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Record Reviewers are Pretentious Assholes | CD Review
May 2008
Mon coup de cœur de cette année. Tellement emballé par leur garage pop tubesque que je leur ai même proposés de les aider sur leurs dates françaises. Pour résumer, un duo guitare/batterie, fille/garçon, voix mixtes et mélodies généreuses. Leurs sucreries se parent parfois de frusques noise brutales, d’accalmies folk ou dissonantes et d’accélérations punk furibardes. J’aime beaucoup leurs textes. Plume à l’aise aussi bien dans la critique acerbe de la politique de leur pays que dans la description de leur quotidien. Merde, apparemment c’est un joyeux bordel sur scène, j’ai donc hâte de les accueillir fin septembre dans cette bonne vieille ville de Metz. FAVE. >>>
Portland Mercury | Show Recommendation, 7" Review | May 2008
Hey Lover tastes like a big bowl of ultra-sweetened breakfast cereal, with enough sugar to keep you amped 'til afternoon and enough weird chemicals to turn your milk a different color. Husband-and-wife team Justin Varga and Terah Beth Baltzer Varga thrash appropriately on guitar and drums, respectively, with both supplying the singing and shrieking. Their new split release with Cafeteria Dance Fever opens with the stop-and-start "Full Costume Bible Drama," which sounds like Quasi on a really fun meth bender [Is there any other kind?—Ed.], and continues with "She's the Girl for Me," a punky garage-pop gem. Their 7-inch also has Hey Lover teaming up with Cafeteria Dance Fever for a couple brief freakouts that don't sound like anything more than both bands clowning around in front of the microphone, but in general, Hey Lover's hooks are focused enough to keep their unbridled, contagious energy from veering off the rails.>>>
End Hits - Music Blog | 7" Review | May 2008
A split 7 inch between Hey Lover and Cafeteria Dance Fever came out a couple months ago on Hovercraft. It’s called “On Safari With…” and it’s a six-song, 33 rpm 7 inch. Each band gets two songs a side, then teams up for a third tune at the close of each side. It’s pressed (as you can see) on clear green vinyl—and it’s a gleeful, thrashing stinkload of fun. >>>
Willamette Week | Top 10 Best New Bands 2007 Cover Story
April 2007
"...Hey Lover features dueling vocals [and], hook after hook, complete audience captivity. They're high, high, high energy...probably the best overall pop band in town right now >>>
itstoolong |Album Review | April 2007 (German)
Hey Lover singen über Dinge, die mir beim Blick nach draussen befremdlich vorkommen müssen. Portland, Oregon scheint jedenfalls ein Ort zu sein, der davon reichlich haben muss. Den ontologischen Beweis liefern sie prompt hiermit. Draufgeklickt! >>>
Mainstream Isn't so Bad... Is it | Album Review | May 2007
"...From Terah Beth's opening scream in She's In the City (don't forget the ear plugs) right through the end of the album, the band runs on high octane. You can feel the urgency and energy throughout the album, jam packed with punk-pop songs that hit you quick (most of the 16 tracks are around 2 minutes or less) with catchy hooks that make you want to play air guitar. Simply put, the album is A LOT of fun...the perfect opener for summer. >>>
The Oregonian | PDX Pop Festival Review |August 2007
Hey Lover's garage rock wasn't complex, but after the skeletal compositions of The Blow and Braille, their hoot and holler came off like a symphony. Cracking the calm with a scream, they alternated passages of pummeling three-chord guitar and creepy whispers. Sounding at times like Grandpa Simpson, Justin Beth's vocals recalled 1950s novelty songs except when joined in ragged harmony by his wife, Tera, recalling the trashy attraction of Boss Hog or early Royal Trux. >>>
Portland Mercury | Show Recommendation + Album Review | March 2007
"...In a town (and national music scene) full of bands that want you to feel their pain, or acknowledge how clever they are, Hey Lover just fuckin' brings it. This male/female duo's new self-titled CD teems with fun even when they are singing about our nation's oil war >>>
3VOOR12 Eindhoven | Live Review, Plan-2 Eindhoven, NL| Nov 2007
(Dutch) Dan is er ook nog wat import dat zijn zegje mag doen. Het zijn muzikale vriendjes van the Sugarettes, ze komen uit Portland, Oregon, VS, en heten 'Hey Lover'. Justin Beth op gitaar, Terah Beth op drums. Een heen en weer hinkende, zich op zijn gitaar suf raggende donkere krullebol, en een schuddende vlek blonde manen boven twee tengere meisjesarmen die een drumstel van Jetje geven. Spannende rock, ruwe energieke garagepunk. Door het geweld heen hoor je eigenlijk lieve liedjes, soms geeft de gitaar er zich even aan over. Maar geluidserupties liggen op de loer. Strak, hard, vies. De samengebalde energie, de eenheid, en anderzijds de dialoog tussen de twee zijn overtuigend. De vonk vliegt over, het publiek is blij verrast.>>>
Performer Magazine | Live Review | June 2007
"...Portland-based Hey Lover was the first pair to grace the stage .... tearing through songs with manic energy, barely contained by the physical constraints of a microphone and drum set. Varga tore up his finger at one point, streaking his face with blood >>>
Portland Mercury | Show Recommendation | Jan 2007
If Mates of State were more like the White Stripes and if the White Stripes were more like the Ramones (and ABBA!) and harmonized like enthused angels, you'd have something approximating Hey Lover's pop garage wonderfulness. This lovely bit of local lovin' will make you glad you didn't die before they started making music. Yet another reason to be alive!
Willamette Week | Album Review |March 2007
"...The most fun drummer in Portland is Hey Lover's Terah Beth Baltzer ... undeniably contagious ...Any chance you had of standing sternly with your arms crossed is gone. You belong to Hey Lover. And you're having fun >>>
The Oregonian | PDX Pop Festival Review |August 2007
Hey Lover's garage rock wasn't complex, but after the skeletal compositions of The Blow and Braille, their hoot and holler came off like a symphony. Cracking the calm with a scream, they alternated passages of pummeling three-chord guitar and creepy whispers. Sounding at times like Grandpa Simpson, Justin Beth's vocals recalled 1950s novelty songs except when joined in ragged harmony by his wife, Tera, recalling the trashy attraction of Boss Hog or early Royal Trux. >>>
Local Cut @ WWeek | PDX Pop Review | August 2007
Hey Lover is furious. The two were fantastic to watch. Before the band’s set, Justin Varga said “Sorry we’re late, we were out drinking in the van,” which elicited hesitant applause. Then Terah Beth proceeded to scream and kick the shit out of her drums. One of the highlights of the day for me, for sure.>>>
3VOOR12 Arnhem-Nijmegen | Live Review, K-13 Arnhem, NL | Nov 2007
(Dutch) Al tijdens de soundcheck doet het uit Portland, Oregon afkomstige Hey Lover sterk denken aan een ruiger, rommeliger, versie van The Moldy Peaches of The Fiery Furnaces met lekker veel distortion. Tijdens het daadwerkelijke optreden blijkt dat daar nog een flinke dosis punk aan wordt toegevoegd. Hey Lover is een duo van een gitarist/zanger/drummer met zwarte krullen en een kleine blonde drummer/toetseniste/zangeres met een hoogwaterbroek die aanstekelijke post-punk-noise-pop maken waarbij niemand stil zou moeten kunnen blijven staan. Dit publiek bewijst het tegendeel: het twintigtal dertigplussers in de zaal is maar met moeite in beweging te krijgen. valt gezien hun geschiedenis: een kleine band met een internationaal karakter. >>>
Maximum Rock 'n' roll
Hey Lover would have been perfectly suited for Sympathy for the Record Industry. You know the sound - poppy, slightly garage-y stuff with female vocals. The stuff that a Lisa Marr from Buck and Cub might do or maybe even a more indie rock Muffs.
Portland Mercury | Show Recommendation | Aug 2006
...the 'Craft books pop-rockers Hey Lover, a two-piece band which merges the best of old school punk and co-ed singer bands like X and the Sharp Ease.>>> |
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