The Monitors sound like a band that rocks because rocking is simple, pure fun.
Three Way Disco, the Tucson trio's third album in two years, is hard-charging, infectious and never lets up, cramming 12 songs into 30 minutes. (The band has made its albums available for free at themonitorsrock.com.)
The Monitors formed in late 2007, with Vikas Pawa (Nowhere Man, The Beating) on bass and vocals, Tommy Pritchett (Dog on Fire, Let's English) on drums and Morgan Schlaline (The Croutons, Ten Percenters) on guitar. Pritchett and Schlaline have since switched instruments.
Three Way Disco rushes by, the type of record made for bouncing off the walls, shouting along and drinking beer. "Casa de Fruta" sounds like an off-kilter hit, with its bouncy bassline, big guitar hooks and goofy lyrics about needing some fruit (including Pawa rhyming Kama Sutra with fruta).
"Synerphasm" and "Eyes" are straight-up punk rock—hard, fast and loud, while closer "The Landing" feeds off of a similar strain of the sun-baked psychedelic rock of the Meat Puppets
Elsewhere, the Monitors bring fond recollections of the Pixies, Cheap Trick and Elvis Costello. But Three Way Disco is hardly derivative. The influences are jumbled into an oh-so-right blend of refreshing, energetic and catchy rock music.
The Monitors deliver what they promise—all rock and no fuss.
