Although the focus of this weblog majigger is hip-hop, I'm not the kind of person to listen to one genre of music and hate on the rest, so this article will be on an upcoming show that I am rather excited about. Seattle band The Purrs are going to be at the Sunset Tavern on Jan. 24th, 2009 (click here for show details), I am not sure of the price, I'll update once I know (I'm sure it'll be cheap). 21+ only.

Now, the Purrs may not be the most trailblazing of rock bands, they don't have a Pet Sounds or OK Computer (but who isn't derivative these days?). Although they wear their influences on their sleeves, they pull it off damn well. A proud mix of psychedelic folk with a bit of shoegaze and some "indie" charm (although that word makes me wanna vomit), they are reminiscent of LA's Paisley Underground bands of the 80's ( Dream Syndicate and The Three O'Clock, not to mention more popular acts such as Mazzy Star and The Bangles were all part of the Paisley U). One of my favorite qualities of this band is how well they capture Seattle's unique feeling, that kinda gloomy atmospheric doldrum (everyone from Seattle should know what I'm talking about) with a bit of acid on the tongue. It reminds me of taking shrooms on a cloudy day in Discovery Park (long, long ago). I don't want this to turn into a real review, I'll save that for another day, so I'll be terse. If all these gushing descriptions sound like your cup of (mushroom) tea, go to the show! Buyer Beware, this kinda shit isn't for everyone, so if you eat, sleep and breathe hip-hop then listen to a song before you go to the show and make fun of all the hipsters.
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Chances are, if you went out to see live original music in Cincinnati in the late ’80s/early ’90s, you’ve likely seen Jim Antonio on stage. Antonio was one of the best frontmen in town when he led Lizard 99, an Art Punk band in the vein of early Jane’s Addiction. He also performed in the duo Oyster and as bassist for local faves, Roundhead.

In 2000, Antonio and his wife, cellist Barb Hunter (another onetime Roundhead member who has recorded with The Afghan Whigs, Twilight Singers and Pigface), relocated to Seattle. Having amassed a nice collection of demos (and having been in a band since his early teens), Antonio started cruising the want ads in Seattle’s alt-weekly The Stranger, hoping to get a new musical project going.

Responding to the ads from musicians with shared Psych Pop/Rock influences (Luna, Brian Jonestown Massacre, etc.), Antonio formed The Purrs not long after arriving in the Pacific Northwest.

I end up tracking down Antonio (who uses the stage name JimA in The Purrs), not in Seattle but in Paris, where he is on vacation, celebrating his wedding anniversary.

“You know when someone in the U.S. says that the French are rude and smell bad?” Antonio says, when asked if he was getting the evil eye for being a “stupid American,” “well, that is all BS perpetrated by ethnocentric losers who prefer to live in ignorance. Paris is a big city and consequently smells like one. Parisians are no more polite or rude than any other city.” Once The Purrs had formed, they went the D.I.Y. route, releasing their own CDs and playing around Seattle and Portland. The band hit a turning point when popular Seattle-based online radio station KEXP began spinning songs from their first two releases. Antonio says the heavy airplay from the station (as well as eventual play on Cincinnati-based online station, 97X/WOXY) immediately boosted their profile and CD sales.

“We started selling pretty well for an unsigned indie band with no support to speak of,” he says. “I directly attribute that to KEXP and WOXY. Sales started going up in local stores and online. I know because I mailed every CD out personally. I was raiding the office supply store for padded envelopes and the people at the post office knew me. We never made any money because we put it all right back into studio time and Connie, our Econoline van at the time.” The increased sales and airplay brought the band some attention from independent labels and the group eventually signed with the small Sarathan imprint, which had good national distribution. (On the decision to go with the label, Antonio says, “Their checks cleared.”) Sarathan released a self-titled fulllength, culled from tracks off of the band’s two self-releases. The deal enabled the band to tour the country and earned them wider recognition. But, ultimately, the band’s relationship with the label soured.


“I’m going to be diplomatic here and say that it wasn’t a good fit,” Antonio says. “It started to become apparent that they didn’t actually know what we were about. It was like they had never seen or heard us or something. I do like being independent, but there is a limit to what you can achieve without some sort of outside support. I guess I can live with that … but I’d rather not.” Out of necessity, the band released The Chemistry That Keeps Us Together on their own. The long-player — their finest and most cohesive effort yet — is a fantastic slice of dreamy Pop music, smeared in trippy atmospherics and buoyed by phenomenally memorable melodies. The album floats in the same hemisphere as artists like The Verve and Galaxie 500, with some vintage influences like the Velvet Underground and Television also evident.

Though the music has a psychedelic element, Antonio insists he’s no druggie. At least not while making music. “I can either get wasted or write music,” he says. “Fortunately there is time enough in my day for both. These days bourbon is my drug of choice. Do they even make acid anymore?” The band has endured several lineup changes since their start. Antonio insists he’s not an ogre to work with, putting the lineup changes down to the personal lifestyle decisions of the departing members.

“I wish I could say I am difficult to work with because that would sound cool, like I am some sort of an artist or something,” Antonio jokes. “I am pretty sure that isn’t the case. The reasons a person might join a band are varied and over time, those reasons may not remain relevant. Playing in a band that plays out as much as we do and works as hard as we do is a lifestyle choice.

Lifestyles change over time. People have kids or decide they want to move to the mountains and become a lumberjack or whatever.”

THE PURRS (myspace.com/thepurrs) play the MidPoint Music Festival Friday at the Aronoff’s Fifth Third Bank Theater at 9 p.m.


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This cracking album elicits equal measures of sympathy and sonic satisfaction. While the narratives are of forlorn, loveless, exasperating lives, the music radiates with shimmering guitars, resilient hooks and melodies shining throughout. The lyrics come drenched with a drunken self-depreciating stench of hopelessness, yet you get an inkling that the pain is poured out into the songs. This is real, everyday emotion distilled across many long nights of empty bottles and endlessly-strummed guitar strings.
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The Purrs have been knocking around Seattle since 2000 in virtual anonymity, but hopefully this new full-length will help put them on the map. An eclectic mix of alt-Americana delivered with the mulit-layered reverb-y production of the Jesus & Mary Chain or Britpop icons like Oasis, the album suggests what might have happened to the Long Ryders if they'd just taken the right drugs. Speaking of which, my favorite track, "She's Got Chemicals," kicks off with big chiming Byrdsy guitars for a tongue-in-cheek tale of recreational drug use that the Dandy Warhols would have killed to record. There's a definite tinge of Velvet Underground too, leading up to a dozen killer songs well worth delving into.
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Pure Pop for Now People.

Old phrase, I know (thanks, Nick Lowe), but it applies to The Purrs wonderfully.

The Purrs do retro-pop perhaps better than anyone does when it comes to finely tuned songs that musically reference past influences. On their debut release, The Dreams our Stuff is Made Of, the Purrs delivered songs that explored the musical presence of ‘60s-era bands like Velvet Underground, The Byrds, even The Beatles, within the framework of their wonderful songs. But they go much further than that. Their songs have, at their core, a studied appreciation for rock ‘n’ roll. Call them students with exceptional learning skills.

On their latest album, The Chemistry That Keeps Us Together, The Purrs continue with that style with twelve excellent songs of Pop/Rock that elicit shades of NYC and British music with musical roots in the ‘60s. One listen to “She’s Got Chemicals,” a ‘60s Who-like song (and I love that title – it’s classic), you can pick out strains of the familiar. As you move from song to song, the album yields up its treasures.

One thing is for certain, The Purrs have themselves a fantastic album. And I believe they know it. From beginning to end, The Chemistry That Keeps Us Together is a reminder of how much fun and pleasure you can get out of listening to a well-crafted album.
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Two guitars, one drumkit, and a singer round out the crew behind the navel-gazing album, The Chemistry That Keeps Us Together. It’s the band’s second record, full of jangly, atmospheric, extended jams, reverb and drug references, and airy vocals. I really enjoyed listening to the album, even if nothing here stayed with me long afterwards. I imagine The Purrs put on a great live show.

For fans of: Luna, The Church, The La’s.
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...Which brings me to The Purrs. They have cleverly circumvented this by sending me their last three releases as promos. So instead of being a band that i like and would get the album, but not listen to it that much because i had reviews to work on, The Purrs send me their records and then Brendan forces me to review them. This benefits them because they get a deep review from someone with more than 10 minutes familiarity to their music. And i benefit because i get to listen to a band grow. It's a win-win situation.

That said, i sincerely hope that this is not the last Purrs record. The Chemistry That Keeps Us Together is a record about drug addiction, heartbreak, manipulative women, and loss. Lead Purr Jima sings about suicide in more than one song, and many of the tunes have a generally depressed air to them that, well, worries me. Jima -- get help buddy. Don't let the b*tches drag you down!

Aside from the depressing lyrical content, this is another fine Purrs release. The band continues their progression from being yet another Britpoppish band, to being a songwriting act with vaguely bluesy riffs. That is, i see the arc of The Purrs career to date as starting as something very Verve-like and progressing towards something like a mellow Rolling Stones. Or, now that i think about it, like the solo work of ex-Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft... Huh. Well, maybe Jima is trying to model his career after Ashcroft's... Strange.

At any rate, The Purrs succeed more often than they fail. Let me go over a few of the songs on this record.

Frozen In Time begins the lyrical sadness that dominates this record, with Jima singing about a relationship that just didn't work out, leaving both parties saddened and frustrated. The guitars here play some lovely arpeggios, which nicely complement the sadness of the lyrics.

She's Got Chemicals complicates Jima's heartbreak by pointing out that it was her that keeps him from staying clean. Here The Purrs rock out with crisp, lightly echoed guitars and some thudding drums. When they want to rock out, they can do it quite well. They rock on Go Cindy Go as well, pulling out the tremolo pedal and whirring their way through the tune.

You Don't Look So Good has quickly become one of my all time favorite Purrs tunes. It is a lyrical powerhouse for Jima. He starts with the line "Nothing kills a buzz like a botched suicide / It can really ruin your day" (a line that would be sad if it weren't so silly), peaks with him repeating the title with a slightly quizzical tone, and ends with him repeating the line "every silver lining hides a cloud". Not a happy song, but the guitars here are trebly blues that tinkle along with tapped drums. Very nice.

Junk & Jil, on the other hand, is my least favorite Purrs tune. Ever. The guitar riff here sounds like it wandered in from the one LP by The Grapes, an Athenian jam rock act of the early 90s. Ugh. The high-pitched arpeggios annoy me, reminding me of smelly hippies wearing toques in Athens, in the summer. (The smell is something i will carry to my grave. No amount of patchouli can cover the acrid sweat smell of wool worn in 90 degree weather!) That guitar riff ruins the song for me.

They follow this up with the best rocker of this LP, Waiting for the Asteroid. Lyrically this hearkens back to their No Particular Bar, No Particular Town EP with it's line "some space junk fell in the street last night". Apparently Jima feels that salvation will come from the heavens, in the form of annihilation. Not an uplifting thought, but the guitars here jangle away, which some nice distortion on the choruses. The drumming also swells up nicely on the chorus. I bet this one really gets the crowds moving at their concerts.

The next track, Disconnected starts with a long guitar jam. I swear i keep expecting to hear David Gilmour sing at some point. This song really sounds like something from Animals. Great stuff.

Overall, i continue to be impressed. The Purrs<
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Just when you thought it was safe to come back here…Seattle week continues! Only by coincidence really, the Purrs were playing down the hill from where I live so it was kind of a no-brainer for me to go to the gig after being smitten by their latest album the Chemistry that Keeps us Together.

The band took the stage to about half the crowd that was there to see the previous band Feral Children. Not sure why people vacated, but it was their loss, because the Purrs put on a clinic on how to rock out. They came off as a lot more garage-y sounding live, kicking it up a notch as that one chef on tv is want to say. I had a feeling I was going to like the Purrs live before the show even started. As they were setting up, I caught a glimpse of the effects pedal boards of both guitarists. They both had a veritable smörgåsbord of pedals, I would have needed a menu to keep them straight, but these guys have got them down. My prognosis for the show was good (in my book more effects pedals = better show), and I was not disappointed in the least, though my ears are still complaining a little.

Earlier this week I compared the Purrs to the Church and after seeing them live I’d like to reitterate that one, because not only is Jima a bass playing front man, but guitarists Jason Atkin and Jason Milne are like a Marty Wilson-Piper and Peter Koppes duo, expertly playing off of one another and creating a wall of blissful noise that is something to behold. The entire band were solid, exuding a cool confidence with their playing that I rarely see. They hit all of the highlights from the new record, starting the set with a full-throttled version of Waiting for the Asteroid. Frozen in Time, She’s got Chemicals, Junk and Jill and Miles Away all hit the same highs that they do on record. They also threw in three brand new songs, one of which Jima mentioned that the band might get around to recording, but in the meantime we could hear it on his home answering machine. I guess he’s got some kind of They Might Be Giants dial-a-song thing going on over at his place.

Why these guys aren’t signed to a label and way more known than they are is beyond me. For now, I just count myself very lucky to be able to go a few blocks and see a Purrs gig.

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Welcome to day two of my week long post-o-rama focusing on the Jet City. Day two is dedicated to The Purrs , who have been around for a while but never came across my radar. They’ve gotten a lot of support by local radio station KEXP, but I hadn’t heard of these guys until Mat, who I work with, asked me if I’d heard them. He had only heard of them because a girl in his akido class was wearing their t-shirt which caught his attention. So those t-shirts do work for selling cd’s, wow! The band sound like they could have been born in the LA Paisley Underground, think the Rain Parade, but less jangly guitars. They also remind me a bit of Australians the Church both from their layered guitar sound and Jima’s cool voice having a few similarities with Steve Kilby. Their new album the Chemistry that Keeps Us Together which was self released back in November of last year is a real beauty. It’s got great three minute pop songs and then some longer ones that let the band crank up their a hazy mellow, psychedelic blues thing. I’m pretty excited to see these guys live and it looks like I’ve got a couple of chances in February, dates below.

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Seattle band the Purrs have been together long enough to sound like they know what they are doing. On their second album, they have really gotten their take on druggy ’70s rock down, and with a Lou Reed-like delivery from their singer Jima, it isn’t hard to see why they are building a decent following. The Chemistry That Keeps Us Together is a very businesslike album, in that there’s nothing above and beyond the very functional songs. There’s nothing very spectacular on display yet it’s a record that’s hard to find much of anything to complain about. It’s almost like the band are trying their best to hide behind the music, with very little of their personality or geography coming through on the dozen songs. There is definitely a bit of swagger and sneer on display at times, and that helps to make The Chemistry That Keeps Us Together from becoming too bland. But for the most part, it feels somewhat soulless. However, people who like this kind of thing will like it a lot.
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Seattle new/old sound – The next big thing – They’ve got the songs!

Americana – difficult to define as a genre even more as a concept – go on try it in less than 250 words. Tough, eh. And into this debate comes The Purrs with their second album a big sounding reverb lashed noise that echoes the influences and then some. It is American music but is it Americana as we know it, Jim?
Probably not. They would fit more snugly into an alternative category with the chiming rhythms and nasal vocals, the nihilist lyrics and counter point harmonies.

But that would be a shame as there is much to enjoy here. Sure the spirit of laughing Lou and the Underground hang like a shroud over much of the proceedings but that’s no bad thing – no bad thing at all. Pete Perrett is called to mind as are the long lost Psychedelic Furs and even the Violent Femmes. Oddly the tracks the press release highlights are not the ones that immediately impress ‘Go Cindy Go’ and ‘You Don’t Look So Good’ for example.

If you like a sneered vocal and jangly shards of guitar with intelligent song writing to boot then this most definitely is where it’s at. The Purrs the next Green Day – could be, could be. You heard it here first.
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If there’s one thing that ‘90s Britpop taught us, it’s that sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll not only sound great together, they never go out of style. And though The Purrs are actually from Seattle, they have absorbed the sounds and the vibes of their musical compadres across the pond. Double-tracked vocals and reverbed guitars are the order of the day on The Chemistry That Keeps Us Together, with the band occasionally jamming out on a groove like a more disciplined, song-oriented cousin of Brian Jonestown Massacre.

There’s a very, very dark thread woven throughout the album. It gets no darker than the opening line of “You Don’t Look So Good” as vocalist Jima bluntly observes, “nothing kills a buzz like a botched suicide.” “Disconnected” also lives up to its title, again with the blunt opening approach: “I know you’re suffering / I don’t really give a damn,” and the druggy band-aid confession: “I had a handful of pills so I took them all.” The old alcoholic stand-by comes into play as well in “Rainbow Afternoon” as a depressed narrator sits in a bar and thinks, “maybe I’d rather just lay down and die.”

Sex and love are also covered, cynically so in “Yes I Do,” where a damned if you do, damned if you don’t philosophy supersedes all thought: “If you try too hard to love her / She will leave you / If you act like you don’t want her / She’ll believe you.”

“She’s Got Chemicals” is ultimately the best entry here. With its classic use of drugs as a metaphor for love (“I can’t resist the buzz she gives ... Those chemicals are right here in my mind”), the song whose lyrics gave the album its title provides the most positive and heartwarming emotions. What’s more, its melodic refrain makes it the catchiest, most radio-friendly tune of the bunch. (Self-released)

-Michael Fortes

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Disclaimer: This a review of show that occurred more than a week ago, but due to illness and holiday bustle, it’s a bit late in coming. Since it was such a pleasant experience, I say, “Better late than never!” Believe me, if it sucked, I wouldn’t give a hoot OR pollute. Honest.

I remember when the Purrs were a “buzz” band. KEXP’s afternoon DJs couldn’t play enough of their self-released long-playing debut The Dreams Our Stuff Is Made Of, particularly tracks like the jangly “Loose Talk”, the perfectly-pop yearning of “She’s Gone”, and, of course, the dark psychedelia of “Taste of Monday”. They managed to convince Sarathan Records to release a self-titled combination of Dreams and 2004 EP No Particular Bar, No Particular Town, received with modest praise. Now they’ve come full circle to the DIY method with their latest, The Chemistry That Keeps Us Together. And while this sophomore effort may not have all the catchy, radio-friendly hits of the debut, it certainly makes up for it in terms of sonic fullness and song evolution. The quality of the songwriting is not limited to a select number of tracks, but rather runs through the entire disc. And the composition and lyricism sound more accomplished this time around, if not more jaded. As well, the group delves into more of the shoegazing guitar strategies of the 80s (My Bloody Valentine, the Jesus & Mary Chain), moreso than the melancholy California pop of the 60s.

The band was kind enough to send me a copy of Chemistry and put me on the guest list for their set at the High Dive last Friday night (12/14). Sandwiching them on the bill was Gary Reynolds and the Brides of Obscurity and urban cowboy posse Brent Amaker and the Rodeo. Gary Reynolds, sounding a bit like David Bowie (!), and his “polygamist” outfit worked through a set of alt-countryish rock tunes that set the mood for the night. Much like the Purrs, they had some gloomy tones percolating through catchy, piano-heavy pop songs. I enjoyed their set, and was a bit surprised to find their recordings noticeably more polished and less country than the live show indicated. Catch them at the Tractor Friday January 4th for a more accurate account. For a blatant devotion to Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two, check out Brent Amaker and the Rodeo. They headlined the show and entertained the crowd rather well. The highlight was the Whiskey Baptism carried out halfway through the set. A tower of whiskey shots were brought to the stage and Amaker continually filled the gullets of anyone willing. It was hilarious.

Up next were the sensational, reverb-drenched musings of Seattle quartet the Purrs. The singularly-named Jima, who performs vocals along with a bass he might’ve mistook for his own guitar, set his own tone by quickly demonstrating his penchant for inspired, inebriated performances. Before breaking into the music, he lamented the bar’s PBR-only comps for the musicians while holding aloft a glass of what looked like a cabernet: vintage 2002. Other than his bass, it would be his main accessory throughout the show (he would later fall in line for his own Whiskey Baptism courtesy of the headliners). Seeing as how I’d only caught one of their shows back in 2005, I was thrilled that they opened with “Taste of Monday” (though somewhat disappointed that it was the only track off the first record they played). They proceeded to play songs off their new album: “Drive”, “She’s Got Chemicals”, “Waiting for the Asteroid”, “Go Cindy Go”, “Junk & Jil”, among several others.

What stood out most between the recordings of Chemistry and the band playing them live was how much fuller and enmeshed all the instruments sounded on stage. I like the quality and tracking of the disc, but I really thought the onstage playing set their music apart and provided that sought-after proverbial wall of sound. Guitarists Jason Atkin and Jason Milne seemed to have endless pedals at their disposal and ably utilized them along with their Fenders. Drummer<
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The Purrs debut album released in 2005 was one of my favourite albums of the year, and has stood the test of time, in the fact, that it still gets regular space on the CD player. It was a delight, therefore, to be sent their follow-up album, although there was always that nagging doubt that they would be unable to compete with their debut. Thankfully, there is nothing to worry about, all’s well in the Purrs world, the instantly recognisable sound still intact, although this time the songwriting seems sharper and more assured.

After the scene setting opener, filled with that lovely guitar jangle, the album settles into its groove with “Frozen In Time”, a world weary song with a hint of Dinosaur JR running through its pristine melodies. Opening with a glorious riff that truly sparkles, “She’s Got Chemicals” brings back all those Church comparisons, although the band have an identity of their own these days, the song a perfect example of why you should like them.

As with the first album, it takes a couple of plays to attune your ears to the bands sound. When you do, however, songs like “Yes I Do” reveal a layered sonic palette, creating strange harmonies, whilst “You Don’t Look So Good” has all the complex simplicity of a Lou Reed song, including the lyrical bite.

Mixing sweet melody with lyrical bile seems to be a favourite trick of the band and there is no better example than the sweet pop ditty “Junk & Jil”, the lyrics taking the song in a darker direction whilst a saccharine guitar motif makes you smile. After eight tracks of warped pop jangle, the band make a detour for the 8 minute “Disconnected”, allowing the band to lose themselves in their music, something they do to great effect with some magical guitar playing elevating the song into the sky. Check out the track “creeping Coastline Of Lights” on their debut EP (2004), for another epic guitar burnout.

Leaving the best to last, the final two tracks are Purrs classics with “If It’s So Right How Come It Feels So Wrong” sounding like it could be a live killer, all sleazy riffs and slowburning rhythm. Meanwhile, album closer “Rainbow Afternoon”, is a world-weary statement of intent that ends the album with flawless downbeat splendour.

It is refreshing to see a band who have worked so hard, financing and distributing their debut album, finally get some reward. This album should continue their upward spiral and hopefully make some new fans along the way. (Simon Lewis)
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The Purrs are back with their sophomore effort The Chemistry That Keeps Us Together, which brings more of their UK / Seattle groovin’ rock n’ roll connection to the masses. Building on all the hype the band has earned over the last several years The Chemistry That Keeps Us Together shows great refinement from their earlier work. Where before they dabbled into different elements of Brit-pop, shoegaze and psych rock, The Purrs have now jumped in with both feet and made the combination of all these styles their own. The catchiest track on the album “She’s Got Chemicals” not only is their best song to date but it has an instant hook and beat that will stay in your head all day. The albums flow is like a two phased journey by frontloading the beginning with shorter pop rock songs while the second half of the album will appeal to The Purrs shoegaze fanbase with the almost eight minute “Disconnected” and the last four songs averaging around the six minute mark. The Chemistry That Keeps Us Together will appeal to every indie fan out there, because it has all the components to grab different fans and unite them for one Purrs experience!

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The combination of being busy at work and getting a bunch of CDs within a week of each other nearly caused me to forget I had the new disc by The Purrs in my hot little hands! Thankfully my pal Chris reminded me that this Friday (November 9) is their release party at the Sunset Tavern.

So, after band rehearsal tonight I came right upstairs, searched three or four rooms and finally found the disc, which had been placed on a table where I supposedly wouldn't forget about it. Funny how that never works. But, in any case, the disc is in my player as I'm typing, and what follows is a relatively incoherent set of thoughts about it.

If you've been living on mars or are perhaps new to Seattle rock music, here's the 411 on The Purrs: They're the best swoony/gazy/druggy/swirly pop band in town. They are dreamy and semi-psychedelic, but also melodic and expansive. I won't go as far as to say their sound is "epic," but they're always reaching and stretching and grasping but never quite reaching the outer limits of their sound. And I mean that in a really good way.

This disc, titled the chemistry that keeps us together sounds more crisp and sparkly that their previous recordings, and a few songs feel like 1970s-era Bowie. But, I suppose right now I'm hearing primarily a mix of the Verve and Mazzy Star with Jima's droll delivery replacing Hope Sandoval's.

The recordings really allow them to bring different textures and layers to the forefront, such as the effective use of organ and delay on "you don't look so good," the gurgling drone of "disconnected," and the percussive push of "miles away."

For me, the disc is ideal for either chilling on rainy afternoon, coming down after a long night on the town on a Saturday night, or getting revved up before heading out. Live, the whole thing kicks up a notch and rocks a little harder. So, be sure to head out to the Sunset this Friday to see them release the disc.
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(3.5 stars out of 4)
The Purrs go a lot of love from KEXP and stirred up some hype with their 2005 release The Dreams Our Stuff Is Made Of. What sticks out most about that record, aside from its 74-minute running time, is that it doesn't sound like a cheap rip off of a late-'60s, post-Beattles band. It actually sounds like a real late-'60s band. The Purrs signed with Sarathan and released a self-titled record of compiled tracks from Dreams and past EPs, so The Chemistry that Keeps Us Together, their new release of all new material, has revitalized the hype and anticipation. Chemistry hits with the same delayed guitar, open-chord distortion and reverb vocals that characterized their first record and so much of the '60s and '70s. In contrast to their reputation for the classic feel, the first few tracks scream Oasis. But this isn't completely off. "Frozen In Time" will make you think you're listening to the radio in 1995, or right about when pop and al ternative started to blend. The melody, like many of the album, is brutally hooking in the best way. The latter part of the record dives into Who-ish rock dramas with their last four songs all over five minutes. These lengthy tracks would go best with, well, weed if you've got any. The sober human ear can only sustain so much guitar bathed in heavy reverb and delay. At first, the more concise tracks all seem like listening to a hit from a different era, but natural, melodic pop songs do have a timeless quality.
-- ROB E. MILLER

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It's been a couple years since the Purrs' post-psychedelic gem of a debut LP, The Dreams Our Stuff is Made Of, took KEXP by storm. The KEXP "bump" got them attention in indie circles nationally, landed some songs in a TV sitcom, and scored them a record deal with local indie Sarathan, who supported them in their first national tour.

But at the same time, Sarathan made the strange choice to not release new material by the Purrs, instead repackaging a shorter version of Dreams as a self-titled record. The lack of new material exhausted the buzz the band had generated, but hopefully that's about to change.

On November 6, their sophomore effort The Chemistry that Keeps us Together drops.

While we haven't heard the new record itself, the band's been playing the material in live shows for over a year. The stand out piece for our money is "She's Got Chemicals" (available streaming from their Myspace here). The song is rawer than the lush sounds of Dreams, and with a long, chanted climax, it's reminiscent of Pearl Jam epics like "Alive" or "Black." But whereas PJ relies on Mike McCready delivering a Zep-inspired solo, the Purrs rely on the same formula that made them great: a strong, steady bass-line with a powerful rhythm, while the guitarists apply layer over layer of effects, building a roaring sonicscape.

The new album promises an exploration of new artistic territory for the Purrs, and is a welcome release for fans who've been waiting for two years for new material. Catch them in concert this Saturday at the Studio 66 show at Lo-Fi.
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There is no better feeling that the first tantalising taste of a new album of a band you’re already a pretty committed fan of. In this instance ‘She’s Got Chemicals’ by a band seemingly constantly on the cusp – The Purrs. The band are to release their second album The Chemistry That Keeps us Together in November following on from the brooding chiming jangle of their debut The Dreams our Stuff is Made of . The Purrs have been kicking about Seattle for a good few years and could best be described as almost anti rock’n’roll. No attention seeking spiralling egos and wanton lusty displays of decadence and tell-all books about being knee-deep in willing groupies here, instead the band and their lyrics are endearingly self-depreciating. These are just regular guys who are wading their way forward as best they can through the world. At times they drink too much and love too little. They believe in their music and soldier on playing it through good shows and bad braving mile after mile in a trusty old van.

A recent show is the best example of the turbulent and magnetic ability to attract trouble that the band endures. The band were selected to play at Seafair - a huge annual event in their home town of Seattle featuring hydroplane boats, the Blue Angels and a huge captive audience. It was a prime opportunity for the band to be exposed to a large potential new audience. They were even escorted around in golf carts! All was looking rosy until mid way through their set the band and their audience is sledged by a crazed man dressed as a shining silver fish. ‘Fish Baits Man’ – a particularly pun-prudent editor may have written as a headline. The band resolved the situation by giving the perpretrator a few more ‘hits’ of their own, and not the type that are counted on a singles chart.

So who the devil are this Purrs lot them?

The band began in 2000 and have plugged away ever since, touring largely and regularly around the pacific northwest of America. Things really started happening for The Purrs when Seattle radio station KEXP got behind them. They’re not really the type to go about big noting the band, just letting their music speak for themselves. Their achingly honest tour diary tells of numerous thankless dates and countless criminally under-attended shows and nights that all seem to descend into drunken defeat. Entries such as 2000’s “The band played decently in front of 3 or 4 people. We got paid $20.
Then the band proceeded to get very drunk.”. By the next year the Purrs’ fortunes are best summed up with “At some point, telling you we got real drunk and played in front of nobody in our own home town is going to be pretty boring. If I told you that at least the people who worked at the bar liked us would that alleviate the monotony? I didn't think so.” or the sympathy endearing and wallowing observation of:

“By the time we were ready to play, there wasn't a dry eye in the house. In fact, there wasn't an eye in the house of any kind.
All the eyeballs were gone.
And they had taken their bodies with them.
We played a great show, to no one, yet again.
Don't stop kicking me down....”

The Purrs first recorded mark on the world was the informatively titled ‘4 Songs EP’ in 2002. The follow up was the ‘No Particular Bar, No Particular Town’ EP two years later and it reflected the transient, alcohol fuelled nature of the band and its members and their frequent if at sometimes fruitless touring.

The band pieced together the songs that would form their debut album in their home studio over six months at the end of ’04 and the start of ’05. The resulting album was the 13 track, 74 minute careening delight knows as The dreams our stuff is made of. It ranges from bleak, brooding epics to the cripplingly infectious sheen of Loose Talk. The lyrical themes throughout tell of the gritty reality of a life lead on the wrong side of privelidge and luck – ‘She’s Gone’, ‘Taste of Monday’, ‘Don’t stop kicking me down’, ‘I’m leaving T
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This CD opens with a nice fuzz-pop Luna meets Lou Reed groove, walking around in some Britpop parking lot. This is sweet, up-tempo, drifting shoegaze, Northwest style. It has a very nice lo-fi touch, so while there's that U.K. swerve in the mood, it's still carrying a raw edge that helps it stand out from other similar style players. Sometimes it's a little Built to Spill meets the Verve, and that Dean Wareham comparison flows through many songs, stretching back to his Galaxie 500 days, but with a New York street attitude. These are well-written songs that take a fresh swing at a familiar sound. -- MARCEL FELDMAR.
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Velvet Underground and Jesus and Mary Chain style noise-rock jangle is a style of music that will never grow old or tiresome. It's simple, it rocks, and while it may offer little in the way of surprises, it's bound to provide maximum levels of enjoyment, even if the senses are not caught off guard. The Purrs understand this, and make something quite magnificent out of this approach. Yet the variations within that psychedelic three-chord approach are what makes this album a winning one. Opener "She's Gone" contains just the right amount of trippy rock momentum, while "Dreams Our Stuff Is Made Of", more than just a clever name, descends into gorgeous dreamy territory, and "Connect the Dots" adds a little bit of raw, garage rock to nice effect. The Purrs' self-titled album not only lives up to the legacy of those weighty names dropped at the beginning of this review, but also carries it into the next generation, upholding rock 'n roll tradition, while leaving their own individualistic mark. -- JEFF TERICH
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An Anglo-fied act trapped in the Pacific Northwest, the Purrs are possible the greatest Brit-pop band to ever come out of Seattle. Bassist/vocalist Jima has obviously done his homework, nailing nearly every vocal tick and preening nuance of Richard Ashcroft, while his bandmates have no trouble nailing jangly guitars and reverb-soaked atmospherics. That said, more than a few tracks trace their roots to an earlier vintage. With snapping guitar chords, lushly malted harmonies and smoothly looping choruses, opener “She’s Gone” pulls no punches in it’s Zobies-circa-’68 flourishes. More subtle are the bands country music and dream pop influences, turning the in the fiddle lines of “The Dreams Our Stuff is Made Of” and the burned-out Galaxie 500 drones o “Don’t Stop Kicking Me Down.” Despite a handful of undeniably good hooks however, the band is really little more than a bundle of patchy influences. – Matt Fink.
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You can hear a welter of influences in the music of the Seattle-based Purrs—primarily a strong past-and-present British Invasion-style flavor (or perhaps that’s “flavour”) that runs throughout. You hear it in the jangly guitars and maracas in the opening track, “She’s Gone,” in the spacey cadences of “The Dreams Our Stuff Is Made Of” (also the title track of a previous album) that also drops in a violin line for good measure, you hear it in the sprawly-drawly vocals of bassist/lead singer Jima, who’s a little Mick Jagger, a little Richard Ashcroft, even a little bit solo-era Syd Barrett. Don’t think it’s derivative; the Purrs manage to jumble everything around enough so that it sounds fresh, and they clearly understand the value of a good hook; every song, even the more dreamy ones, has a decided catchiness. As a result, the music has the kind of familiarity that makes you feel you’ve heard the record before, even if it’s your first time around with the tunes.
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When seeking companion music for a Pulp Fiction or Trainspotting genre of film, iconic, ominous, psychedelic rock seems to be the music of choice. With their self-titled debut, The Purrs have crafted an abrasive yet harmonious album that Uma Thurman might dance to before OD’ing.

A blend between ‘60s rock group The Animals and the more recent Greenhornes, The Purrs present nine tracks featuring dark lyrics woven into an orchestral tapestry of crying guitars and screeching vocals. Album opener “She’s Gone” sets the mood of lyrical melancholy contrasted with chipper instrumental accompaniment. This trend is continued with the darkly smooth “The Dreams Our Stuff is Made Of,” which brings to mind images of Ewan McGregor falling through a red carpeted floor after a bad heroin hit in Trainspotting. Stand out track “Get on With Your Life” channels a sort of open road feel with the furious guitar plucked intro that smoothly transitions into scratchy vocals, “You’re never gonna take me alive/so you see it’s just a waste of your time/you’ve got better things to do if you want to survive.”

The Purrs’ debut showcases highly talented musicians who have the uncanny ability to make what could have been a highly experimental abrasive sound into something fluid. The only downside to this is that after a few songs the journey of which The Purrs have embarked upon borders on tedium. In that respect, The Purrs present great background music but won’t be appreciated by those seeking catchy singles. — Jen Tartaglione

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A quintessentially British band that happens to from Seattle, The Purrs trade in a series of references stretching from the burned-out version of The Rolling Stones the guitar pop of he Verve and Blur. Take loads of reverb-drenched guitar, howling feedback, and the sneering vocals of bassist Jima, and you end up at the point where woozy dream pop and Brit-rock meet.
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With more than 3 million artists posting songs on Myspace.com , the social networking site has emerged as the cyberspace place to be for bands trying to get noticed. Every week, the site showcases a different band in a feature called The Booth. Last week's choice was The Purrs, a bluesy psychedelic/pop/indie outfit whose sound is straight out of the '60s. The reverb is cranked up, the mellow, spacey rock 'n roll grooves are very Velvet Underground and swirling guitars and pounding drums seem to float through the air.? The harmonies are syrupy sweet and there's plenty of well-placed sha-la-la's. When vocalist Jima's voice shakes on higher pitches, it's charming enough that he gets away with it. The band shows promise and songs such as the twangy, vibrato-filled "Get on With Your Life" and the driving, feel good "Loose Talk" will remain stuck in your head for days.? -- Neil Mirochnick, Muse Staff
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Clearly fans of 80s psychedelic post-punk, The Purrs have been making a name for themselves this year with their self-titled debut. While blending in the same atmospheric guitar twangs as their predecessors Echo & the Bunnymen and The Comsat Angels, vocalist Jima has the same aggressive swagger that the Verve’s Richard Ashcroft or the Oasis brothers conveyed during the 90s. Jima doesn’t mind the mind the comparisons that are given to him either, “I think the Verve and Galaxie 500 are great. Plus they had careers and I don’t. You can compare me to a tree if it makes people want to buy our record.” Based out of Seattle, The Purrs have been known to be one of those bands that would be glad to have a beer or two with fans after a show.

‘She’s Gone’ has been the first staple from the band, recieving plenty of airplay from internet-based radio stations such as KEXP and WOXY. The song is predictable from a band in their position, giving off a chorus led by some “Ooh’s” and a frantic guitar that is eventually concluded with Jima crooning “she’s gone” over a variety of distorted effects. ‘Ebb & Flow’ is the track most reminiscent of Echo & The Bunnymen, with a buildup of momentous guitars caught up on reverb finally reaching the chorus about mid-way through the song. ‘Taste Of Monday’ is of a similar nature, reminding me of R.E.M. to the fullest extent, with the slight backing vocals really proving to be very effective in a song that is complemented by such a brooding theme of despair. Their debut is highly commendable with a handful of memorable tracks, such as the fantastic ‘She’s Gone’ or ‘Taste Of Monday’. It’s available now on Sarathan Records.

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This past Thursday I had the pleasure, courtesy of Filter Mag, of checking out the Seattle based band The Purrs. Never heard of them, but hey it's a show and it's free and after checking out their myspace, I was really excited to check these guys out. I read somewhere of all the "sounds like" quotes. From REM on Loose Talk, Brit Pop in general, early Bowie/VU and since I am a fan of all the before mentioned groups you can expect my surprise when I don't really think that they sound like any of the above mentioned bands. I can sense influences, but you know who they sound like...they sound like The Purrs. A sound that cries out to not be the next passing "Friends" or "Dawson's Creek" flavor of the month and if you've only heard Loose Talk, and you should've by now because it's a great track, you might think this the case, but check out Because I Want To or Get On With Your Life and listen to the lyrics and instrumentation. Man these guys can play.

Now Jima has a great sound on lead vocals, and it's just enough his own to make it really work, but it's almost give or take if it wasn't for the intriguing
and entertaining instrumentation of Jason Milne, Craig Keller, and Jason Atkin. And after seeing them live, this only solidifies this initial thought. They put on a great show and were by far the highlight of the night. They brought with them an aura of fun and a sense of confidence, like "hey, we're making it happen". As an audience member, you were glad you were there and they were glad to give most of us, virgin-eared to their sound, an entertaining show.

A great night and if their coming your way make sure to check them out.
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Oh, right. Now I remember why I get excited to try out new music. Its’ because, sometimes, that CD I took a chance on will turn out to be a great debut album from an obscure (thus far) indie band. Such is the case with the premier, self-titled full-length from Seattle’s the Purrs. From the city of grunge, which put an end to the jangly Americana pop underground of the late 1980s, comes this quartet who owe a great debt to the college rock template created by bands like Dream Syndicate, the Church, and Galaxie 500. Two guitars, bass, drums, and the highly expressive vocals of Jima are the stuff the Purrs are made of (to paraphrase one of their song titles). The band’s big hook is their lead singer, although he’s bound to drive some listeners out of the room with his elastic vocals. Jima reminds me, all at once, of Kevin Rowland (Dexy’s Midnight Runners), Peter Garrett (Midnight Oil), Tim Booth (James), and Ken Foreman (the underappreciated Thrashing Doves). Like all of his forefathers, Jima sings in a snarling whine with the occasional hiccup… and it sounds great!

The Purrs also have nine catchy, solidly well-written, and surprisingly mature songs that will quickly lure you in. From the jerky rhythms of the poppy opener “She’s Gone” to the aptly named “Ebb & Flow”, with its codeine sway, these guys infuse each track with melodies that are subtle yet instantly enthralling. “Loose Talk” is a major highlight, with an insistent chorus, some nice “sha-la-la"s, and a thick delay on the guitar reminiscent of Marty Wilson-Piper. And there’s not a clunker to be found on The Purrs. Thanks to their fans at Seattle’s super-cool radio station, KEXP, this very promising band is deservedly on the verge of launching out of the small-time. Matador, Merge, Yep Roc? I hope the A&R folks at the cool, bigger-time indie labels are paying attention. And I hope you are, as well. You might not have heard of the Purrs before today, but, if there’s any justice in this world, you’ll soon be able to brag to your friends about how you got in on the ground floor. -- Michael Keefe


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I’ve been falling in love with music a lot more than I usually do lately. With the help and under girding of some new music that explores the past so expertly that some of them might have had a strong career if slipped back into the ‘60s/’70s, I seem to identify lots more. The debut album from The Purrs, their self-titled body of music that sounds like a stretched bar between early Stones in the ‘60s and yet coming off sounding like a wired Johnny Thunders before the heroin absorbed his being. It also has the heart of the late ‘60s Stones at its core.

The Purrs contains 9 tracks of original flashback rock that won’t be ignored. With a bit of psychedelia creeping in some of the songs, as was somewhat prevalent with album-oriented rock in the waning years of the ‘60s, a listen to “Ebb and Flow,” the brilliant “Because I Want To,” and the equally good, "Dreams Our Stuff Is Made Of."

Every bit of The Purrs’ album is excellent. -- Matt Rowe
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If you were around the local Indie/Underground/ Alternative scene in the '90s that revolved largely around Sudsy Malone's, you no doubt remember Jim Antonio, manic singer for the ahead-of-their-time local faves Lizard 99 and later a member of Roundhead and Oyster. Antonio now lives in Seattle and has been making some waves with his most recent musical project, THE PURRS, whose tour hits Newport's Southgate House Friday. Antonio (who now goes by simply "Jima") sings and plays bass with The Purrs, who have been kicking around for the past five years, releasing a couple of EPs and the long-player, The Dreams Our Stuff Is Made Of. This year, thanks to wider exposure via regular airplay on Seattle's KEXP, they signed with Sarathan Records, ensuring wider distribution. The band's sound mixes the gauzy "shoegazer" aesthetic with a more grounded jingle-jangle, sounding like Brian Jonestown Massacre if they'd heard music made after 1975 or The Verve if they were big Brian Jonestown Massacre fans. -- MIKE BREEN
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Ambition is a dangerous thing for a band. Have too much, and you think you are better than you are. Have too little, and your playing Possum Ridge, Arkansas this weekend. The Purrs seem to have just the right amount, on their first release on an actual record label. The album is a combination of the best of two independantly released albums, and it is gold. Just how far The Purrs can go all depends on how far the want to go. And as they say, “These are the dreams, stuff is made of.”

The Seattle based band has taken it's favorite parts of shoegaze, Britpop, California surf pop, and made a near transcendant record. But what they have compiled together are nine gems of rock and roll theology, and made them their own. Starting with the quirky guitar line from “She's Gone” to the tender noise ballad of “Don't Stop Kicking Me Down” the album is a near modern classic, filled with tunes, desire, energy, and a hint of ambition that says, “Yeah, we're here. We're good. Deal with it.”

With a myriad of things going through my mind, I try to focus on my assignment. This week: The Purrs self titled album. “Hmmm...no press release...weird”, I think to myself. “Anyway, let's put this on. Interesting, nice riff. A good singer.” Good signs all, but it's not until I finish the CD that I feel as though this is a good album. Damn near great. The Purrs could go places.

“She's Gone” is a perfect opener to the album, as it introduces the sound of the band perfectly. A jangly guitar riff, some swirling sonics, and an incredibly catchy tune. This could be a single, but not the first one. “The Dreams Our Stuff is Made Of” is the best Britpop ballad I have heard since “The Drugs Don't Work”. All swirling guitars, and a nice lyrical twist. The hook is driven home by lead singer Jima's soaring falsetto. The trend continues with the slow burn of “Connect the Dots”. The song starts in a shoegazer mode, before quickly turning itself into one of the most memorable songs on the album. “She falls apart all the time/So don't be late for the show/She's begging you for a dime/She's feeling so low, yeah she's really let herself go” and then we get takeoff.

“Loose Talk” starts off list the lost REM single, all jangly guitars and ”la, la, la, la's” before the barnburner chorus of “Let me tell you 'bout the loose talk/Ticking time bomb/Needs a reaction/Get my opinion 'bout/Living in this town/With it's distractions/Got you spinning around, and around, and around.” “Ebb & Flow” does just what the title suggests. It is a song the Verve should have made during A Storm in Heaven. More swirling guitar figures, and a shuffling beat. “Because I Want To” features another so simple it's great riff, with Jima's voice cutting through the sound, “Do you think you could see it my way?” “The Taste of Monday” is a nonsensical power pop number, except that damn guitar noise keeps you from dismissing it as such. “Get on With Your Life” has a great picked guitar opening, but it is the weakest track on the album, and the song is pretty damn okay. All of this leads to “Don't Stop Kicking me Down”. A fitting end to the album, it features everything the Purrs are: noise, hooks, and a great arrangement.

The album is slightly long (its nine songs run nearly 50 minutes), but I can't really think of somewhere you can cut it. The album maintains its feel, despite some different production flourishes on different tracks, leaving those without feeling empty. The Purrs are here, and they aren't going anywhere. One of my favorite things about this job is hearing a band's debut album, and instantly wanting to hear what they will do next. The Purrs makes me feel that way. And that is a good feeling.

-Jeff Crowder
09/19/06 srcr
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The Purrs
(Sarathan) It's surprising that the Purrs are not a Seattle brand name. A band since 2000, with scads of shows played all over town, the Purrs here offer a new release that could blow their obscurity for good. Fronted by Jim Antonio, the four-piece ensemble interstices guitars, drums, and bass to authentic psych-pop effect reminiscent of Ziggy Stardust or the Velvet Underground. Taking this album for a spin is like cruising in a vintage convertible under an expansive Midwestern sky. Shimmering guitar tracks pass languidly overhead, and the Verve's Richard Ashcroft's voice melts from the radio. This latest effort showcases old material from a previous EP a LP, yielding an ersatz "greatest hits" album re-mastered to a lush, 50-minute patina. Despite positive press and KEXP rotation, some indict the Purrs for being too derivative. Admittedly, certain songs could be mistaken for the Breakfast Club soundtrack, but why knock the post-shoegazer precision?
ANGELA ARGENTATI

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Who? Seattle band the Purrs came together in 2000 through a regular old classified ad. For the next five years, they gigged around Seattle and the Pacific Northwest, toiling in relative obscurity, but a happy obscurity that allowed them to mellow and mature. The band have been through a few incarnations, but have always centered on lead singer, songwriter, and bassist Jima (pronounced "Jim-A"). Jima is joined in the band by lead guitarist/vocalist Jason Milne, guitarist/vocalist Jason Atkin, drummer Craig Keller, and keyboardist Dayna Loeffle, and the quintet's self-titled label debut has two songs from their 2004 EP, No Particular Bar, No Particular Town, and seven more from their self-produced and released album from last year, The Dreams Our Stuff Is Made Of. Of course, all those tracks were remixed, re-mastered, spruced up, and trimmed to perfection.

What's the Deal? You know that song "California Dreamin'" by the Mamas and the Papas? The title sounds like a real sunshiny kind of pop fluff song but then you listen to it and realize it's sad, dark, and utterly brilliant. That's what you get with the Purrs, who blend the bright fun of righteously sweet guitar hooks with woozy psych-rock and a serious devotion to melancholy moodiness. Getting liquored up, which Jima sings about frequently, probably has a bit to do with all that. Like fellow neo-classicists Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Brian Jonestown Massacre, the Purrs deal in subdued stompers and hazy rave-ups -- the kind of rock that convinces parents their kid is on goofballs.

Fun Fact: The Purrs are happy these days, with a consistent line-up and a big nationwide tour on the horizon. It wasn't always this way. The band's old guitarist was a woman with a knack for getting into fistfights wherever the band would roam. It's the difference between "let's hit the road" and "dear God run for your life!" J. GABRIEL BOYLAN
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With a sound influenced by early David Bowie and the Rolling Stones, as well as latter-day disciples like Suede and the Verve, Seattle quartet the Purrs already owe a musical debt to the UK. Now, with their new, self-titled album, the band join the ranks of another crew of British musicians. Like the Beatles, OMD, and Robbie Williams before, the Purrs' earliest work has been repackaged in one handy volume to introduce them to mass American audiences.

The Purrs (on local imprint Sarathan Records) features two songs from the group's 2004 EP No Particular Bar, No Particular Town and seven from last year's The Dreams Our Stuff Is Made Of, including the KEXP favorites "She's Gone," "Loose Talk," and "Taste of Monday."

"A lot of tracks off the last album seemed to connect with listeners," says bassist and singer Jima, apropos of this course of action. "I thought it would make more sense, now that we got picked up by a label, to use their marketing machinations to get this music out to more people." Hardcore fans shouldn't lament, though. The live set list draws equally on new, unreleased songs and old favorites.

For now, the Purrs are excited about testing their wares—and stamina—via another classic marketing strategy: extensive touring. "I'm looking forward to seeing how the band functions as a unit," Jima concludes. "Just playing Seattle and Portland isn't the same test of your psychological abilities as sitting together, in a small metal box, for hours on end, every day... smelling each other."
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In the world of music, there are cover bands, bar bands, arena bands, etc., myriad titles that, while pertaining to a particular performance venue, also serve to describe the kind of music, and prowess, one can expect from the band in question. Jima, bassist and lead singer of native-Seattle band The Purrs, recently named one of Filter’s “Artists to Watch,” has often described his band as a bar band who want their audiences to drink, have fun and generally have a good time, something that is made abundantly clear through the songs on their latest self-titled CD, which will be released on local indie label Sarathan Records on September 12th.

Although they have two previous albums to their credit, the EP No Particular Bar, No Particular Town (2004) and the LP The Dreams Our Stuff Is Made Of (2005), the latter which makes up the majority of the songs included on their new record, their latest release marks their record-label debut, an achievement that Jima credits largely to the constant support received from his local radio station, KEXP.

“Place the blame/credit on KEXP,” says Jima, regarding their Sarathan debut. “Every time we put out a CD they would play like one track, and they played the hell out of the thing. I’d wake up in the morning and have the alarm clock tuned to KEXP and they’d be playing one of my songs.” The Purrs will be going on tour this October to promote their album and most recently played at Seattle's Bumbershoot, one of the country’s top urban arts festivals, alongside well-known acts such as Kanye West, Tribe Called Quest, AFI, Feist and Badly Drawn Boy.

JIVE MAGAZINE (JM): The first thing that I have to ask about is your name—Jima. How exactly do you pronounce it?

Jima (JA): Jim-A. It’s the first initial of my last name. I just felt like putting it in there cause I thought “Jim” was boring and it sort of stuck. I remember in grade school that there were like ten Jim’s in our class and that we were called by our last initial so…

JM: I thought it was pronounced Jima (Jee-ma) and that you were Japanese…

JA: No, I can’t be blessed with anything that cool.

JM: So instead you’re just Jim-a.

JA: Yeah, I’m just a white guy.

JM: Where does your band name come from?

JA: You know, I have no idea. If you’ve been in a band you know that one of the most traumatic experiences is the trial of naming your band…you go through these horrible names, right? And then comes the part where everybody makes a list, in band practice…

One day our drummer just came up with The Purrs and I immediately liked it because it was short. My concept has always been that if the band name is short, and you put it on a flyer, and you put it in a bigger font, you can always see it—you can read it from farther away. There’s a sh*tload of bands out there right now with names like, “I see you and I’m going over here…” really long surnames…if you put that on a flyer you’d need like a microscope to read it.

JM: Never thought of it that way but it makes complete sense. When was the band first formed?

JA: It’s been named The Purrs since the year 2000. We got together then and started playing in a certain form...3/4th of which still exists today. We’ve been playing a lot of shows locally.

JM: Which brings me to my next question: Through the years, so many bands have come out of Seattle, out of the local scene. What is the music community there like?

JA: I don’t know…I’m assuming it’s like any other band scene. I’ve lived in a couple of towns, and I’ve been in the band scene in all of those towns, and everyone always says that the band scene sucks or that it seems really clique—everyone always dishes on their band scene. But a lot of that, I think, is like pissing in your own living room…[But as far as Seattle is concerned], I don’t think it’s that different from any other band scene.

There may be people who you will find to be sort of clique, but if I was an architect, and I hung out with a bunch<
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Wherever there is a need for kitschy, atmospheric beach music, The Purrs will be there. Take the imagery of an ageless coastal California afternoon that bleeds into the evening and splash in accents of British pop/rock and you’d have a vision of their self-titled album. This one took a few plays as background music before the sound hooked me, but it did and pretty well. Even still, this is not music to actively listen to but more of a soundtrack for life. It fills otherwise the lifeless air around you with a mellow cool that occasionally rises to an active Brit-pop/rock tune and pulls back again.

I had a good time with this album. There’s a whiny nature to the lead vocals that set me off a bit at first but I found to work well with the rest of the sound after the break-in period. They have a good sound and an unconventional artistic direction that just works. Check them out at Thepurrs.com if you have a chance
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A Poor Man’s Verve? The skinny on those four dudes from Seattle is that they are nothing more than neo-psychedelic Verve re-gurgitators. While that notion cannot be completely denied, categorizing them as simply a two- bit, Northwestern Yankee version of said band would not do (The Purrs) any justice. The Purrs’ sonically laid back output has many more influences, including the hazy melancholy of Echo and The Bunnymen, the soothing detachment of Mazzy Star, and the narcotic folk of the Cowboy Junkies.

The Purrs have touted this self-titled, record-label debut as ‘greatest hit’ album because it contains two songs from their second EP -No Particular Bar, No Particular Town, 2004 and seven songs from their DIY oeuvre -The Dreams Our Stuff Is Made Of, 2005. Therefore, if you are a Purrs-head, there is nothing new to discover. However, if you haven’t been tuned to Seattle’s cutting edge KEXP, than you are in for a trippy treat.

Purrs’ Front man and lead singer, Jima (pronounced Jim-A) does not possess the grand vocals that Richard Ashcroft did, but his singing style, while not quite in tune one hundred percent of the time, is chocked full of despair and endearing sincerity. It is this level of genuineness that is The Purr’s strongest asset. This debut, while devoid of the anthemic splendor of The Verve and Echo and The Bunnymen, is also free from the pretense that filled the liner notes of those two aforementioned bands. The apogee of this offering can be found in the mid-section and/or gut; Songs such as “Loose Talk”, “Ebb & Flow,” “Because I Want To” and “Taste of Monday” all sound like tracks from a scaled down, boozier Urban Hymns.

Jima has said that his band is intended to be a bar band, where his audience can have a few drinks, some laughs, and have an overall good time. That sentiment is exactly what is captured on this album. Sure, this LP is short on majesty, but light up that kind bud pinner, take down a few pints and chill, you will really dig the vibe, man…. -- Alex Rendon
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Seattle's The Purrs had multiple hits on local radio station KEXP, and thanks to the breadth of streaming Internet radio, built a fanbase without ever leaving the Emerald City.

Now Sarathan Records is releasing their self-titled, national debut comprised of seven tracks off their Dreams Our Stuff Is Made Of LP and some remixes from their No Particular Bar, No Particular Town EP. All we have to say is, "Mmm...shoegazer."

Lyrics about drinking, dreams and songwriting are generally unobtrusive, and musically, there's some Richard Ashcroft (The Verve) and Galaxie 500 influence here. Our favorite track, "Don't Stop Kicking Me Down" reeks of Seattle-"it"-bands. Delicious.

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The Purrs hail from Seattle but are not a "Seattle band", which is basically saying that they are not Mudhoney, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Green River, Soundgraden or any band that you can think of. There has always been music in Seattle that hasn't been "grunge" anyways. The Purrs are a pop rock band with enough high energy riffage, good lyrics and radio ready singles to take on the big boys from the outset. Now I know when you hear the name The Purrs you are probably thinking the same thing I was--definitley an all girl band, oh how wrong I was and I guess you were too. I mean the Josie and the Pussycats thing was totally in my head when I heard the name. You might not believe it but the rhythm of Josie's cartoon 60's pop actually shares a bit in common with The Purrs.

The Purrs first record, the self titled The Purrs, is oddly enough something of a greatest hits. Before the band got signed to Sarathan Records they released an EP "No Particular Bar, No Particular Town" and a DIY effort "The Dreams Our Stuff Is Made Of". The band decided to select the best songs from those two records, which comes to 9 tracks, and throw them on one record.

Call me crazy but when I hear 'Connect The Dots' I think it sounds like John Lennon, David Bowie and the guys in Oasis got in a fist fight, well it wouldn't be surprising for the Oasis boys, and someone recorded the brawl. Singer/Bassist Jima's slacker, almost talking vocal style resembles early Bowie, especially when he adds a break in the song and goes "She's feeling low, man!" Also the way the guitar's are a little off kilter and rise to the fore front. It's funny that a band from Seattle could nail Brit-pop so well. 'She's Gone' is either a lost Oasis b-side or a Verve song they never got to do, thanks Keith Richards!, but it's warm "bababadaba" backing vocals and mid tempo pace work well together. The band writes really long songs but hey if you got someone hooked isn't a longer ride more fun? The Purrs don't have a song under 4 and half minutes but that's okay because they have singles in there. Songs like 'Loose Talk' will soon have radio stations emphasising the 5 minute and change single instead of the three minute one. The whole thing is totally of 60's pop or 90's pop over in England, I don't know how else to describe it. The guitars are trippy and bouncing side to side, the vocals are chilled out, all the while trying to create pop music using things that could be so alienating.

The Purrs seem to have world conquest on their mind, and if they keep turning out albums like this one they may just have it. Trippy dippy sixites brit pop who thought of that revival well except Anton Newcombe, but anyways when everyone in the world starts copying this style will know who to thank, The Purrs. The band know what they want and they know just how to get it, by making great music Brit pop on the US soil who would've of thunk it?.

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Seattle’s The Purrs released one of the catchiest album since the War of 1812 in 2005 called, The Dreams Our Stuff Is Made Of. Also, they are really nice guys who love writing songs about boozin’ and writing songs about writing songs. The Purrs will be releasing a new self-titled album September 12th on Sarathan Records featuring a few tracks from The Dreams Our Stuff Is Made Of including some remixed tracks. Check out Get On With Your Life, and look the fuck out for a national tour sometime in the fall.


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Seattle's own The Purrs released their DIY album The Dreams Our Stuff Is Made Of in 2005 to great local acclaim and have since been KEXP faves and one of the Emerald City's best kept secrets... until now! The band is all set to release their self-titled full-length next month on September 12th on Sarathan Records before embarking on a national tour in October - stay tuned for dates.

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A while back i gave a favorable review to an EP by a Seattle band called The Purrs. They had a certain Verve influence that i found rather appealing, as well as some strong songwriting skills. A few months later i received this CD in the mail. It is The Purrs debut full-length, and it contains almost 79 minutes worth of music.

As an album it works. I have been listening to this disc a lot, and i think that it really shows that the band has a lot of potential. Their songwriting is strong, and they consistently craft catchy tunes with memorable hooks and simple lyrics to scream along with in the car. The guitar work varies from languid strumming to fuzzed out psychedelia, and the rhythms move the tunes along nicely.

This is one of my favorite discs of 2005. I have listened to it innumerable times, and i will continue to listen to it. There are so many good songs here, but let me just go over a few of my favorites.

The first song on the disc, She's Gone, is a fun tune with a happy, loping rhythm. It builds to a nice but unhurried frenzy in the middle, with vocalist Jima really belting his lines. A nice start.

Up next is the title track, The Dreams Our Stuff Is Made Of. (Grammar note: shouldn't that be The Dreams Our Stuff Are Made Of?) This is a strange tune that still manages to be appealing. It is almost southern -- a fiddle drones, and it moves at a comfortable 3/4 time, waltzing along nicely. What makes it so odd is the use of unharmonized backing vocals. That is, the backing voice is in a completely different key than Jima, and it creates an interesting contrast. It does grate, but just slightly, but it also works on many levels. An odd effect, but somehow they manage to pull it off.

Don't Stop Kicking Me Down gets off to a wonderful start with a long, slow guitar jam: one guitar chugging away in light arpeggios, the other whirring under a mass of distortion far in the background. Then the voice kicks in, and the tune grooves along nicely at an unhurried pace. It's a fun tune.

My favorite track on the disc might very well be I'm Leaving Today, which starts with the wonderful lyric "Half a dozen ugly people are hanging out in my living room. They'd gladly stab me when the lights go out..." A brutal image, but apparently Jima hates his neighbors. Who knew? Anyway, in addition to some wordplay about being sick of everyone you know, this tune features some nice chiming guitars and competent slide guitar. Jima's voice really works here, and his vocal interplay with the backing voices that are buried in the mix is wonderful. The vocals, combined with the almost whining slide guitar part, make for an excellent tune.

Those are, in my opinion, the best songs on the album, but there are a few other noteworthy parts of songs. For example, drummer Craig Keller really shines on Much Too Much, where he taps the drums in a positively upbeat and happy manner. Guitarists Jason Buchanan and Jason Milne do a very good Church impression on Taste Of Monday with their two guitar parts combining to remind me of the work of Koppes and Wilson-Piper on Forget Yourself. The two Jasons also do a good job on the long noisy jam that closes the album, the aptly titled Seattle Dept. Of Fuck You.

This is good, solid rock music. There are hints of many acts that have come before in what The Purrs are doing here. At times i can hear a bit of The Doors, The Rolling Stones, Verve, and yes even the ever-popular Echo and the Bunnymen. This is rock music to be played loudly in dingy bars. It is guitar work to blare at maximum volume with the windows down as you sail down the highway. It's loud catchy stuff to play on the stereo as you bounce around your home.

However, i can see how this would fail to appeal to some people. Jima's voice is kind of high in the mix, and he does kind of whine a bit. Also, despite my enjoyment of what The Purrs are doing here, i have to admit that it's not particularly innovative. That is to say, they
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One of my favourite guitar bands of the last couple of years has been The Purrs whose 2004 e.p. was one of the years highlights including, as it did, the epic “Creeping Coastline Of Lights” a tune which still makes regular visits to my stereo. Now the bands have released their debut album full of jangly psychedelic songs that are beautifully arranged and played. Various reviews of this band have mentioned the dreaded phrase “Brit-pop” but, although the vocals have a passing resemblance to Richard Ashcroft (The Verve), to my ears the band have a sound more akin to The Church, Galaxie 500 or even The Green Pyjamas, making them far more interesting than any Brit-pop band I can think of.

Full of chiming guitar, the title track is the first highlight, offering gentle waves of melody that wash over you in a delightful way, whilst “Loose Talk” has a velvets groove complete with sing-along vocals. Things are slowed down for “Won’t Stop Kicking Me Down” the gentle wistful melody hiding some truly vitriolic lyrics that are well written and get the point across. Possibly the strongest song on the album “Taste Of Monday” seems to encapsulate everything the band is about, the guitar ringing through the skies as the melody dances on the ground below, creating a paisley pop classic that ends too soon and is the start of an epic five song sequence that finishes the album in glorious style finally drifting off with the psychedelic floatation tank that is “Seattle Dept Of Fuck….” On which the band discover early 70’s Floyd and trip out for seven minutes of bliss.

These days self financing and releasing a 72-minute album on your own is a brave and confident move. The Purrs seem to have pulled it off and must now hope that they reap the rewards for their endeavours, I, for one, wish them every success. (Simon Lewis)

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BY BRIAN J. BARR

The Purrs Thurs Sept 15,
Seattle Art Museum,
5:30–7:30 pm,
music free with
museum admission,
all ages.

"Everybody's got a band that they're in the closet about," says the Purrs frontman Jima. "I have a huge love of the band Suede."

While Suede can get a bum rap, it's impossible to deny their influence on '90s Britpop. Sidestepping Manchester's shoegazing and dance-pop scenes for the dark sexual glam of Bowie and the Smiths, Suede brought the three-minute single back to the UK. They also influenced a string of stateside bands, including Brian Jonestown Massacre and the Dandy Warhols, all of whom factor into the Purrs' sound.

Formed after answering a classified ad in this very publication, the Purrs have gigged endlessly about town since 2000, self-released two EPs and, in July of this year, put out their first full-length, The Dreams Our Stuff Is Made Of.

A true long player, Dreams clocks in at just over an hour. Though recorded in Jima's home studio, the album is a grand affair with enough echo to sound like it was recorded during sound check at a concert hall. Vocally, Jima evokes the straining emotional agony of Richard Ashcroft and the band mostly follows suit, styling themselves around the swirly pop vein of the Verve. "Loose Talk" is a Stones-y stomp, as is "Much Too Much," with its Gimme Shelter-esque riffs and guitarists Jason Milne and Jason Buchanan are steeped in jangly psychedelia. Together, their interstellar noodling also veers off into Echo & the Bunnymen territory, and the final seven-minute instrumental track ("Seattle Dept. of Fuck You") is a guitar epic that sends listeners into a "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" space trip. Ultimately, this mix of Britpop, psych- and space-rock places the band neatly within the crop of UK-leaning young Northwest acts like Zero Points, the Village Green, and Derby.

Thanks also to bolstering from KEXP, numerous heads have started turning the Purrs' way. Just the other day, Jima shipped a copy of their disc to a fan in Germany. Not bad for a band that's rarely strayed from the Puget Sound area. "That's all KEXP," Jima admits. "I think single-handedly KEXP pushed it and that helped a lot."
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The Purrs

Mewling a sing-along arrogance both hazy and majestic, the Purrs couldnt have been better named. Debut album The Dreams Our Stuff Is Made Of blends vocalist Jimas swaggering vocals, doo-wop opiate harmonies and angelic guitar lines with soul and precision. JAY HORTON. [Pop]

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By Rob Bolton
September 07, 2005

One thing is for sure, Seattle-based combo the Purrs are persistent. After a string of EPs and piles of shows in their hometown over the last few years, they have taken it upon themselves to release their first full-length album as a 70-minute-plus opus without any support, even from an indie label. It might be a gamble, but after hearing the songs, you can see why they are so determined. With a sound hinting at both Galaxie 500 and the Brian Jonestown Massacre influences, the 13 tracks on the album are rooted in catchy, jangly guitar hooks, and steeped in just the right amount of reverb. There is a nice mix of both quiet and epic-sounding post-shoegazer rock here, and singer Jima has a hazy, laidback style that marries itself nicely to the rich textures of the music. There is a refreshing sense that the Purrs made no attempt to follow current trends for the sake of it. These guys know what they like, and they stick to it. There is a lot of material to chew on here, and although this might be too much for the casual observer, those even remotely interested in the psych-pop scene will definitely want to take a peek.
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I also checked out the Purrs that same night (8/25/05 at Neumos), a wonderful Seattle band also bending back the clock—this time to the heyday of MTV's 120 Minutes. With a frontman who bears a vocal resemblance to Richard Ashcroft, the band glided between Suede-style Brit-pop drama and Brian Jonestown Massacre-style jangling psychedelia. Good stuff. - JENNIFER MAERZ
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At 2:50pm - Music Reviews with Cheryl Waters
The Purrs are one of the better overlooked bands of our fair city. Rarely a month goes by where their name doesn't apppear on a club calendar, yet they remain buried in obscurity.Their latest album The Dreams Our Stuff Is Made of is fabulous and, surprisingly, is self-released. For the life of me, I don't understand why this band, who have been around for several years now, has not made a bigger splash. I hope it's just a matter of time. Their style harkens back to the 80's British psychedelic era, reminding me of bands like The Verve and Echo and the Bunnymen with long, psychedelic intros of meandering guitar and that bleeds into a mellow echoed groove. When the vocals kick in, the songs really descends into Verve/Bunnymen territory, with soaring solos of long notes, thudding drums, and prominent vocals. There's wonderful variety in the new albums with that delicious psychedelic sound rounded out by some slightly twang-inflected songs.

The Purrs been running mini-tours throughout the NW for the past few years and this has resulted in a tremendous chemistry that totally comes across in their recorded work and their live shows are incredible. Fortunately for locals, there are plenty of opportunities to see them live up and down the west coast (check out thepurrs.com). See them while you can. I expect big things for this band.

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The Purrs
The Dreams Our Stuff Is Made Of
Self-Release (June 2005)
words: Michael D. Ayers


Clearly, Seattle has a gem in The Purrs.

They waste no time letting listeners know what their sound’s all about in the opening tracks of their new album, The Dreams Our Stuff Is Made Of. They take 60’s Animals/Stones style, mixed with bluesy pop, and put a great psych-twist on it.

A formula so simple shouldn’t make for a revolutionary album.

And maybe its not revolutionary, but, it sure is catchy—some of the catchiest psych-pop I’ve heard lately.

The Purrs obvious distortion of key influences, like Galaxie 500 and the late-era Jesus and Mary Chain, while delivering hooks to invite repeated listens, makes the band’s debut album more than enjoyable—it’s downright refreshing.

But most infectious about this band is their tendency to repeat song titles over and over at the song’s end, like in the tracks, “Coming Out of the Clouds” and “She’s Gone.” It runs the risk of sounding lame, but the Purrs manage to pull it off. The lead singer/bassist Jima’s (yes, just Jima) high vocals, slightly reminiscent of Frank Black, sport top-notch annunciation, which gives the Purrs’ lyrics a quality nearly obsolete in contemporary times: you can understand it.

The tracks are strong on The Dreams Our Stuff Is. It clocks over 70 minutes, and it’s well-worth the investment.
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The Purrs - The Dreams Our Stuff Is Made Of
By Nadeem Ali
‘She’s Gone’ the opener to The Purrs debut album is a perfect slice of swooning psyche-pop. It shimmers like Echo And The Bunnymen playing in the Cornish sun while angels sup from the golden rays. Unfortunately for us the rest of the album fails to live up to the high standards The Purrs set for themselves. On occasion they come close but never quite manage to regain that magic. Ethereal melodies float about like clouds embracing bright blue skies. Their laid back smoochy wandering is still charming enough to make ‘The Dreams Our Stuff Is Made Of’ a worthy investment.


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After hearing my favorite morning DJ John Richards (KEXP) rave about The Purrs, I knew I wanted to do a review of their The Dreams Our Stuff Is Made Of. After a couple of listens, I have to say that The Purrs are much better drunk; me not them. Or maybe as I drink more and get closer to the end of the album the songs just get better. I think it's actually the latter and not just the wine talking/listening.

Looking at the all the song titles on this album you would guess lead singer, Jima, has had a nasty breakup recently. Opening track "She's Gone" establishes The Purrs' jangly guitar ways and also reveals Jima to not be the cleanest vocalist, but I have to admit that when done with honesty and sincerity, as is the case here, I love the less than pristine vocal style. Hinted at in the opener and even more clearly displayed on the title track and throughout the album are the band's desire to create a somewhat dreamier atmosphere and also their willingness to fully develop a song. It may take a while to get through The Dreams Our Stuff Is Made Of's 72 minutes, but after a couple of listens, it becomes clear why John Richards was willing to declare that The Purrs are "your new favorite band". -Yaeka Katsuta
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The Purrs debut with a nice, strong dose of psych-pop. Long, languid numbers spiral and unfurl into the air like smoke. “The Dreams Our Stuff Is Made Of” follows last year’s “No Particular Bar, No Particular Town” EP, which elicited comparisons to Echo and the Bunnymen, Galaxie 500 and the Verve. On their full-length, they sound more like Love fronted by Steve Wynn from the Dream Syndicate. Promising stuff indeed, although Stima’s uneven vocals do sometimes threaten to break the mood the band is so adept at setting.—KCF
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(High Dive) As their name might suggest, local act the Purrs are practitioners of pop lullabies—but of the highly stylized variety. Their Richard Ashcroft–dipped Brit-pop bliss is full of aching vocals, reverbed guitar riffs, and balmy shoegazer melodies floating in a similar galactic space as predecessors like Brian Jonestown Massacre or Vue. Tonight marks the CD release show for The Dreams Our Stuff Is Made Of, a disc focused on the second word of that title, offering heavy-lidded, languid songs that leave vapor trails across your brain. -- JENNIFER MAERZ.


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This album is warm, smooth, comforting and slightly unsettling. In the ever-growing world of manufactured pop songs, it's wonderful to have an album like this. Vocals that take their time, guitar licks making their own point and enough psych rock references all add up to a invigorating break from the norm.
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Fuzzy melodic pop that melds the woozy melodies of Galaxie 500, the disaffected nasal vocals of Lou Reed and the warped psychedelic guitar solos of the Byrds or Love. - TIZZY ASHER
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“Its got some Television.
Its got some Brian Jonestown Massacre.
Its got some Luna.”

This is a tagline from the Purrs website (http://www.thepurrs.com) that describes the sound of their first full length release, “The Dreams our Stuff is Made of”. Drawing from the moody, rhythm-driven work from these bands, the Purrs have created a sparkling full-length effort that emanates a heady vibe of angst, introspection, and gut emotion.

The Purrs' sound has earmarks of a myriad of bands from yesterday and today. The tight rhythm section calls to mind the Dandy Warhols. Guitarist Jason Milne's spindly, atmospheric, other-worldly guitar reminds you of Will Sergeant or Tom Verlaine. Jima's deadpan vocals indicate a deference to Dean Wareham wit