SCOUNDRELLES PRESS:
Mojo March 2004 Energetic debut of a London power pop outfit led by Tony Thewlis, former guitarist of cult 80s garage longhairs The Scientists. **** (Four out of five) The Scientists were one of the great lost bands of the 80s. The Sydney quartet came to London in search of Stooges-like glory and found a mass of legal wrangles and hostile psychobillies. When they split guitarist Tony Thewlis stayed in London, got a job delivering blood for transfusions, and took 12 years to get round to forming The Scoundrelles. The snotty anger of the misfit that coursed through The Scientists has been replaced by a dark humour, most effectively played out on Why Doesn’t Somebody Take This Goddam Girl Away From Me, a tale of buying a build-her-yourself woman who proves to be more trouble than she’s worth. Elsewhere there’s dirty rock (The Many Moods Of Charles Bronson), T-Rex riffing (Down With You) and power pop tunes (Calling All Cars), fashioning an album that reveals a teenage obsession with science fiction and rock’n’roll that has, thankfully, stayed well into maturity.
Will HodgkinsonHi-Fi News Feb 2004 It’s hard not to feel affection for a band with enough of a sense of humour to open an album with a rampaging mindless rock’n’roll instrumental called ‘The Many Moods Of Charles Bronson’. The Scoundrelles are the latest incarnation of Tony Thewlis, the London-based garage rocker whose band The Scientists drew much acclaim about a decade ago, but never sold any records. The likelihood is that The Scoundrelles won’t either, but that’s no reason for you not to buy this CD, if the idea of Wreckless Eric fronting the B52s sounds like fun. (Or maybe it’s Jonathan Richman singing with The Cramps). The songs are often wilfully silly, including one about building a robot girl but leaving out one part by mistake, and one called ‘Don’t Forget We’re Visiting Kim’s Website For Christmas’ which is about, well, who knows? Mr Thewlis has a vivid imagination and songs like ‘As Demons Go’ or ‘The On;ly Good Cert Is A Dead Cert’ hint at the kind of dark depths that Neil Young might explore if he was a junkie. Uneasy listening. JB Peformance: Jolly Dark Recording: Faithful
Big Cheese Magazine, Feb 04 Off-kilter pop tunes with a rockin' chug from ex-Scientist Tony Thewlis Formerly lead guitarist with Australia's swamp-rock legends The Scientists, Tony Thewlis takes centre stage with his current group, The Scoundrelles, unveiling a slew of otherworldly pop-punk belters with an off-centre melodic heart. Powerchord blasts such as 'The Many Moods of Charles Bronson', or 'Goddam Girl' leap straight for the jugular, whilst an altogether spacier take on the garage rock vibe is revealed on tracks like The Only Good Cert. Recorded at the legendary Toerag studios, Organic Molecules has dirty rock'n'roll credentials and winning pop clout to boot.
Andrew SykesThe Next Big Thing website/fanzine Dec 03 The Scoundrelles debut Organic Molecules In Action! is ready to roll into your existence now and what a fab racket it is too. Imagine "Flies" period Chilton marinated in Scientists with a little Neil Innes on the side and you ain't even close.
Guitar Magazine Jan 2004 This London band fronted by Tony Thewlis, formerly of Australia’s cult boffins The Scientists, has fun whipping up some Americanised ‘60s schlock. There’s plenty for fans of retro guitar sounds, from psychedelic garage to scowling surf through a crackling amp. Ah!
X-Ray April 2003 London garage punk kings The Scoundrelles offer the twangtastic Why Doesn't Somebody Take This Goddam Girl Away From Me? More fun than you can shake a mic stand at.
Joss HuttonAll Music Guide June 2003 The ghost of Australia's Scientists is conjured up by the Scoundrelles, guitarist Tony Thewlis' latest combo, with Why Doesn't Somebody Take This Goddam Girl Away From Me?
Kathleen C. FennessySounds XP June/July 2003 “Why Doesn't Somebody Take This Goddam Girl Away From Me?” by the Scoundrelles (nice!) looks into the next decade with scuzzy guitar and a nugget of garage psychedelia. Held together by an overall feel of retro DIY-ness and exuberance - whether that can be put down to type of technology, the vibes in the Toe-Rag studios or the head honcho Liam's brews of tea is up for debate. Hail to the little man!