PON063

The Scratch - Teen Idol (radio edit) download only

TRACKLIST

TEEN IDOL(Radio Edit)

Buy from iTunes

REVIEW

"An amalgam of T.Rex, Velvet Underground and other good things including a big dollop of themselves, The Scratch do eccentric English rock ‘n’ roll with weird but catchy riffs over the top of it all. At times dark and other times funny, they don't do po-faced indie. Thank God! Check them out guys!"

Marco Pirroni
Wolfmen, Adam and the Ants

PON060

The Scratch - Whatever Happened to Friday Night
Album and Download

TRACKLIST
YOU WANT THE WORLD
INDEPENDENT UNREPENTANT
FREAKSHOW
AGAINST THE GRAIN
DESTROYED BY THE LOOK OF LOVE
GIRL’S WORLD
FLICKER
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO FRIDAY NIGHT
FREAKS OF THE DAYLIGHT
TEEN IDOL
TOO BUSY THINKING ABOUT ME

Buy from iTunes


REVIEW

Something wicked this way comes. I am fairly certain that had The Scratch been around at punk rock prime time, they would have given the likes of The Buzzcocks and The Who a jolly good run for their money. It has been some time since this more classic style of punk rock has graced the airwaves, and I think that really, it’s about time. Make way for The Scratch. ‘THIS ALBUM IS A SHINING BEACON OF PUNK ROCK FINESSE’

[Tiff Woosley TSM Radio]

PON052

The Scratch - You want the world/independent and unrepentant/Teen idol Download only single

TRACKLIST
YOU WANT THE WORLD
INDEPENDENT & UNREPENTANT
TEEN IDOL

Buy from iTunes

REVIEW

The Scratch – You Want the World (Ponyland)

There’s something refreshingly uninhibited about The Scratch. Their tracks are quite minimal but all in completely different ways. ‘You Want the World’ is old school and punky, a little like the Undertones (‘Teenage Kicks’ is even referenced in second track, ‘Independent Unrepentent’). Then they throw in a proggy track like ‘Teen Idol (for 300 million)’ – bafflingly obscure and brilliant leftfield.

www.tastyfanzine.org.uk/singles88jul09.htm

PON051

The Scratch - Destroyed by the look of love/Flicker/NYF (live bounus) Download only single

TRACKLIST:

DESTROYED BY THE LOOK OF LOVE
FLICKER
NYF (Live demo)

Buy from iTunes

REVIEW:

The Scratch should need no introductions in these pages, pardoning the French but they literally piss melodies so razor sharp, acutely addictive and drilled in threads of a vintage golden era new wave flavour that we here suspect them of having access to a time travelling device.

'Destroyed by the look of love' is frankly worth the entrance fee on its own. This babe is primed and charged with the kind of wickedly audacious exuberance not heard around these parts since Supergrass started re-branding old Buzzcocks ditties as they’re own. And talking of the Buzzcocks the Shelley / Diggle et al reference markers aren’t lost on us here because 'Destroyed by the look of love' has a definite 'love bites' edge to it albeit subtly smoked in the irrefutable shade adorned soft psyche hue of 60's fuzz shakers the Shadows of Knight while cut pristinely with one of the most drop dead chorus’ this side of a garage beat pop styled Sundazed re-issue.

'Flicker' should rightly see itself garnering something of a thumbs up and some admiring glances from the psychedelic community draped as it is in softly warping lysergic tonalities that we here are thinking reveals someone in the ranks spending their spare time genning up on the finest kookily kaleidoscopic moments to be had from the Elephant 6 Collective back catalogue and decided to observe those off kilter wonky west coast moulds through a vintage viewfinder and tender the emitting refractions with essences procured of a quintessentially English eccentricity that suggests Pete Shelley leading out a magic mushroom munching Syd loving collective made up of members of the Soft Boys, the Freed Unit and XTC in their Dukes guise. Trippy stuff.

Not to be outdone 'Not your friend' lands a considerable jaw dropped punch, an unrepentant slab of searing, sneering, snot nosed spite replete with nasal drawls and a warring armoury of wilfully frantic spiked and sparring insurgent three chord hip hugging accoutrements that we here are suspecting has been born of some impish soul cross matching the DNA’s of the Godfathers with those of the Dead Boys.

No prizes for guessing that you need this in your life sharpish. [LosingToday.com]

PON050

The Scratch - Against The Grain/Cool in an Uncool Way Download only single

TRACKLIST:

AGAINST THE GRAIN
COOL IN AN UNCOOL WAY

Buy from iTunes

REVIEW:
The return of one of our favourite turntable obsessions of recent years, the Scratch have on more than one occasion flattened us into states of jaw dropped fondness within these pages. Despatching a high end pedigree of pop grooved new wave the Scratch sound like renegades from another pop age time tunnelled into the present and brandishing an impeccable arsenal of hook laden nuggets and whistle-able sub three minute anthems whose prime directive it would seem - aside that is wearing your stylus blunt - is to drive you to the limits of distraction.

Both 'Against the grain' and its flip cut 'cool in an uncool way' bristle with the
trademark class of Scratch releases of yore, the former seductively swooning 'n' swaggering and proving to be a hitherto instantaneously shot of delirious radio friendly new wave buzz laced power pop over-turing that catches light with the same acutely knowing melodic symmetry of the much missed Motors from yesteryear albeit here found peaking over the shoulder of the Flamin' Groovies and comparing notes
whilst shoehorning into the mix some neatly drilled strut riffed ear candy and MOR harmonies.

In sharp contrast the hot rod boogie of 'Cool in an uncool way' yelps, coos, pouts and preens its way in to your psyche and burns the grooves in the process to sound not unlike a preened, primed 'n' stripped to the bone early career Reverend Horton
Heat who aside sounding like some 50's wet dream homage sublimely manages to not only veer into the same retro glazed avenues similarly occupied by Pirroni's much admired Wolfmen but craftily echoes of the ghost of Bators former charges the Dead Boys and the Lords of the New Church while happily showing off its Vanian like Damned / Phantom Chords implants.

In short devilishly cool stuff from the practitioners of perfect pop. [LosingToday.com]

PON043

The Scratch - Girl's World/Sweet Surprise 7" pink vinyl/CD single/Download

TRACKLIST:

GIRL'S WORLD
SWEET SURPRISE

Buy from iTunes

REVIEW:
The Scratch keep getting better and better with their most appealing song yet on Girl's World, released on the bands own label next Monday. It's almost jukebox bubblegum tongue in cheek with catchy chorus, coupled with the fast and furious punky Sweet Surprise to give you two sides of The Scratch [The Country Times]

PON042

The Scratch - Critical Mass '08/Dear Maniac CD single/Download

Two of their live favourites on one ace single! Critical Mass re-recorded specially for the single release.

TRACKLIST:

CRITICAL MASS '08
DEAR MANIAC

Buy from iTunes

REVIEW:

'Critical Mass' is the latest release from The Scratch, a four piece punk rock outfit from St Albans. Over recent years releases such as 'Night Bus or Milk Train' and 'Numbers' have brought the band well-deserved exposure and voiced their talent further afield than ever before through live radio performances and TV. 'Critical Mass' is their latest release through DIY label Ponyland Records.

The first thing that has to be said about 'Critical Mass', is that it takes today's music scene, gives it the middle finger and turns it back. This band has no intent of making music to fit in. Funky bass lines, and crunching guitar rhythms build throughout opening track 'Critical Mass' and is excellently laced with pop sensibilities. Energizing rhythms and that twist of punk create a raw feeling which is essential to the band's sound.

'Dear Maniac' is personally my favourite of the two tracks with its quirky guitar sound and catchy sing along chorus. The speed of the track builds up throughout creating a frenzied feel in the final moments.

The single is available through iTunes and on CD through their website and I recommend you get it if you’re a fan of raw punk anthems. If that’s your cup of tea then I guarantee this band will leave you with a grin from ear to ear.[www.roomthirteen.com]