that’s loaded with appeal.
THE VINYL DISTRICT The Claudettes have been tagged as punk-blues, but on this CD immediately connect as something other/more than growled-out Willie Mabon covers slathered in amp gristle. If steeped in tradition, the Claudettes aren’t a replication (or, as said, a mere dirtying up) of it, instead exuding comfort with contemporary motions (Mark Neill produced) as new vocalist Berit Ulseth shines, especially on ‘Pull Closer to Me’ and ‘Death and Traffic.’ Iguana’s skills are fully showcased on the title track. A-
TROY MICHAEL, INNOCENT WORDS The first album for the Claudettes to feature their touring band…pays off handsomely….featuring raw and unencumbered musicianship…the 12-track album features the soul of the ’60s, psychobilly punk of the early ’80s and vaudevillian blues. Like an angel’s voice hovering over the music is one of the band’s multiple singers, Berit Ulseth. (She) has a booming voice, but is able to reel it into a soft sensual tone as she commands your attention….One of the most entertaining and unique albums of this year.
DETROIT METRO-TIMES Psychobilly might be an unfamiliar term to some, but when describing Chicago cabaret rockers the Claudettes, it’s pretty damn accurate….The sultry, retro moodiness captured on the band’s latest record sums up what makes the Claudettes’ twisted ragtime vibe stand out from your typical revivalists….The Claudettes are well versed in whimsy, and throwing listeners for a loop.
GRANT BRITT, NO DEPRESSION A spacey mix of themes, styles, and genres…offering up a mash-up of Fess and Tuts Washington carnival barrelhouse boogie. But The Claudetttes never do anything straight up, so Iguana and his cohorts stir in a Middle Eastern vibe as well courtesy of the ghostly ululations of vocalist Ulseth….Whatever else he brings into the equation, Iguana can’t stay away from Fess too long, paying him instrumental homage on the title cut. But Ulseth takes this one out of the New Orleans streets and into a Middle Eastern casbah with her haunting moans.
IMPOSE MAGAZINE Sets the stage for a prom full of suspense, mystery & strangeness….The old-timey meets the modern scandal showcase of ‘Naked on the Internet’…before shutting down the entire time-warping dance party with ‘Utterly Absurd.’ The new Claudettes record is one worthy of repeated listens to enjoy a variety of different facets from what is ultimately a complex piece of performance concept pop.
EMERGING INDIE BANDS (UK) Welcoming and warm dirty blues that grinds its way through the speakers filling the room with music that invites the listener to tarry in its company, like an invitation to share a drink in a ramshackle bar offered to a stranger in town—and long before the first song has run its course the audience feels The Claudettes are long-time travelling companions.
GIRL UNDERGROUND MUSIC With elements of blues, soul, punk, and flat out noise, the quartet have something truly unique that you have to hear to understand—even if it only succeeds to confuse you more.
THE ALTERNATE ROOT: “Psychobilly, ’60s rock ’n’ soul and vaudeville blues blare from the bandstand…frenetic piano…big-band-era harmony…amphetamine drive…whirling ’60s girl-group pop…cyclonic rhythms…jackhammer groove…as the Claudettes theatre-whisper the news for DANCE SCANDAL AT THE GYMNASIUM!”
THE GINGER QUIFF (UK) “There were moments in Twin Peaks (when) I sat and wondered what the hell I had just seen. I had similar experiences listening to the Claudettes—what on earth did I just hear?…A joy to behold….From first song to last, the whole album is masterful….If you aren’t shattered with a huge grin on your face after listening to this album, you haven’t been listening hard enough.”—
JP’S MUSIC BLOG You are instantly drawn in by the sweet, soulful vocals of Berit Ulseth. They incorporate a ’60s R&B vibe in the groove of ‘Give It Up For Good’ and the nostalgic jazzy vibe of ‘Naked On The Internet.’ The band shines beautifully on the sensual ballad “Pull Closer To Me.
KEYBOARD MAGAZINE: “Blues with the ferocity of punk….The piano takes center stage in the band’s music and songwriting, as it does on their new song ‘Don’t Stay with Me,’ our featured track this week.”
COLORADO SPRINGS INDEPENDENT Chicago’s eclectic blues weirdos the Claudettes rely on Berit Ulseth’s soaring vocals to infuse their music with punk and rockabilly elements. For this new album, the band relied on Black Keys engineer Mark Neill to combine a Phil Spector-style wall of sound with the cheesy ambience of your high school hallways. The results, while initially puzzling, yield a dozen pesky earworm tracks.
BLUES MAGAZINE (THE NETHERLANDS): Soul, rhythm & blues and heavily fuzzy, sometimes psychedelic, sound walls. Garagesoul!….The Claudettes have succeeded in mixing this catchy ’60s pop and soul sounds with their quirky bluespunk sound!
AXS Audiences looking for an album that will grab them by the ear and not let go will want to check out this record.
BEEHIVE CANDY The band have a delightfully unique musical sound…the musical hooks are everywhere. Not being certain of what each piece might bring adds to the excitement. This really is an album worth some time digging into.
THE AUTUMN ROSES Dizzying rhythms dance as elegant, vintage melodies cloak its dramas in cool. Then a quiet, warm romance glows with an enchanting warmth. ‘Don’t Stay with Me’ and ‘Pull Closer to Me’ are both polished, independently minded jewels.
SOUL AND JAZZ AND FUNK (UK) The intriguing new album from off-the-wall Chicago band the Claudettes….The foursome steadfastly refuses to categorize their music…though you might detect vaudeville, punk, blues and ’60s soul influences…interesting attempts to marry the classic girl-group sound of the Brill Building Era with Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound.
INDIE VOICE BLOG Chicago has long been on the cutting edge of the blues, and the Claudettes are one of the finest bands we have ever heard that originated in the Windy City. The smoky hot vocals of Berit Ulseth and the scorching piano of Johnny Iguana ignite to set their music on fire…its sound will remain with you long after….The Claudettes must be a dynamic live band, because that performance energy comes through on every track. Run, don’t walk to your nearest retailer and get this one today.