REVIEWS
Rolling Stone:
THE STREETWALKIN' CHEETAHS
Live On KXLU
Triple X
Their name comes from the first line in Iggy and the Stooges' "Search and Destroy": "I'm a streetwalkin' cheetah with a heart full of napalm." They cover both the Stooges (a raving "Funhouse") and the MC5 (the two-chord howler "Looking at You") on this live-to-radio smoker. Two bonus studio tracks were produced by MC5 guitarist Wayne Kramer. And in their own "Motor City Rock & Roll," the Streetwalkin Cheetahs pay manic homage to their spiritual home, 1969 guitar-army Detroit: "I feel it in my soul/Never do what I am told/Never ever growin' old/It's the Motor City, baby/Motor City rock & roll!" Singer-guitarist Frank Meyer, guitarist Art Jackson, bassist Dino Everett and drummer Mike Sessa may come from Los Angeles, the land of sunshine and screenplays, but they rip it up like they get their mail at White Panther headquarters.
The Cheetahs have a fine studio album, 1997's Overdrive, under their belts, but Live on KXLU is the better measure of the band's gnash 'n' wail classicism. The guitars explode like nail bombs all over "Freak Out Man" and "Disease," and while Meyer's voice sounds like he gargles with fresh lava before he hits the stage, the band's impatience with whining alt-pop irony in "None of Your Business" and "What's Coming to Me" (as in "I want . . .") comes through in plain rock & roll English. As music fans, the Cheetahs certainly wish these were different times. On Live on KXLU, they kick it like they're the last band standing. The Streetwalkin Cheetahs will whip your ass. And you will like it. (RS 811)
* * * *
DAVID FRICKE
Austin Chronicle: March 16, 2001
Streetwalkin' Cheetahs: Casino El Camino day party, Friday 16
Is there a better punk rock band than the Streetwalkin' Cheetahs? Is there a better rock & roll band than the Cheetahs? Is there a better band, period? Maybe, but they ain't anywhere on the music industry radar. A conference favorite for the past several years, the L.A. quartet is a band that leaves it all onstage, and with the Cheetahs doing their usual detonation set at this day party on the patio of the Austin music community's favorite cantina several hours before their scheduled showcase at Emo's, one had to wonder if maybe they shouldn't pace themselves. Mind you, the four bright-eyed scruffers didn't seem to be drinking in excess, only rocking in excess. And what a beautiful thing it is when they do so. Debuting material from their brand new Triple X Records LP Waiting for the Death of My Generation, frontman Frank Meyer and the boys let it all hang out, and if you recognize their name as the Iggy Pop reference it is, that's about all you need to know about their music. That and the MC5, whose Wayne Kramer is a friend and frequent collaborator. "Incendiary" is a word overused in the rock critic lexicon, and yet it was invented for just such a band, and as they tore through the first four tracks from the new album, one couldn't help but be glad the band was playing just in front of the Casino's little fountain; if anyone caught fire, well, the answer was right in front of them. When Meyer, and later bassist Jeff Watson, got on the edge of said fountain to hold their guitars high in the rock & roll salute, one had to be a little worried about them falling in and electrocuting themselves, but clearly this was the last thing on the band's mind. One gets the sense all they care about is the white fury behind their eyes when they're going for broke. While the no-holds-barred Waiting for the Death of My Generation finds the Cheetahs fleshing out their sound a bit with exotic instrumentation (i.e. keyboards and horns), their 45-minute rock & roll bare-all was their usual no-frills, straight-ahead guitar, bass, and bombast. The kind that brings that same white fury to headbangers' glazed smiles. Speaking of headbangers, former Dangerous Toys frontman Jason McMaster was on hand to do his best Bon Scott (check out his local band Broken Teeth) on a song of his that the Cheetahs cover, "Undertaker." For an encore, he then pulled out his best Bruce Dickinson as the band tortured Iron Maiden's "Sanctuary." At a show like the Streetwalkin' Cheetahs, that's the last thing you'll find, but the first thing you'll want afterward.
(BY RAOUL HERNANDEZ)
HighBias.com:
THE STREETWALKIN' CHEETAHS
Gainesville/Maximum Ovedrive
Triple X & Bomp/Alive
The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs have proven themselves to be that rare punk rock band that actually evolves; its members are too ambitious to settle for the same old three-chord raveups and inchoate anger. No better case for this can be made than the quartet's latest slab o' riffage Gainesville. In the first three cuts alone, the Cheetahs stomp merrily through Beatlesque pop ("Good Morning"), thrashing punk ("Strangled By Love") and their own distinctive update on the MC5's high-energy rock & roll ("When God and the Devil Agree"). There's also some soaring pop ("Geek Like Me"), Stonesy rock ("Rock & Roll Fade Away," featuring the first appearance on a Cheetahs record of an acoustic guitar), an epic narrative ("Ward 6"), 70s stoner rock ("Crucified") and lots more power rock ("Born Leader," "One in the Chamber," "December in a Day"). Leader Frank Meyer claims the band wanted to make its Exile on Main Street, and while that may be overstating the case, Gainesville definitely makes the most of the good stuff (hooks, great vocals, guitars out the yin-yang) that makes Cheetahs records such a pleasure.
Contrast Gainesville with Maximum Overdrive, a resequenced reissue of the band's full-length 1997 debut Overdrive. At this point in the group's career it was defined more by its enthusiasm and energy that for its craft, and rude 'n' crude burners like "None of Your Business," "Freak Out Man" and "What's Coming to Me" favor brute force over finesse. "All I Want" and "Peppermint" demonstrate the melodic sense the group would exploit more successfully later on, but mostly Maximum Overdrive just rages on. And while its best tunes would have definitive renderings on the Cheetahs' live album Live on KXLU, this is still a lethal stab of rock & roll. Fans of the original Overdrive will be interested to know that this version collects a handful of the band's contemporaneous singles, including a pair of Radio Birdman covers guest-starring Birdman guitarist Deniz Tek, a take on the Runaways' "Cherry Bomb" featuring Runaways singer Cherrie Currie and the infamous pisstake "Burn Silverlake Burn." Diehards will also get off on an early, bluesy version of "Gettin' Sick" that's quite a contrast to the high velocity monster that appeared on Punk, Rock & Soul, the band's 1999 split CD with the BellRays. Maximum Overdrive is like a finger-painting next to the fully developed portrait of Gainesville, but it's a finger-painting by a prodigy. - Michael Toland
I94Bar.com:
THE STREETWALKIN' CHEETAHS
Maximum Ovedrive
Bomp/Alive
This is a substantially beefed-up re-issue of the mighty 1997 album by Los Angeles' most rocking combo of recent times, adding some demo and single material. If you're not familiar with the Streetwalkin' Cheetahs, you'll wonder if they live up the heavy expectations that such a name brings. To be frank, no band could, but they have a damn fine stab at it anyway, coupling the spirit of Detroit demi gods like the Stooges and the Five with a love for hard pop and what we in Australia would term "pub rock."
Formed in '95 by Stooges fan-atic Frank Meyer and now on the backburner for geographical reasons, the Cheetahs run a fair gamut of material on this disc. The Meyer-penned liner notes reveal an early search for their real musical clothes (and a couple of the numbers included do sit a little uncomfortably) but the bulk is hi-energy Motor City rawk. Collaborations with Wayne Kramer back in the '90s had him fulsomely declaring the Cheetahs heirs to the MC5's throne. That might be a little overblown but you get the gist of what he was saying.
No collaborations with Bro Wayne here but you do get digital treatment of the Cheetah's 7" single with Deniz Tek, "Do the Pop" b/w "More Fun" (one half of which only was previously available on CD, courtesy of Bomp's "Straight Outta Burbank" double compile). No radical re-arrangments but excellent stuff. So too is the cover of the Runaways' "Cherry Bomb" with no less than Cherrie Currie helping out on vocals. There are also wonderful, though faithful, covers of the Dead Boys? ?Ain?t Nothing to Do? and the 'Tators' "Faster & Louder", just to show the Cheetahs know The Bowery as well as the Murder City's Woodward. The latter closed down the original "Overdrive" CD and I can't recall a better version.
"None of Your Business" still rocks hard (and smells a little mysogonist into the bargain, it must be said). It was the opening "Overdrive" cut and now sits at two, behind "Do the Pop"?. The following tracks, "What's Coming to Me" and "Freak Out Man," build a brutal momentum and it?s almost a relief to visit L.A.'s seamy side in the next cut, "Little Tokyo." "Built for Speed" certainly is, but "Disease" still rates as one of the fastest things the Cheetahs have recorded. Check out a couple of things off "Waiting for the Death of My Generation" for a velocity check. If a couple of the poppier tunes sit uncomfortably, well that's ice you should be willing to pay.
Of the bonus tracks, "Burn Silver Lake Burn!" rings with all the fury that can be mustered. I'm at a loss to explain it fully (sounds like a rant against posers), but my experience of that 'burb in the City of Lights doesn't extend much past the Spaceland club and a little petrol (sorry, gas) station down the road that serves crap instant coffee. All I can conclude is that the residents are in for a shitload of trouble. "Getting Sick" is reprised, in slower form, from the "Punk, Rock and Soul" split EP with the Bellrays while "Fuck No" is a suitably raucous closer.
All up, an advance on the "Overdrive" album that you should already own - and a "must have" if you don?t and any of the usual I-94 touchstones ring a loud bell. Sounds great for the re-mastering, too. The swansong "Gainesville" album should be in the shops by the time you read this, but "Maximum Overdrive" is as good a starting point as any. The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs haven't shut the door on future work together but if they never re-surfaced, this re-ish would be a great send-off. - The Barman
STREET WALKIN' CHEETAHS
Guitars Guns & Gold
Launch.com
This is a b-sides type collection from these California punk rockers. The band's influences are tattooed on most of these tunes and I hear homage to all the right folks..."Small Town Killer" takes a swig of Motorhead, "The Night Billy Wanted To Fly" has Thin Lizzy-ish guitar lines, and the standout track, "Generator," sounding like the MC5 covering a Devo tune. It's strange but completely infectious, and my favorite track on the album. Also included are a few cover tunes (X, Iron Maiden, the Boys) and some SMOKIN' live tracks (especially ?No More?). The only cast-off is the last track, "Carnival" which is a joke anyway. If you dig this, make sure to buy pretty much all their other stuff, they do rock'n roll right.
I94Bar.com:
THE STREETWALKIN' CHEETAHS
Guitars, Guns & Gold
Triple X
Angeleno Frank Meyer's Streetwalkin' Cheetahs are a band that digs every kind of hard rockin' music, not only the high-energy Detroit kind with which they've been so closely identified (thanks to a band name taken from Iggy's greatest song and a lengthy stage-and-studio association with ex-MC5 guitar terrorist Wayne Kramer) but also '77 punk (which their sound has most closely resembled) and metal (the stock-in-trade of Frank's day gig as managing editor at KNAC.com; he previously penned liner notes for Bomp's Iguana Chronicles series of archival Stooge releases). They wear their influences on their black T-shirt sleeves (besides the aforementioned Kramer connection, they've had studio and live encounters with the likes of Deniz Tek, Scott Morgan, and ex-Runaway Cherie Currie), purvey an explosive live show that probably comes as close as anything you'll see today to approximating the mayhem of the Five and Stooges in their prime (hear their unspeakably dynamite "Live on KXLU" set from '99 for proof positive), and more recently, they've been finding their way around a studio with ever-increasing assurance (evidence: their five tracks on 2000's "Five Fingers of Dr. X" comp and last year's "Waiting for the Death of My Generation").
Meyer sings like a guitar player and plays lead like the aficionado he is (besides the usual Detroit/punk suspects, you'll hear echoes of seventies guitar gods like Jeff Beck and Johnny Winter in his riffage; the latter's "All Tore Down" is a fave toon of his), while his partner Art Jackson plays the Malcolm Young/Syl Sylvain role, cranking out the barre chords and holding things together while Frank, uh, INTERACTS with the audience a la Iggy. Since the departure of the excellent skinsman Mike Sessa and original skate punk/bassist-vocalist extraordinaire Dino Everett (whose departure seems to have decreased the athleticism quotient of their live show, at least on the basis of a coupla songs I caught late in their set at Emo's during SXSW last year), they've been going through rhythm section players like Spinal Tap.
"Guitars, Guns & Gold" is their rarities compilation, a necessary step for every band that releases as many records as these guys do (the Hellacopters' will be out later this year). It's interesting, in light of the Cheetahs' prolific recording schedule, to note that over half of the tracks collected here are previously unreleased in any form. Being the fans/collectors they are, maybe Frank and the boys didn't wanna take the fun out of it for their audiences. Why, they even encourage bootleggers on their website, as long as they get a copy.
So whaddaya get for your hard-earned fan buck? Several slabs of classic Cheetah crunch and frenzy ("Small Town Killer," the title track, "Generator," "The Night Billy Wanted to Fly"); a coupla covers (the American John Doe/Exene-led X's hometown homage "Los Angeles," the Boys' "Kamikaze," Iron Maiden's "Sanctuary"); unsweetened (minus sitar and horns) live-on-the-radio versions of two "Waiting for the Death of My Generation" songs ("No More" and "Dirty Mockingbird") that almost cut the originals; the evilest, most perverse Christmas song ever recorded; and an artifact from the band's very earliest daze as a comedy-and-covers band (shades of Rocket from the Tombs!) featuring Frank's brother, actor Breckin "Inside Schwartz" Meyer (I guess he really IS a Valley kid, after all) on drums and voxxx..
All in all, then, a solid set, at least enough to hold the faithful here in these United States over until their current American tour hits A Theater Near You, and the world at large until a full-length album of NEW material is released later this year. Turn it up! - Ken Shimamoto
HighBias.com:
THE STREETWALKIN' CHEETAHS
Waiting For the Death of My Generation
(Triple X)
Conventional wisdom holds that punk rock is four chords, anger and what the Damned called "mindless, directionless energy." It's supposedly a simple music that anyone could play, a turbocharged reaction to more elitist (read: complex) forms of rock and pop. The fans tend to be extremely loyal, to the point of tattooing logos on their bodies and patronizing shows even when a band is way past its prime. They're faithful, that is, as long as their heroes stay within rigidly orthodox boundaries, rarely experimenting, never letting go of the simple (some might say simplistic) style that made the genre infamous. - Michael Toland
It wasn't always like this, however. Punk originally meant less a formula for playing music than an attitude, an outlook on musicmaking that emphasized uncompromised self-expression. Twenty-five years ago such decidedly non-four chord artists as Pere Ubu and Television were considered punk, not because they hewed closely to what was rapidly being codified as punk style by the Sex Pistols and the Ramones, but because they followed their instincts, never compromising on their creative visions, regardless of the wishes of their record companies or even their audiences. This breed of punk artist is rare today, for to alter the formula often results in fan abandonment, followed by a "triumphant return" to the sound of old and a comfortable but unadventurous living on what's essentially a punk rock oldies circuit.
Not all contemporary punk rockers stay with the tried and true, though. There's a growing movement of artists loosely classified as "punk" who may have started out with the same four chords as everybody else, but quickly realized their ambition and ever-expanding technical skills could not abide being stuck in the orthodox ghetto. They stay angry and keep the energy of the punk while introducing new elements that keep them interested?and interesting. They keep the spirit of punk alive not by limiting themselves to punk orthodoxy, but by embracing the experimentation of such past masters and inspirations as the MC5, the Stooges and the Saints. Bands like the BellRays can satisfy the punk faithful while moving the music forward to the next phase.
Perhaps the most visible band stomping over the boundaries is L.A.'s Streetwalkin' Cheetahs. Always a explosive live act, the band has never quite caught fire in the studio, issuing entertaining but fairly traditional slash 'n' burn studio records like Overdrive that imitated their onstage fire. That's changed, however, with their latest record Waiting For the Death of My Generation, a genuine progression of the band's sound that still stays true to punk's unruly spirit.
A great way to begin the record, "Right to Rock" announces the band's intentions from the get-go, with a classic riff and a masterful update of the cliche "Yay! Let's rock!" cheerleading song. This and other firebreathers like "Why You Gotta Come First," "Future Lost" and the live favorite "In My Head" channel their live energy into the studio with no translation problems, but without overrunning the obvious craft that's gone into the tunes. Speaking of craft, the band lets their long-buried power pop jones come to the fore on several tunes. "White Collar Money" has Beach Boys harmonies on its coda and a super-catchy chorus about "white collar money in a black market world." "Lookout," another live staple, is almost a love song, and "Automatic," augmented by producer Brian Kehew's candycoated synth licks, is quite simply their hookiest, catchiest tune yet. A well-arranged horn section enhances some of the tracks as well. This isn't to say that there isn't any old school punk on this record. "Petty Little Girl" has speed and bad attitude to spare, and "Mama Train," written by and guest-starring former BellRays axeman Tony Fate, is a powerhouse rocker that threatens to consume everything around it in its righteous fury.
Contrary to their reputation, the Cheetahs are not punk revivalists. They're eager to move forward with the music they love, to expand and embellish the form. That they can do it with songs this finely crafted yet still ass-kicking, and with an album that uses the studio to its fullest advantage while still retaining their renowned live energy, proves that an adventurous band like the Streetwalkin' Cheetahs can help punk rock mature without losing its edge.
Michael Toland
From I94 Australia
WAITING FOR THE DEATH OF MY GENERATION - Streetwalkin' Cheetahs (Triple X)
The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs first intersected my reality during SXSW 1999,
playing what had to be the most OVER THE TOP set of rock'n'roll I'd seen in
forever - as great as the Who in '71 and the Clash in '79, as great as
Gluecifer would be in the same venue the following year. Young bloods of
laudable taste (read if you can the tiny tiny list o' influences on the
slick from 1999's roof-raising "Live on KXLU;" surely you'd have to go all
the way back to, oh, I dunno, fellow Angeleno Frank Zappa's first alb to
find a pedigree so immaculate and diverse), these guys not only had the
balls to cover "Funhouse" (a song which is really nothing more than a
throbbing pulsebeat, but these punks understand the value of GROOVE more
than most o' their contemporaries and were able to pull off the '70 Stooges
better than anyone I've heard since, I dunno, say Bored! on "Feed the Dog"),
they actually went head to head with progenitors like Wayne Kramer, Deniz
Tek, Runaway Cherie Currie, and didn't disgrace themselves even then. Bro.
Wayne (who shares management with 'em) proclaimed the Cheetahs "sons of the
Five," and while that might not be strictly true, sonically speaking (the
MC5 were a lot more steeped in R&B than most of today's bands who claim
their heritage), they're clearly possessed of the right spirit.
Since then they've cut a broad swath through Rockdom, releasing records like
they were going out of style (Jeez, you'd think they were the Hellacopters
or something!), including five tracks on the "Punk, Rock & Soul" split CD
with their pals the Bellrays (including a cover of "Slow Death" that made it
onto the Safety Pin Flamin' Groovies trib), five more on the "Five Fingers
of Dr. X" Triple X comp, tracks on tribs to the Saints and Radio Birdman
(toldja they had good taste), loads of singles and split singles that I
never got because I don't own a record player (still), and now this new
full-length. Whew! The lineup's changed a bit...bass acrobat extraordinaire
Dino Everett's place has been taken by the rock-solid Jeff Watson, and since
the album was recorded, the powerful Mike Sessa has also been replaced in a
trade with the Bellrays for another drummer and an unspecified amount of
cash.
With "Waiting for the Death of My Generation," lead Cheetah Frank Meyer and
company seemingly acknowledge that a band cannot live by sweat, beer,
feedback, and adrenaline alone (although all of those commodities are amply
in evidence here). Having shown that they can capture the full impact of
their live show in the studio (check out "Mass Confusion" from "The Five
Fingers of Dr. X" for the sonic equivalent of Frank and Dino dragging half
of the crowd at Emo's in Austin onto the stage at the climax of "Built for
Speed"), the Cheetahs now set about doing...something different. Indeed,
many of the songs sound positively POP (in a Cheap Trick sorta way) - a
strain which has actually been present in their music at least since
"KXLU"'s "Satisfy" - a good thing. Sounds like Frank and his
co-conspirator/second guitarist Art Jackson have been digging deep in their
songbag.
On a few of the tracks, the basic quartet is augmented with horns - most
effectively on a faithful cover of the Saints' "Know Your Product" and the
faux reggae tag of the closing "Dirty Mockingbird," where the horns are used
to pump up the chaos factor in much the same way as the ones on the MC5's
"Skunk (Sonicly Speaking)" (sans the Salvation Army band) - and even a sitar
on "No More" (shades of "Hindu Gods of Love!"). It works better than you'd
think. "Automatic" features some blorp-bleep eighties keyboard sounds that
almost make you think you're listening to, uh, the Cars or something, but
it's a boss toon nonetheless. "White Collar Money" ("...in a black market
world") coulda come from the pen of, uh, Elvis Costello or one of those,
only it's propelled by balls-out guitars rather than cheesy Farfisa.
Elsewhere (as on the opening "Right To Rock"), the classic string-scraping,
choke-strumming, full-on guitar attack remains powerfully in effect. "Future
Lost" appropriates the monochordal hammering riff from Dr. Tek's "Outside"
and boasts some scabrous wah action from Frank (spot the cop from Jeff
Beck's "orange" album to win a prize!). "Why You Gotta Come First" explodes
out of the gate like the amphetamine-charged offspring of "Burn My Eye" (and
dig those harmonies on the chorus!). But again, in the main, this is an
album of SONGS rather than JAMS. (It's like Asteroid B612's "Readin' Between
the Lines" in that respect.)
These guys have never been afraid to wear their influences on their sleeves.
With this album, their debts to earlier days are finally paid in full.
"Great art" it ain't - just the sound of a DANGEROUS live band taking it one
step further in the studio. Best American album I've heard so far this year.
Four and 1/2 Rolling Rocks
Check out what Artist Direct had to say about "Automatic" by the
Streetwalkin' Cheetahs:
This time around I get to say "I told you so". Back in August, I wrote about
The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs, a punk indie band out of Southern California.
They have completed work on their brand new CD, "Waiting For The Death Of My
Generation" and it is well worth the wait. This week's track, "Automatic", is
a hit. It has to be. The hook is killer, fusing 80's new wave to today's pop
alterna-metal, "Automatic" will be stuck in your head long after the first
listen. Led by guitarist/vocalist Frank Meyer the Cheetah's are on the road
in support of the disk making stops at SXSW in Austin and working their way
up the west coast before hitting the east in late April. Putting it all on
the line, if you're not hearing this song all over the radio by May, I'll
hang it up.
A Few Words From New Times LA
The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs
Waiting for the Death of My Generation (Triple X)
By Jeff Fox
Listen to this CD and it will become readily apparent why the Streetwalkin' Cheetahs have a reputation as one of L.A.'s hardest-rockin' bands. The Cheetahs' sound is somewhere between early-'80s SoCal punk and beefy mid-tempo rockers like New Bomb Turks and the Dragons. But on Waiting for the Death of My Generation, the Cheetahs reach out a bit musically, messing around with some extra instrumentation. There's a sitar intro to "No More" and some new-wavy mini Moog in the Runaways-meets-the-Cars number "Automatic." A horn section even makes an appearance here and there, most noticeably in the Cheetahs' faithful rendition of "Know Your Product" by Aussie punkers the Saints.
But the extra instruments are used very sparingly; they don't come off as "experimental" or self-indulgent. They are never a distraction from the Streetwalkin' Cheetahs' bread and butter: straightforward, energetic, raw rock 'n' roll. Hell, the Cheetahs can add kazoos, fl?rns, and bagpipes to their next album if they want. They'll make it all work out fine as long as they keep doing what they do best -- serving up powerful double guitars, thumping bass, heavy drums and catchy vocals.
The record's first two tracks, "Right to Rock" and "Future Lost," are the fastest and most aggressive, and the guitar sizzles from the first note of each. Soon after the intro, the whole band joins in for an all-out assault that barely lets up until the songs are over. The guitars in "Right to Rock" are played with such punch and aggressiveness that they could be considered percussion instruments.
Then again, singling out the most aggressive song on a Cheetahs album is somewhat pointless -- like deciding who is the tallest midget at the circus. Even the "mildest" song on Waiting for the Death of My Generation is full of more sustained energy and vitality than all of the boy-band albums in the world combined. On this album, as with their live shows, the Cheetahs give it to you point-blank with both barrels. There simply is not a weak track.
From Splendid E-zine
The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs / Waiting For the Death Of My Generation / Triple X (CD)
Just about any destructive adjective can describe this quartet's riff-heavy approach. With distortion cranked up and adequate application of the pedal-to-the-metal approach to speed, the Cheetahs blow past every retro-rock band, leaving The Hellacopters in a stupor and Fu Manchu groping for their skateboards. This foursome even rivals such classics as the MC5 and the band from whose lyrics they took their name, The Stooges. It's difficult to catch your breath, as several of these raucous numbers will take you to the edge, barely restraining you from plunging over the side. The Cheetahs refuse to be pigeonholed as a guitar-centric band; they include sitar ("No More") and a bit of early '80s flavored keyboards ("Automatic") to mix things up. Nonetheless, the guitar reigns supreme, conquering all in its immediate aural vicinity. Waiting... is an almost perfect document, proving that rock 'n' roll can slap you upside the head, kick your ass and spill you onto the concrete sidewalk...and somehow you'll still respect it the next morning. -- am
From Aversion.com
Waiting for the Death of My Generation
Streetwalkin' Cheetahs
Triple X Records
There's not many bands that base their sounds so squarely in the hands of a well-defined genre that can stand up as proudly as The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs do when taken out of their cozy position in the underworld. Where an affiliation with a genre all too frequently acts as a restraint when it comes to letting loose the rock, the Cheetahs manage to take everything that's expected of a trash-rock band and crush them under the boots of rampant rhythms and heavy riffs.
While the mantle of glammy punk rock isn?t either the freshest or underplayed one, the Cheetahs show that it isn?t one that's been beaten totally to death. Brisk and poised, The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs prove that, with a little determination and a whole lot of skill, any musical form can sound fresh. Key to the band?s sparking good rock is its ability to make its dual-guitar lineup work for it. Where most two-guitar bands attack listeners with two identical channels, the guitarists Frank Meyers and Art Jackson bounce juicy leads off blistering rhythm figures ("Right to Rock") or deliver a one-two punch with different tones on each guitar ("Mama Train"). For as raw, wild and out of hand the band sounds, their clearly sharpened musical minds camouflage order amid the band?s whirling chaos, so much so that Waiting for the Death of My Generation could be used as a primer for any band that considers taking more than one six-string into its makeup.
While the band's glam/punk sound is one of the heartiest to work the scene today, the Cheetahs' talent for adding new wrinkles into its sound separates this record from the rest of the pack. While the act still stays true to the vision that led bands like the New York Dolls or the Dead Boys, it?s also just as adept at punching trash rock in new directions. Whether it mixes in a George Harrison-style sitar ("No More"), dabbles with a spacey Moog ("Automatic") or makes a nod toward '70s arena rock ("White Collar Money"), the band shows it's just as able to bend its style as it is to pay homage to the great rock acts that came before it.
Junk-rock bands aren?t going to have to reevaluate their position in the music world following the release of this record, though Waiting for the Death of My Generation issues a strong challenge: Trash rock can evolve, even if only slightly, and still be a blast.
From The Austin Chronicle
BY GREG BEETS
The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs
Waiting for the Death of My Generation
(Triple X)
L.A.'s Streetwalkin' Cheetahs have become infamous for their MC5/Stooges-inspired live performances where every last drop of sweat is spent before the band leaves the stage. As their Motor City forebears learned, translating this into something that resonates in the studio is hardly a no-brainer. Just listen to the wide range of opinion surrounding MC5's stripped-down sophomore effort, Back in the USA. Producer Jon Landau was trying to showcase the jelly-tight dynamic and sharp songwriting skills buried beneath the sonic attack of Kick Out the Jams, but instead of being hailed for bringing this out, Landau was vilified for castrating the band. One can hear a similar, though much less dramatic, effort afoot on Waiting for the Death of My Generation. The Cheetahs come armed with several good pop songs that could sail within the context of most any affectation. The adolescent angst of "No More" is juiced up considerably with an effervescent sitar hanging just beneath the crushing guitars, while "Automatic" benefits from a well-placed Moog riff. There's a sweet, horn-laden cover of the Saints' "Know Your Product" featuring Fishbone's Dirty Walt on trumpet, and the Cheetahs' own "White Collar Money" punctures its commentary on the cult of rock celebrity with a sing-along chorus and more joyful horn charts. "Dirty Mockingbird" is an adrenal tour de force, starting as a raucous R&B number before switching to full-throttle hardcore and winding up in a fall-apart reggae blunder. Best of all, there's still plenty of loud, fast, head-to-the-wall punk rock to go around, as witnessed on "Why You Gotta Come First" and the supreme statement of purpose, "Right to Rock." Sit down, strap in, and hold on.
From New Times Palm Beach
The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs
Waiting for the Death of My Generation (Triple X Records)
By Brian Baker
It's not the least bit surprising that the Streetwalkin' Cheetahs lifted their name from the first line of "Search and Destroy," one of Iggy Pop's most incendiary songs; the Cheetahs use the Stooges as one of their sonic reference points. But the number of other '70s stalwarts that surface in the Cheetahs' blazing, brilliant sophomore album, Waiting for the Death of My Generation, is nothing short of astounding.
Of course the Cheetahs can claim influences from four disparate decades of music and be right on the money with all of them. The band is as punk as the Stooges and the MC5 ("Right to Rock"), as metal as Mot?ad ("Future Lost"), as new-wave as the Cars ("Automatic"), as brightly poppy as Cheap Trick ("Lookout"), and as hard-rock horny as Aerosmith ("In My Head"). The Cheetahs betray at least one sidelong influence with a blistering cover of the Saints' "Know Your Product," complete with Stones-ish horns and insistent hooks, followed by the full throttle Beatles-meets-Minor Threat thrash fest "Why You Gotta Come First."
Guitarists Frank Meyer and Art Jackson are encyclopedic riff historians who have successfully incorporated the hooks of their ancestors into their own top-volume execution. The Cheetahs ably combine the belligerence and animal power of Ace Frehley, James Williamson, and Wayne Kramer with the visceral fury of each successive generation of punk thrown in for needle-burying goodness. By the end of 40 heart-stopping minutes on Waiting for the Death of My Generation, it's clear that the Streetwalkin' Cheetahs are a shrieking rock 'n' roll time capsule, bursting with lore from the past and ready to alter the future.
From The Montreal Mirror
The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs Waiting for the Death of My Generation (Triple X/Song)
Along with brethren band the BellRays, the Streetwalkin' Cheetahs can now boast about being the only other L.A. band that matters. While the current crop of rockers rewrite the first Nashville Pussy record, the Cheetahs put the pedal to the metal and deliver the goods with sweat, blood, piss, vinegar and a truckload of melody. Guitars are pushed to the limits, where they should be, and vocals are screaming for vengeance. Just bashing away at the same old Johnny Thunders chords would make this a pretty boring listen but on songs like "No More," "Automatic" and "Lookout" these boys have a heartful of napalm under their vests and more than just a passing fancy for the glory years of Cheap Trick. The Saints cover, "Know Your Product," is fucking great, but the soul strut of "Dirty Mockingbird" is unstoppable. 9.5/10 (Johnson Cummins)
From Alternative Press
The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs Waiting for the Death of My Generation (Triple X)
You've bought this album at least 15 times, and with very good reason. The
Streetwalkin' Cheetahs operate with the sort of retro-hyperactive rock
bravado that always makes for a lovely social occasion, whether they're
getting their punk-with-horns Rocket from the Crypt jones on ("Know Your
Product," a Saints cover), spouting filthy pick-up lines like "You can't
anticipate the size of my erection" over synthed-up punk chords
("Automatic"), or simply chanting "Come on the bandwagon" over and over
again ("White Collar Money"). Bombastic, brash and endlessly entertaining,
this is a rock-and-roll bandwagon with breadth and girth you couldn't
possibly anticipate.
9 out of 10
From The Rawk online zine
Streetwalkin' Cheetahs-waiting for the death of my generation (triple x)
i kinda figured i was missing the boat with these guys since i've been
reading about them for years but only have a few songs in our collection.
boy
was i right! from mid-tempo "new wavey" hip grinders to full blown punk
anthems...the cheetahs are all about keeping you on your toes! equally
influenced by
brit/yank/aussie bands of yore (the saints' "know your product" is given
faithful service
here!) and with a pop sense that is hard to come across anymore these days
in the rawk
world, this really may be the missing link between 70's power pop and early
century
punk and roll. if you are need of more than one dimension in your
rawk...this is a great
one to pick up! - manthon
