PKEW PKEW PKEW (gunshots)

Hometown: Toronto, ON
Latest Release: Red Ass 7" (N.C.J.T. Records)
Set Time: Sunday May 19 at 11:15-00:00, L'esco, 4467 Rue Saint-Denis

This is the party. Toronto's Pkew Pkew Pkew, as if living up to the challenge presented by their stupid name, play absolutely riotous sets of goofy shout-along punk rock. In a weekend where plenty of beer will be flowing, this may be its debaucherous heart. If you're looking for the unabashed silly fun of early Bouncing Souls coupled with a sliver of Bomb The Music Industry's mania and a heavy dose of brazen frat boy parody, you'll find it soaking up all the liquor at L'esco on Sunday night. (Adam White) - punksnews.org

My Five Favourite Fist-Pumping, Heart-Pounding Bro-Fest Moments at Shows

1) PKEW PKEW PKEW (gunshots) w/ Reversing Falls, Topanga, Wildlife
Friday May 11 @ The Horseshoe
Toronto’s PKEW PKEW PKEW (gunshots) sing dude songs about dude things, most of them with gang shout-alongs like “we’re guys, we don’t cry, we just get drunk,” and well their shows are pretty much a live version of this sentiment. Their sets comes complete with the guarantee of a beer shower provided by their friends going nuts up front. I had heard tales of their shows but this was the first time I experienced the craziness for myself. The bill also included Reversing Falls, Topanga and Wildlife, so the entire night was pretty much a bro-fest of epic proportions, but no set more so than that of PKEWx3. It was everything I could have hoped for and I’ve seen them a few times since – any time I need that unparalleled sense of fun infused into my life. Check them when you get a chance. A word of advice: You may want to keep your phone and/or camera safely hidden for the first few songs – but you’ll likely be too busy letting loose to have those out anyway. - Last Frame Pictures

#3 Best ep of 2012

PKEW PKEW PKEW (gunshots) "Glory Days"

My favourite part of S.C.E.N.E. Fest in St. Catharines two years running, this Toronto punk act hides the fact that their writing absolutely amazing hooks by painting themselves as some crazy party punk act. I'm on to them. "Glory Days" is one of the year's best songs. - Punknews.org

#3 Best ep of 2012

PKEW PKEW PKEW (gunshots) "Glory Days"

My favourite part of S.C.E.N.E. Fest in St. Catharines two years running, this Toronto punk act hides the fact that their writing absolutely amazing hooks by painting themselves as some crazy party punk act. I'm on to them. "Glory Days" is one of the year's best songs. - Punknews.org

Thanks to the amateurish cover and band name of PKEW PKEW PKEW (gunshots), I almost let an unlikely gem pass me by. Their debut EP, Royalty, is a curious piece to be sure, but one that thrives on every peculiar note and odd intension. The Toronto quintet is somewhat of a modern day Violent Fems, only with a heavy noise and garage rock influence.

An eclectic collection of interesting sounds, tempos, beats, and ideas, Royalty springs to life with an experimental vigour. The band starts off with the off-kilter acoustic opener “Friends Don’t Let Friends Move In With Girlfriends.” With every member contributing their own off key, out of tune vocals; the song plods along with a wholehearted sentiment that “friends don’t let friends move in with girlfriends,” and that “she’ll have to understand, that we love him too.” The Rockband (video game) referencing “Asshole Pandemic” follows suit, this time dialling up their amps for a heavy dose of fuzz at speaker blowing proportions, perfectly capturing the nature of the noise complaint-based song as the band chimes in “I can hear you two floors down/This is a building.”

The rest of the EP rounds out with the jangly, organ touting “Demille Bop,” a little romance advice in the forty-second “Oysters & Wine,” and the promise that the group “won’t sell out” in “Stop Calling Us, Chief.” The EP ends on a slightly less spastic note, but demonstrates that the band has some substance behind their wild antics, hinting towards a sustainable sound for future endeavours that should keep PKEW PKEW PKEW (gunshots) from being more than a simple one trick pony.

So despite sporting a cover resembling a female version of the captain from Spongebob Squarepants’ opening sequence, Royalty showcases some early talent and a whole whack of potential. So for the next thirteen minutes, do yourself a favour and rid yourself of conventional expectations, and take part in the altered state that is PKEW PKEW PKEW (gunshots). - www.thepunksite.com

20. Schooner- Duck Kee Sessions
19. Annuals- Sweet Sister
18. Dave Norris/Local Ivan- New Thoughts
17. Kyle Andrews- Kangaroo
16. Bravestation- Bravestation
15. Organos- The Limbs
14. Dearly Beloved- They Will Take Up Serpents
13. OFF!- The 1st EP
12. Little City- The Going and the Gone
11. Kate Rogers Band- Gadabout

10. Keane- Night Train
A surprisingly un-sappy set of songs from the band.

9. Pkew Pkew Pkew (gunshots)- Royalty
A fun rock n' roll party from the Toronto band.

8. Emm Gryner- Stray Bullets
Gryner's one of my all-time favorites. Even a duet with Def Leppard's Joe Elliott sounds good to me.

7. Still Flyin'- A Party In Motion
A party it definitely is.

6. End of the World 1969- Revenge
Another Toronto act that boasts powerful songs.

5. Joey Ryan- Kenter Canyon
Some of the catchiest tunes of the year.

4. Bella Clava- The Craic: An Ephemeral Record
Toronto blues-rockers pound it out with Steve Albini behind the console.

3. The Parlour Suite- Welcome To The Garden Party
Simply a gorgeous collection of songs.

2. The Box Tiger- The Box Tiger
Maple, ON represents well with some of the year's best power pop.

1. Domestic Crisis Group- Two Tired Hearts
Some of the year's most heart-wrenching and touching songs land this Montreal duo atop the list. - Snob's Music

PKEW PKEW PKEW (gunshots) is a rock band from Toronto with members Luxury Pete (guitar), Mike Tom Warne (keys), Brodie Bocelli (lead vocals), Wild Wild Westberg (bass), Rawdog Davey (drums). This year they released their debut EP Royalty. The overall sound of this EP is quite raw, particularly with their group chant-like vocals. This is not a hindrance, though, as it seems to add character and brings an almost live show element to the recording.

Opening up with country rock-like “Friends Don’t Let Friends Move In With Girlfriends,” the guys set the tone for the rest of the EP, but they really hit you with it on “Asshole Pandemic.” It is an anthem-like cheeky pop rock tune. It’s a little crude and immature with lyrics like, “Why’s this fucking dick gotta be such a cock?” but it’s actually part of the charm. In fact, PKEW PKEW PKEW (gunshots) makes it pretty impossible to not sing along. “Stop Calling Us, Chief” is an excellent way to end the EP, with lyrics that are catchy and it really just explodes with in-your-face rock.

Although I don’t think the guys are striving for musical brilliance, this is likely one of the most fun recordings I have ever heard. It’s 6 short songs (some shorter than others) jam-packed with sass, sing-a-longs, and is sometimes a little Weezer-esque. I could listen to this EP over and over and still be amused.

Listening to this EP, I can imagine these guys having a lot of fun on stage and making the crowd sing and dance along. Get yourself to a PKEW PKEW PKEW (gunshots) show and, for eff’s sake, buy these guys shots! (I had to take a slightly toned down cue from all the cursing on the album.) - Buying Shots For Bands

They may not be royalty, but Pkew Pkew Pkew are most certainly a kick ass band. The Toronto 5-piece released their second EP, ‘Royalty’ back in May of this year. Check out my personal favourites Asshole Pandemic and Stop Calling Us Chief, courtesy of the band. Pkew Pkew Pkew play The Gladstone Hotel on October 14th and The Silver Dollar on the 29th. For more info, check them out on Myspace. - The Indie Machine

The Fucked Up gig at the Reference Library ended in good time for me to make my way down to Rancho, climbing up the stairs and emerging into a comfortably-filled room pretty much just in time to catch Pkew Pkew Pkew finishing their set-up on stage. Previously unknown to me, I soon found out that there's no bait-and-switch here, as the band exhibits a level of sophistication pretty much on par with their band name — the blessing and curse of it all is right there on display. It's a little bit like the same gang of boys who had, a few years ago, been playing with toy guns in a tree fort with a "no girls allowed" sign out front had moved on to a garage band, the sign replaced with lyrical sentiments like "friends don't let friends move in with girlfriends".

Live, they sounded at times like a very drunk Weezer running through a B-52's cover, forgetting what they were playing and ending on some old chugalug country song. Kinda fun but they lost me some when they led off "Clever Girl" with a chorus of "Kokomo" — these lads are obviously too young to remember the widespread psychic damage that this song caused in the late 80's. Which is also about the last time some of the jokey sampled sound effects (cheering audience noises, etc.) might have seemed clever. Plus, sometimes the maturity level of the lyrics ("Why does the dick have to be such a cock?") dipped to somewhere below the schoolyard potty-mouth level.

On the flipside, though, that lyric comes from "Asshole Pandemic", which still manages to be insidiously catchy — and that counts in the band's favour.1 Plus, the lads handled themselves well on stage, with solid musicianship segueing effortlessly from one song to the next while they were obviously having a ball on stage. Employing that contemporary yelpy team vocals thing, with songs based on repeated chantable bits, makes it hard not to hit on something a little catchy now and then — but it can also get same-y in a hurry. Not everything stuck with me — or even hit me the right way, but they were certainly likable on a song like "Demille Bop" with its deadpan sing-speak.

Ending with their self-titled ode to friendships forged through drunkenness and inertia ("We ain't got nowhere to be tonight so we're just gonna sit and drink here/ We're all buddies and we all brought beers so we're just gonna sit and drink here") this band is willing to share a clubhouse with anyone who wants to raise a pint and revel in life's simple, pottymouthed joys. If that sounds beneath you, well, it's nowhere near impossible that maturity might catch up with these guys, smooth out the shout-y edges and shape them into slightly wiser (if no less boozier) songsmiths. So keep an eye on 'em. - Mechanical Forest Sound

Welcome to the world of band names onomatopoeias. Toronto's Pkew Pkew Pkew (gunshots), recently released their debut EP Royalty.

The musicianship may not be the most artful, but this is far and away one of the most fun releases I've heard all year. The band has a great sense of humour on their songs and an irrepressible urge to rock.

The EP kicks off with the killer "Friends Don't Let Friends Move In With Girlfriends", a Cracker-style country rocker. "Clever Girl" and "Demille Bop" are a pair of decent, but not exceptional numbers. "Stop Calling Us, Chief" builds quickly into a head-bopping frenzy.

The standout though is "Asshole Pandemic". Any time you can turn a chorus like 'why's this fucking dick gotta be such a cock' into a catchy singalong, you know you're doing something right.

For your next quick fix of fun, no excuses rock n' roll, you should definitely give Pkew Pkew Pkew (gunshots) a shot.

Pkew Pkew Pkew (gunshots) play Clinton's in Toronto on July 14th and the Silver Dollar on August 13th.

Best tracks: "Asshole Pandemic", "Stop Calling Us, Chief"
- Snob's Music