Chinatown - Self Titled

Chinatown was "born" in a living room in the spring of 2001 in Vancouver, B.C. Canada. The band connected right away, writing catchy rock songs that appealed to classic rock and underground rock fans. Not long after that, they started gigging around the B.C. area. In a short time, the band was able to pack the local clubs with fans of all walks of life. They shared the stage with many national and international acts like L.A. Guns, Zeke, The Makers, Zen Guerilla, The Avengers and loads more. With the strong local success in B.C., the band landed a full tour as an opener for Sub Pop / Liqueur & Poker recording artist, the Black Halos. Chinatown developed a reputation as one of the "must see" live bands with their high energy, sleaze rock sound.

Atlantic records was interested in Chinatown. After playing a stellar show to a packed house of screaming girls (who climbed the stage and attacked the band), they suggested Chinatown just keep on working at it, and they'd keep in touch. Atlantic was really waiting to see if Chinatown's sound was going to be the next big thing. The band had many offers from indie labels around the world, but put them all on the back burner to see if Atlantic would sign the band. Atlantic never did get back to the band. The band went on recording their self-titled debut release for Sonic Swirl Records. After nearly two years in the making, Chinatown's self titled debut is finally available to their hungry fans.

The self-titled debut cd is packed with fuel injected, straight ahead sleaze rock with no filler. The band's sound has been compared to New York Dolls, Guns N Roses, Backyard Babies, The Faces & classic 70's Aerosmith. Great classic 70's guitar riffs with 80's hard rock solos that would make Slash proud. Also added with the spirit of 70's glam rock, Chinatown is the new movement for sleazy hard rock of the new millennium. It's all about the rock!

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Reviews

Review from: CLASSIC ROCK Magazine

8 out of 10 rating

You really should of heard of Vancouver's stadium bound sleaze stars before now, but they were laying low for the past couple years, waiting for a major-label pay day that never came.That's a pity, because you could've
gotten laid to summery superhits like REVOLUTION LOVE and GO ALL THE WAY a lot sooner.This is not some booze-pounding, punk-derived nu-sleaze band, baby, CHINATOWN is the good ole stuff, like Thin Lizzy, The Rolling Stones and Aerosmith. 'Classic', I believe, is what they like to call it around
here. I'd just call it one hell of a debut album.

Review from: Sleazegrinder

Chinatown is the hottest Canadian rock band since Crystal Pistol. I just wanna get that out of the way right off. These Vancouver sleaze dealers have been sitting on this monster for two years, waiting for some wretched major label to sign 'em, but the "real rock" deal-with-the-devil went elsewhere this time (Hello, Rock N' Roll Soldiers), so Chi-town have landed comfortably in the plush confines of Canuck action rock label Sonic Swirl, and now you get to reap the benefits. And what benefits they are. Ya get the confident, ego-strutting cock-star vox of Chris Bridges, a devastating twin guitar attack (Ben Yardley, Chris Tait) these fellas might want to start concocting some rock star names soon. I think they're gonna need 'em) with all the power of Thin Lizzy and all the easy swagger of mid-70's Aerosmith, and you get actual, full-blown songs, living breathing, party-starters and riot baiters like "Destroy", "Revolution Love" and the high-flying "Sweet Easy Action" with hooks and choruses and awesome guitar leads, the kinda songs you put on beach-bound mix tapes and play incessantly for your friends, even when you know they don't want to hear about it. A very impressive slice of full-bore raunch n' roll here. You could base a whole lost weekend on this album. A whole lost adolescence, even. Highly recommended.

Reveiw from: Highbias Magazine

Now that the boundaries between the variations of guitar-based rock & roll have become more and more blurred (by too much alcohol consumption, one presumes), tons of bands tread the boards in leather, lace and steel-tipped boots. For these folks, there's no difference between the Detroit stun rock of the 60s, the glam and arena rock of the early 70s, the punk of the late 70s and the sleaze metal of the 80s, and they're dedicated to reliving every era at once, the more decadent the better. Vancouver's Chinatown is one such combo, cranking out hard rock hooks, glam metal sneers and punk rock energy with equal fervor. Bands like Towers of London and the Backyard Babies are definitely touchstones here, though the Canuck quintet favors the 70s portion of the equation over the punk and glam factions. There's nothing particularly innovative on Chinatown, but when songs like "Move Out," "Sweet Easy Action" and "Revolution Love" hit like thunderclaps, who's gonna care' This kind of butt rockin' is either effective or it isn't, and here it most definitely is. Hit Chinatown to get your rawk on.

Review from: Black Angel Promotions

Another GREAT release from Sonic Swirl Records! Sonic Swirl has been specializing in unearthing and giving proper light to dirty, straight forward rock bands that sound as if they were pulled straight out of the 1960's and 1970's.........and Chinatown is no exception.

Formed in 2001 in Vancouver, B.C. Canada, Chinatown writes catchy American-style Rock anthems better than most American bands from that time period. These guys toss enough sleaze, booze and sex to take you straight back when RnR was in its heyday. 70's glam rock, New York Dolls, 60's garage rock, call it what you will....but Chinatown rocks harder than most releases I've heard lately.

Songs like "Shoot It Up", "Streetlight Parasite", "Destroy", "Revolution Love", "Sweet Easy Action" and "Go All The Way" give you an idea of what these guys are all about. The production is great! Big, thick drums and bass, layered vocals and harmonies, 70's fueled guitar riffs buzzing around and lead vocals that compliment the entire sound. So, if you dig The Rolling Stones, Black Crowes, Cheap Trick, Iggy And The Stooges, Aerosmith, New York Dolls and the likes than Chinatown is for you!

Review from: SONIC RUIN Magazine

If I ran the world and allowed only cool people to walk the streets and occupy my world, Chinatown would probably be the house band at the headquarters of my castle, at least as long as they released albums such as this self titled debut.

This is what Rock and Roll is all about kids: loud guitars, power, attitude, kicking riffs. This thing has it all in spades, including a cover that fits in the world of RnR.

Barring any miracle's kids, this is easily the runaway favorite for the album of the year. It's that good. We get the standard warning to run for cover of feedback and guitars scratching out our upcoming rhythm. Then 'Move Out' kicks in, and you sit there amazed at how cool of a tune it is.

But then it ends and a thin guitar with a cool riff starts up, and then the drums build, and then it rolls in with a cool verse, only to lead way to a killer anthem style chorus telling us to 'Shoot It Up' all night. Now, drugs have never been my thing, but at this point the boys have me believing that I need to shoot something up, and if it is going to lead to more of this stuff they are peddling, I'm cool with that.

'You look good, I look great', indeed.

But then, well, 'Streetlight Parasite' comes on, showcasing possibly the greatest chorus I have heard in 36 friggin' years. After the first chorus that has sent your head swimming, you fall into the second verse, and you realize that sometimes a chorus to verse transition can be the coolest thing on the planet earth. But then we go back to the chorus and you remember that you have already encountered the coolest thing on earth, and it's this fucking chorus!

'Destroy' is full of more of the same killer riffs and anthem choruses.
It never stops, 'Revolution Love', 'Indians' on into the semi-power ballad 'Slip Away' that is the type of tune Aerosmith once did well. Then back to the rolling moves of 'Sweet Easy Action' and 'Go All The Way', it's all riffs from the Gods and choruses and killer vocals that dreams are made of.
The album truly ends on the perfect closing track 'Suddenly Hits Me' that ups the ante for the next album. The verse is mixed with a backing vocal that just screams for being the last song played during the night. It leads to a perfect 'tear the place apart once and for all' finish.

The final track is an acoustic version of 'Slip Away', but I pretty much end every play with 'Suddenly Hits Me', it just works better that way for me.
The band has been around for a decent amount of time I am told, and it amazes me that we have not all heard of them before this album being released. They're out of Canada, so if you find yourself up there, keep an eye out. They are easily one of the best bands recording in this world right now.

This is the type of album that makes kids grab airguitars and jump around in their rooms like idiots. This is the type of album that makes every kid in the world a rockstar for about a ½ hour in their bedrooms. It's the type of album that makes us all rockstars while we drive around in our cars imagining it's us making these beautiful sounds. It's the type of album that makes you smile from ear to ear upon hearing it the first time, and that makes you scream when your friends put it on in the car, or at a party in the years to come. It's a bond you will have with the 'cool people'. It never grows old, only you do.

From: Scannerzine.com

Ohhh baby!!! Rock and roll!!!! This is actually an enjoyable little romp through the world of glamified, ruffle- haired rock 'n' roll. Snag is, it's just TOO Guns 'n' Roses and not enough NEW YORK DOLLS; TOO Kiss (minus make-up) and not enough FACES; TOO LA Guns and not enough HANOI ROCKS; just TOO flag-waving, cock out rock 'n' roll and not enough spit-in-your-eye, fuck you Rock 'n' Roll. Make sense' If not, maybe the fact the band shunned several independent labels due to Atlantic Recs showing some kinda interest in them. Wannabe cock-rock stars - albeit more enjoyable than most. If the band do make it to a major, I hope Sonic Swirl screw the fuckers for every single dime they can get from this piece of enjoyable rock 'n' roll crapola.