Sixteen Scandals

I mean, they weren't horrible... - Music she blogged

After months of going to almost all their shows and being dubbed “#1 Fan!” I thought it was about time to share with you my best kept secret: ZPITTZ. Now I’m not trying to keep this two-piece alternative rock band a secret because it’s a guilty pleasure, no… It’s more of an “I wanted to be serenaded” type of deal. But since I’ve finally come to accept that this is selfish of me, I thought I would turn over a new leaf and let the cat out of the bag. ZPITTZ consists of two talented dudes: First up is Zazoo Pittz on guitar and vocals, and second up playing drums is his main squeeze Lumberbot. Now I know you’re probably thinking “what about the bass player?” Well here’s the thing: there isn’t one and although there isn’t, the music still offers many full layers in sound. Making you instinctively tap your toes and bop your head to the catchy rhythm and clever lyrics of their tunes. Hell, some of you may even find yourselves busting out air-guitar and that’s okay, I know ZPITTZ won’t judge. Their high-energy performance is so infectious you would be considered a Mummy if you didn’t feel the unrelenting need to somehow move your body. Their personalities and constant banter on stage will have you laughing your ass off, and left wondering what could possibly be next. So why not grab some friends and check out ZPITTZ for yourselves. It’s a fact, these boys are well-endowed with musical talent and it’s about time you heard it!

www.zpittz.com
http://www.facebook.com/zpittzmusic

- Em Tumbls

By the time Zpittz, a two-piece made up of Zazoo (vocals, guitar) and Mat aka Lumberbot (drums), was on stage to close out the night, most of the crowd had cleared out and Rancho Relaxo was practically empty by the end of the set. This led to quite an awkward apology to booker/TWM promoter Dan Wolovick, saying, “Sorry that not one of our friends showed up tonight.” It’s a shame, though, as Zpittz is loud, cheeky and oh so catchy. They still put on a fun and energetic set, thankful for those who stuck around. Perhaps they’ll have better luck next time with a better turnout, or at least know better than to draw attention to the giant pink elephant in the room - Buying Shots for Bands

"ZPITTZ, a two-piece ensemble giving shout-outs from Toronto, Ontario, are a musical hurricane that will blow your hair back so hard, you’ll need to hold onto your scalp. The hilarious on-stage antics of these raucous rockers make you feel as though you’re watching funnier and better-looking versions of your best friends. Except, unlike your real life friends, they have heavy musical talent so hot it will make your eardrums sweat. Speaking of eardrums, guard ‘em. Lumberbot beats the skins for ZPITTZ, and rest assured, he will lay down an assault on all types of drums, including the ones in your head. Zazoo goes “No hands, Mom!” on the microphone because he needs both of them to show his guitar who’s boss. Prepare to be mesmerized by his cataclysmic multi-tasking. Undoubtedly, if the members of ZPITTZ decide to abandon careers in music, they would have to become geologists. There aren’t really many other job options for a duo that rocks this hard." - Jenna Hlady - Jenna Hlady

We need a review here..... - Some drunk Guy

After losing two original members, it wouldn’t come as much of a surprise if a band called it quits. But in the case of Sixteen Scandals, it has simply served as the catalyst in the creation of their latest album, ‘Create // Destroy.’ Having a shifting line up since the release of their Ctrl, Alt, Detroit EP, the Toronto punks haven’t lost even a scrap of the raw energy that flows through their sound.


Opening the album with some throaty vocals and crunching guitars, ‘Pain’ serves up a taster as to what Sixteen Scandals are really all about. The band have often declared their simple desire to write these songs and blast them out in every sweaty little venue they possibly can. It becomes increasingly apparent how this particular ethos is the lifeblood of their sound, with ‘The Biking Viking’ offering up endless opportunities to shout out along with every word of the lyrics. Regularly switching between clean and your typical punk shout, there’s a chaotic ride that’ll surely demand multiple visits. As if to exemplify the point, Sixteen Scandals explore the addictive nature of what they do, with ‘Asshat (I Fucking Love It)’ bellowing out lyrics like “The crowd goes wild / My heart’s on fire / I’ll do this ’til I die”.

For a band who state their primary intention is to rampage and destroy while having a bloody good time in the process, Sixteen Scandals demonstrate their ability to change things up around the midpoint of the album. Brimming with a soaring chorus and catchy guitar hooks, ‘Eruption of Unproduction’ deviates enough from the opening style of ‘Create // Destroy’ to keep all of the attention firmly fixed on this rip-roaring release. Keeping up with the deviation from a typical punk rock formula, ‘Broko Ono’ throws out gang vocals and a catchy pop punk verse or two. Even with the track clocking in under the 3-minute mark, there’s still a mid-track breakdown which is certainly a lot more melodic than anticipated. Continuing with the experimentation of sound, ‘Time Vampire’ is both sombre and angst fuelled from one moment to the next. Quite cleverly, the lyrical content of your life wasting away with the daily grind is captured perfectly within the songwriting. From the sombre moments displaying the marginalisation of daily life, and then suddenly the explosion of sound captures the frustration and angst that boils up inside as a result.

It’s fair to say that even though Sixteen Scandals perpetuate the idea that it’s all about the energy and joy of being in a band, there’s clearly more at work here. With a deliberate attempt to make it seem like they aren’t even trying, it is easy to miss how the band craft different styles and sounds into every track of ‘Create // Destroy.’ Unlike other bands who claim the same thing, the passion that drive Sixteen Scandals seems to be wholly genuine and that is what really makes this album something of a rarity. With their feet firmly on the ground, the band have delivered an expertly crafted and balanced release in the form of ‘Create // Destroy.’ - Dale Plat

If you’re not familiar with Sixteen Scandals (and I’ll be honest, I wasn’t until about a half-hour ago), allow us to introduce you. The band are a three-piece punk outfit who hail from the mean streets of Toronto, Ontario. The band draw inspiration from “(t)he kind of destruction some good friends with a camera, some gasoline and a book of matches get up to,” and that’s just fine by us.

Sixteen Scandals are self-releasing an album called “Create & Destroy” next month (December 4th, to be exact), and are streaming that album’s lead single, “Don’t Call Me Shirley,” for your listening pleasure. Check it out below and let us know what you think! - DyingScene

Sixteen Scandals are one of those fun alt-punk bands that help to make the genre so gosh darn worthwhile. Stripped down and unafraid to acknowledge pop roots as well as more traditional punk ideas their new single Don't Call Me Shirley is a surprisingly summery and fun track that all you rock and rollers can dance along too. Epic in scale and simply danceable these guys have been able to put together punk rock that speaks to 2015. Sixteen Scandals gets what makes this type of music so special and it gives you something that lets you feel alive. In a world of sorrow we need more music like this - music that's out there to help you and not to harm you, it gives you a chance to cleanse yourself in loud guitars and half-shouted vocals. In a world where punk rock too often takes itself too seriously Sixteen Scandals is able to be intelligent, funny, but also poignant - speaking to the human condition and giving us a chance to find freedom. - TwoGuysMetalReview

Who are the members of the band? Who does what?
Zazoo Pittz – Singer, guitarist, skater, dances like a three-year-old at a wedding
Isaac Correia – Bassist, backing vocals, professional high-fiver, Jack Daniels enthusiast, chocolate baron
Dave Skrtich – Drummer, backing vocals, math wizard, actual wizard, “Dad Joke” connoisseur

Where are all the band members from? Are you all from the same city or different cities?
Zazoo is originally from the tip of his dad’s penis by way of his mom’s vagina and now lives in Toronto. Dave and Isaac originated in much the same way. Isaac grew up in the Windsor and Dave in Hamilton…They all now live in Toronto. Dave has a vacation home in Gondor.

How did you come up with the name for your band? Why did you choose that name?
Here’s a list of band names we almost chose: Worst Case Ontario, Screw-tensils, Gnartifact, Cheeseburger Picnic, Rage Against the Linguini, Helbow Drop, Nimphomercial, Beef Supreme, Dildozer, Jesus Fetus, Bad Dates, Blister Kiss, Sprinkle Genie, Always Bet on Black, Treble Cleft Palate, Bourbon Dictionary, The Dave Matthews Band-182, and Loaded Piss Punch…….Why on earth did we choose Sixteen Scandals? We don’t know…

What is your favorite song to perform live?
Zazoo – Broko Ono
Isaac – Broko Ono
Dave – Don’t Call Me Shirley (fillz for dayz)

Do you ever play any covers? Which ones?
We in Sixteen Scandals are really into “Canadiana” especially the 70s…like “Going Down the Road” or “The Littlest Hobo”. We actually do a pepped up version of the theme song from the Littlest Hobo. If you haven’t heard of the Littlest Hobo, it’s about a German Shepard who fights bad guys, saves kids, jumps out of helicopters, and is generally badass. Like a punk-rock version of Lassie.

How do you plan tours? Do you self-book?
At this point we’ve done only self-booking. We’ve played mostly in Toronto but love and sometimes prefer out of town gigs. Especially small-town bars with good local bands. Crowds go nuts. We’re hoping to plan a string of shows across Ontario in Quebec in early 2016 in support of the new record. We have started booking tours in the past but had trouble nailing down dates and decent venues. The East-coast of Canada is definitely on our radar for next year.

How do the musical influences of the band members differ?
Isaac is really into The Clash, Bad Brains, and Rage Against the Machine…but is generally all over the place. Rest assured though, whatever music is playing, Isaac fuckin’ loves it. Zazoo only likes “good music”. Lately he’s been listening to the Dirty Nil and various doo-wop. Dave is heavily influenced by 90s alt-rock and grunge. His favourite artists are Smashing Pumpkins (or Zwan…Anything involving Billy Corgan and/or Jimmy Chamberlin), Soundgarden, blink-182, and Thrice.

Where do you usually practice at? How do you like it there?
We jam at an hourly rehearsal space called Rehearsal Factory in east Toronto, run by this long-haired badass rocker-of-a-dude named Grant. HI GRANT! Despite what our record says their bathrooms are beyond reproach.

Who is your biggest fan?
The industrial-sized one next to the drums at our jam space. It keeps us kewl.

Who records your music? What are your experiences with recording?
We did our last two recordings with Greg Dawson at BWC Studios in Brampton, Ontario. He’s fantasic…He’s that strong voice in the back of the room that not-so-soothingly whispers “Play it again.” He’s as much a member of Sixteen Scandals as any of the three of us, and pushes us to be better musicians (and people) every time we see him.

What are the main themes or topics found in the lyrics for most of your songs?
We always want to walk the line between being funny and being some sort of inspiration to people. We aspire to be like Fat Mike, who can be hilarious all the time while still writing about really heavy stuff. We can’t do that, so we write about poop, penis pumps, white people problems, or latin proverbs about death.

sixteen scandals band photo

How do you feel about illegal music downloads?
Music industry has changed a lot, for better or for worse. As artists, we make music…it’s what we like doing, and we’ll keep doing it whether someone pays us or not. If someone likes our music enough that they want to take the time to download our music I wouldn’t want a silly thing like $7 preventing them from doing that. That being said, there are a lot of artists that rely on the income from the music to live on. We are thankfully exempt from that as we all have full-time jobs. As a consumer of music, if you don’t want to pay for it then don’t be surprised if the only music you can find in 20 years is by manufactured celebrities sponsored by large corporations posing as artists. But we’ll keep making music, if you want to pay for it thank you…if not, that’s cool too.

Do you plan on signing to a label in the future, or just keep it DIY? Why?
Right now we’re keeping it DIY as we try to get as many people into our band as we can. The music industry has changed a lot…labels don’t sign bands anymore for their music, they want to see that you can provide your own fan base. So that’s what we’re trying to do now. Our main goal is to get our music into hands of people might enjoy it, so if a label could help us do that through distribution, touring, or promotion we’d be all for it.

What has been the biggest struggle for the band?
The biggest struggle is the inherent peaks and troughs of the band’s success. Playing a packed show followed by a string of shows to empty rooms…Sometimes it makes us wonder “Do we suck? Are we that band that doesn’t know they suck?” It’s the typical insecurity that flows through every artist. But we plow through it and when we hit those shows packed with sweaty kids breaking themselves against the stage, it’s all worth it.

Do you have any upcoming shows?
We have what we’re anticipating to be our biggest show to date coming up in a few weeks. We’ll be hosting our CD Release party on January 9th at one of the best venues in Toronto, The Garrison. We’ll be taking the stage with some awesomely talented local bands – Shift-D and Sedge. Doors at 9pm, $5 cover. We’ll have the first hard copies of our album and a new set of shirts for sale.

If you could hold one world record, what would it be?
Isaac – Most consecutive high-fives (which he may already hold)

Any shout-outs?
Shoutouts to Greg Dawson @ BWC Studios, Grant Varney at Rehearsal Factory Front St., Kaleb Hikele (The Sun Harmonic), Ethan Ackerman, Katie Maz, The Dirty Nil (we don’t know them but we’d like to…is that creepy?) - Bandaholic