The The Dirty Royals

"By C.E. Hanifin
Enquirer contributor

“The Greg Dulli watch: Dulli did, indeed, squeeze into a packed Neon’s to hear the Staggering Statistics’ compelling brand of rock. He and Curley grabbed stools in the club’s courtyard afterward for British band Samurai Seven’s electrifying set.”

Showing a little skin: Samurai Seven’s pop hooks and sweet harmonies earned eager applause, but the quartet elicited their biggest roar of the night when frontman Simon Williams announced, “Our drummer’s got his shirt off,
ladies and gentlemen.” - New Musical Express

"You're unlikely to see many moshpits at Samurai Seven gigs, but as tales of relationships and misadventure rarely sound this much fun, to deny yourself a good dose of toe-tapping...well, you might as well have no toes at all. Two new songs - including the previously unheard I Feel Alive - are followed by another two from last year's Le Sport album, after which the band disappear, leaving us to mull over the events of the last 45 minutes. British indie the way it should be, without a doubt, and already making its way in Spain, Australia, Japan and possibly even back home - at last. An interesting year lies ahead for sure, but before all that, the quintessential quartet of the night head back on stage for an encore cover of the Beatles' Back In The USSR. And the crowd goes wild. Who saw that coming then? So, for what I paid I got a reminder of what was good, an assurance there was even more to come, and a cover of one of my favourite fab four songs in for good measure. Samurai Seven? Perfect Ten." - Lashout Live Review

The Dirty Royals - Footstomping, effervescent mid-Atlantic rockers?
Formed from the ashes of the Samurai Seven, The Dirty Royals returned from a sojourn in LA with their American manager Orin Ezralow in November and the West Coast influence is plain in their playfully effervescent close harmonics that soar into gleeful, footstomping tunes.??In an uncharacteristic unplugged set, TDR manage to confer an infectious energy, battering the audience with tunes that roar out like an atomic-powered Weezer with added bite, before returning to their English roots with “Climbing the Walls,” a sweet and and energetic rock piece with a grungy edge hidden behind catchy riffs and sugary harmonics.??The band joke that pop-led “I’m Told That I’m In Love” will be their first number one. This is Busted once their balls have dropped, a strutting tongue-in-cheek pop-rock tune attacked with verve and humour. It’s a credible hit, but the hand-clapper “There’s a Riot Going On,” has legs and a greater integrity.??It would be better still to see the fantastic “Love Me A Little Too Much,” the acoustic version of which lulls and seduces with Merseybeat harmonies before exploding into incendiary rock and roll. The showstopper, “Obsessed America,” has a Green Day kick with an English accent, a visceral yet razor-sharp tune that could see TDR attract something of a punk following.??Without drums or cables, The Dirty Royals are still massive. See them live, see them electric and snap up their EP when it comes out in February.
- www.smallfish-online.net

Music Reviews of Modern Rock, Lo-Fi, Folk, Alternative, Pop

The Dirty Royals — Obsessed America
Buy it from InSound Get this on iTunes

Brit-pop with sexy swagger, “Obsessed America” is an album written by a group of fellas who started this band in the ashes of indie pop-rock outfit The Samurai Seven who John Peel had called one of his favorite all-time bands. The Dirty Royals sway with melodic crooning, manic power chords, andpunked up drumming. Lyrically the EP is filled with personal notes and socially conscious banter; The Dirty Royals write melodic alternative Brit-pop with punk rock noodlings in its midst. Nice.
- J-Sin
- Smother.net

TUESDAY, JUNE 20, 2006
The Dirty Royals Rock Again!

The Dirty Royals graced the stage at BB King’s @ Universal City Walk and what a great show. The lead vocal and guitar player, Simon Williams, and his brother, rhythm guitar player and vocal guy, Matt Williams, do more jumping while playing guitars than any band I’ve seen in an LA club. They even flopped on their backs on stage to end the show.

The band plays large arenas in the UK, where they are from, and are used to stretching out a bit. I had only seen them on smaller stages before so it was a real treat to see them in action they way they like to play – all out. Jimmy Martin adds great harmonies while he keeps the groove going on bass with their LA drummer Keith Tenenbaum.

Their manager, Orrin Ezralow, told me that Keith started playing with the band last year when they were in the US and it turned out to be a good thing. He’s considered to be one of the best drummers in LA and is now a full band member of the Dirty Royals. If you haven’t heard them yet, do yourself a favor and go to www.thedirtyroyals.com.
- Lauracohen.com

...'A Clockwork Orange',was and remains THE FILM THE STATEMENT
THAT BROUGHT THE GOOD OLE HOLLYWOOD WAY OF THINKING CRASHING DOWN.
THAT WAS THEN.THIS IS NOW.
2006.
A MODERN ERA PRESENT DAY QUARTET IS SOON TO BE INVADING YOUR TOWN.
OXFORD UNITED KINGDOM,TEAMS UP WITH LOS ANGELES CALIFORNIA.
RESULT?
THE DIRTY ROYALS ARE HERE TO TAKE ALL OF THE SPOILS AND WIN THE
RIGHTEOUS BATTLE TO UNSEAT FROM THEIR THRONE THE FALSE,POP-PUNK'ACTS'
WHY?
THIS IS NOT AN ACT. THIS IS THE REAL WORLD.
AND,IT IS AT YOUR DOORSTEP.
OPEN THE DOOR AND LET THIS MUSIC INTO YOUR LIFE AND THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO
YOU CARE ABOUT AND ARE CLOSE TO.
YOU DO NOT BUY INTO THIS MUSIC.
YOU BECOME AWARE OF THIS VOICE OF REASON
CALLING OUT THE CALL TO ALL WHO CAN HEAR.
NOW BE A PART OF THE REVOLUTION.
- mcapozzolijr.com As seen on , June 22, 2006

The Dirty Royals - Obsessed America

The Next British Invasion?
Guide Rating - ****

In Brief: Five songs, 17 minutes. It doesn't seem like it's enough to win a person over but Obsessed America, the debut EP from The Dirty Royals, does exactly that. Blending power pop and punk rock, the band whips up a miniature British Invasion that's fast, fun and highly addicitive. I
can't wait to hear what's next from these guys.

Full Review: The debut from The Dirty Royals, Obsessed America, is a five-song, 17-minute EP that does exactly what it needs to do; it shows up at your party, brings the rock, and goes home. Formed from the Seven Samurai, a band that had a solid following throughout the world, The Dirty Royals have reinvented
themselves slightly, but continue to play a highly addictive sound.
The disc opens with the title track, and comes out swinging with a nice riff and the attitude-laden line "You hate, hate who you are, obsessed America." From there, the EP continues to hit with with one great power-pop/punk riffed song after
another. "CIA" is a song about being spied on by a jealous lover, and it's a dose of powerful poppy brit-rock with a hopelessly fun foot-tap forcing chorus. It's followed up by the acoustic, twangy track "There's a Riot Going On", an attack on the hypocrisy of people who complain about social issues, but never seem to do anything about them. ("There's a riot going on on in your town, but you're not around to see what's going on at all.") Next up is the upbeat, crunchy rock tune "I Feel Alive", a testament on the band's career thus far, and how much fun
they're having rolling with it. ("This may not last until tomorrow, it may not even last that long, but while it does I feel alive.") The album closes with "Like a Sucker". It's another fun poppy track that, although it seems like it's a bit of a stab at a
relationship gone wrong, the rocking guitar line and harmonic background vocals prevent you from feeling too badly about
it.

Then - it's over. Except you need to play it again, because, in just five songs, this band will have totally managed to endear
you to their sound. It's not straight-up punk, but it's not entirely Brit rock, either. It's powerful poppy rock with great hooks,
dirty guitars, and a touch of old school pop punk sensibilities.

It will definitely leave you hungry for more. The Obsessed America EP is a tasty little snack, and I am looking forward to a full-size portion of the Dirty Royals recipe for the next British Invasion.
- From Ryan Cooper As seen on punkmusic.about.com, June 26, 2006

"Best showing by an out-of-town band: The English rockers of Samurai Seven charmed audiences with a playful acoustic set at Kaldi's on Friday. They got serious on Saturday, giving an engrossing performance buoyed by wave after wave of dulcet hooks." - Fan response

The Dirty Royals #1

Bull & Gate, London, April 4, July 20, October 20 & November 15 2005--
So last year it was, ooh, five times I ventured up to Kentish Town to see the honeyed harmonies of Simon, Matt and Jimmy on stage, along with their drumming buddies Alain and Keith. The Oxford band were jostling for the top spot with Green Day for a long time last year, and these humble Bull & Gate shows were on a fraction of the latter's budget, certainly no fireworks or giant bunnies here - what did they have then?..showcasing much indie wit and panache long before anyone outside of the Northeast had heard of the Kaiser Chiefs and Maximo Park.” - www.Lashout.co.uk

"New songs stood up very well on the night... My highlights:

Climbing The Walls - I was bloody climbing the walls at 7 this morning when I woke up with that still in my head.
Riot Going On - That's a song that could go so many ways...at one point I was thinking the Pogues covering Neil Young. Great little guitar riff. I love this one.
Don't Hesitate - There was a 3 line vocal whip at the end when your voice suddenly went falsetto and really suited your voice .
Guitar Playing - It's beyond my comprehension that you can play lead guitar like that on an acoustic. What was the one (mid-set) that opened with the spiky, distorted guitar lead..seemed to be working around the D? Brilliant.
You Love Me Too Much - Journo below was right - it is a great track. Some very smart lyrics as well.
Craig David comment - Genius

My God, rock n roll, when it's true, is just the best thing.
- JC Music Review