Bikes "Two Mice" 7"
Side A: Two Mice
Side B: P.P.O.D.
Faster And Louder (USA, May 2015)
Yeah, I know what you're thinking: it took me this long to finally write about Bikes?! Where in the hell have I been for the past four years?! It's old news at this point that the band's LP on Bachelor Records (released in 2012) is one of the greatest garage albums of recent memory. If you don't own said masterpiece already, you're shit out of luck like the rest of us. But whether you're a longtime fan or are arriving late to the party like me, you've got to get your mitts on the new Bikes single! It's a banger! Out on Alien Snatch Records, this sharp-looking 45 is limited to 500 copies and then gone forever. Featuring dudes from Die Ersten Menschen, Cccandy, Hellshovel, Demons Claws, and Modern Pets, Bikes lead the way for a Berlin garage scene well worth further inspection. And this little slab of fire will tide us all over until Alien Snatch releases the band's second album later this year. "Two Mice" is a Stonesy mid-tempo rocker with killer lead guitar work. What more do you need? On the flip, "P.P.O.D." is primitive and thumping - a great mix of '60s garage rock and more modern trashy punk. Both tracks present the opportunity for your very own dive bar rock n' roll party. Simply invite over a few rowdy friends, distribute bottles of cheap beer, and crank your turntable volume all the way up. You should expect a great deal of dancing and perhaps even some spirited fist fights over which track is better. If this single is a taste of what the new album has to offer, then we are all in for a big-time treat! Alien Snatch, as always, brings us the best.
fasterandlouderblog.blogspot.com/2015/05/bikes-are-back.html
the sunday experience (UK, May 2015)
a scuzzy lo-fi slab of uber cool garage groove authentically whittled out with slinky riff struts aplenty and some killer blues licks to boot and sounding into the bargain not unlike a seriously wasted beat gouged early 60’s era Stones sharing a moment of studio wig flipping with the Flamin’ Groovies.
marklosingtoday.wordpress.com/2015/05/15/bikes/
OX Fanzine #120 (June, 2015) Das Banger-Rock’n’Roll-Bataillon BIKES steht für primitiv pochenden Garagepunk aus dem arschwackelnden Midtempo-Ressort, in dem zwischen ROLLING STONES und NERVOUS EATERS kurzatmige Eineinhalbminüter zurechtgeklöppelt werden. In den zwei knochigen Tracks dieser Single treffen bluesy schrotende Riffs auf Vocals, deren Überschwang an Reverb den Eindruck erweckt, sie wären in einem kargen Treppenhaus in den Vierspur-Recorder gehustet worden. Auf 45 rpm formulieren BIKES ein „How to“-Tutorial für eine rabiate Überführung vom klassischen Sixties-Hi-Gain-Maurerbeat zu einem moderneren Garage-Songwriting, als gäben THE COUNT FIVE den MUJERES einen Raucherkuss. (8/10) (MB)
