The Pin Up Girls

"TT:EM" Scores Another One On whisperinandhollerin.co.uk

2004-09-19T23:13:00.000-07:00

9 out of 10 stars

By Danny Colt

I think I need to smack me roommate. He has this uncanny knack for hiding the best records from me. I reckon all of us have peculiar abilities, and his talent for concealing his top discoveries is admirable yet completely obnoxious.

And so it is I found this unknown disc under a pile of girlie mags. Quite appropriate since the group is called the Pin-Up Girls although there's nothing nasty on this CD unless, of course, you're offended by extraterrestrial probes. More on that later. The cover of the album itself, seductive girl of Asian origin, is an attention-getter, my guess is that she is modeled after one of the band's female singers, one Jeng Tan whose sweet-as-wine vocals on "Lullabye" makes me want to get married again even though I'm not divorced yet. Yeah, you're right - that's not your problem. Pardon the offtopic, then.

The Pin-Up Girls are all about guitar twang (not the country kind) and sorta shoegazer shimmer. The riffs sparkle and take on dreamy notes as on "Pictures." A Google search explained that the Ups are from the Philippines, and that explains why I can't place the accents, which is refreshing. Singing is charming throughout, and styles vary. "Caress" is a deathbed ballad, creepy and sexy at the same time. A string section is not what I normally hear on indie releases, and I thought the entire album was going to be similarly in the chamber-pop vein.

Two chicks and one lad, Mondo Castro, trade off on the vocals, sometimes harmonizing to hypnotic effect (the
aforementioned "Pictures"). Back to extraterrestrial probes then: "Spacegrrl Superb" is about being abducted and played with by aliens. Is there a term yet for this fetish? The Ups must be smoking some pretty toxic stuff to write twisted, sick lyrics like that yet it's all poppy and your parents can drink tea to it without getting too disturbed. The music is pleasant enough, moving fast like a rabbit hopping through the backwoods.

To think that me roommate hid this from me so he can enjoy it by himself without letting anybody borrow it. Ha! Of course, I'm paying the price now because "Taste Test: Expanded Menu" has me addicted. There's info about them at http://www.knowitallrecords.com and hopefully your roommate won't put the CD in seclusion.

http://www.whisperinandhollerin.co.uk/reviews/review.asp?id=1659

"TT:EM" on Reviewcentre

2004-09-19T23:11:00.000-07:00

Review by Dan Cassidy

Good Points:
Music is original, not conforming to contemporary mainstream tastes. Despite the indie tag, the songs are accessible to a wide audience.

Bad Points:
Production could be better on one or two numbers; however, the lo-fi treatment captures the songs well.

General Comments:
With any luck, the Pin-Up Girls' "Taste Test: Expanded Menu" on Know-It-All Records label (http://www.knowitallrecords.com) won't end up as the best album of 2004 that nobody heard. Too many of my favorite artists, like Belle and Sebastian and South, drown in the wide oceans of the American music industry. This is a relaxed effort, for the most part, colorfully strummed acoustic guitars and some crisp, starry-eyed psychedelia here and there. The best tracks are "Caress," "Pictures," and two versions of "Love X Ten," the latter so faithfully capturing '80s club nights that it feels like a prom-night hangover from 1985, which is a delightful thing. There's not a bum song in the bunch, and these Filipino kids know their hooks inside and out. Darn choruses will get stuck in your head.

Recommended:
Yes

Check out the link and add your comments:

http://www.reviewcentre.com/review134820.html

Taste Test: Expanded Menu Makes The UK Grade:

2004-09-12T22:49:00.000-07:00

http://www.whisperinandhollerin.co.uk/reviews/review.asp?id=1659

Rating:

I think I need to smack me roommate. He has this uncanny knack for hiding the best records from me. I reckon all of us have peculiar abilities, and his talent for concealing his top discoveries is admirable yet completely obnoxious.

And so it is I found this unknown disc under a pile of girlie mags. Quite appropriate since the group is called the Pin-Up Girls although there's nothing nasty on this CD unless, of course, you're offended by extraterrestrial probes. More on that later. The cover of the album itself, seductive girl of Asian origin, is an attention-getter, my guess is that she is modeled after one of the band's female singers, one Jeng Tan whose sweet-as-wine vocals on "Lullabye" makes me want to get married again even though I'm not divorced yet. Yeah, you're right - that's not your problem. Pardon the offtopic, then.

The Pin-Up Girls are all about guitar twang (not the country kind) and sorta shoegazer shimmer. The riffs sparkle and take on dreamy notes as on "Pictures." A Google search explained that the Ups are from the Philippines, and that explains why I can't place the accents, which is refreshing. Singing is charming throughout, and styles vary. "Caress" is a deathbed ballad, creepy and sexy at the same time. A string section is not what I normally hear on indie releases, and I thought the entire album was going to be similarly in the chamber-pop vein.

Two chicks and one lad, Mondo Castro, trade off on the vocals, sometimes harmonizing to hypnotic effect (the
aforementioned "Pictures"). Back to extraterrestrial probes then: "Spacegrrl Superb" is about being abducted and played with by aliens. Is there a term yet for this fetish? The Ups must be smoking some pretty toxic stuff to write twisted, sick lyrics like that yet it's all poppy and your parents can drink tea to it without getting too disturbed. The music is pleasant enough, moving fast like a rabbit hopping through the backwoods.

To think that me roommate hid this from me so he can enjoy it by himself without letting anybody borrow it. Ha! Of course, I'm paying the price now because "Taste Test: Expanded Menu" has me addicted. There's info about them at http://www.knowitallrecords.com and hopefully your roommate won't put the CD in seclusion.

-Denny Colt

"Taste Test : Expanded Menu" Now Available!!!

2004-08-21T14:23:00.000-07:00

Manila, Philippines' own the Pin-Up Girls have just released "TASTE TEST : EXPANDED MENU" on Know-It-AllRecords, an independent label based in Tacoma,Washington that is receiving substantial attention and praise from folks like "Rock of the '80s" radiopioneer Stephen Rabow, veteran Seattle critic AnthonyKay, music reviewer Jim Corrigan in the U.K., and"Pinoy Rock" radio host Jason Baquilod. The Pin-UpGirls have acquired massive airplay in New Jersey,Washington State, Missouri, and Maine.After the Pin-Up Girls' U.S. debut "Taste Test" soldout last year, Know-It-All Records decided to reissuethe album to fans who missed out on it. However,there's a twist - "Taste Test: Expanded Menu" now has11 tracks instead of five, including a number of newrecordings such as the gloomy "Pictures" (recalling the Church), "Spacegrrl Superb," and the OceanBlue-meets-R.E.M. New Wave vibe of "Jackson Pollock9."Order the Pin-Up Girls' "Taste Test: Expanded Menu"now via credit card:

http://www.cafepress.com/knowitallrec.12783255

Smashing U.K. Review

2004-08-04T23:00:00.000-07:00

http://www.whisperinandhollerin.co.uk/reviews/review.asp?id=1546

Jez Porat/Regenmag Loves The Pin-Ups

2004-07-28T21:00:00.000-07:00

http://www.regenmag.com/Article664.html

The World's Best Band

2004-07-26T20:46:00.000-07:00

'Nuff said.

The Pin-Up Girls Cometh

2004-07-23T10:01:00.000-07:00

Hello, Pin-Up Boys and Girls! Mondo here, self-proclaimed [and deluded] leader of this bunch! I'm very amped up with what Know-It-All Records A&R Michael Sutton is cooking up for the band. Already we've got several radio stations in the US playing our music [not sure if KAOS, KDHX, and the others broadcast over the net but check out http://www.flashbackalternatives.com/]. Hey, it's a big start for a small Pinoy indie band like us and with KIA--the possibilities are endless! So say a prayer and cross your fingers...It's time for things to happen...

"Kiss me where the sun don't shine. The past was yours but the future's mine. You're all out of time".The Stone RosesThe Stone Roses

Welcome to the Pin-Up Girls' Blog

2004-07-20T10:07:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the blog from the Pin-Up Girls on Know-It-All Records.