 Click here to buy The Safes "She's So Sad", "Sight of all Light", "Well, Well, Well", "Boogie Woogie Rumble" and "Family Jewels" on iTunes-Emusic-Napster-Rhapsody         |
 Buy: "Sight of all Light" CD "Well, Well, Well" - CD "Boogie Woogie Rumble" - CD, 10-inch red vinyl "Family Jewels" - CD |
August 2010
Coming soon to a turntable
near you
Merrifield Records
split 7" single with Baltimore's Thee
Lexington Arrows
The Safes "She's
So Sad" & "Leavin" - Side B
Thee Lexington Arrows "Billy Liar" - Side A
Wee Rock Records split 7"
single with Chicago's The
Blackbelts
The Safes "Birthday Cake" & "Safe n Sound" - Side
S
The Blackbelts "Satisfied" & "Wedding Bells" - Side
B
"She's
So Sad" on iTunes
The SAFES are happy to be playing
the 6th Annual Crossroads
Music Festival in Kansas City, MO on Saturday Sept 11 with a ton of
other great bands. We
can't wait!
Tour is booked; we are salivating to see you
July 2010, June 2010, May 2010
did they happen? I'm
sure they did. The boys were probably tanning and recording songaftersongaftersongaftersongthatwillbesharedsoonpromise
April 2010
At Magnolia we just recorded the backing track
and chants for fun little number we like to call "Youth Cult"
for our friend Nikki of Nikki
and the Weeps
and we also laid down a spazzy version of "Leavin" written by
the great Thee Lexington
Arrows for our split 45 with TLA sometime soonish on Merrifield
Records
not to outdo ourselves we're going to do another 45 with our Chicago mates
the Blackbelts on
Wee Rock Records
all details tbd
March 2010
Flying down to Austin to play some parties with
our friends during sxsw, can't wait
here are some kind blogs
Last Days of
Man on Earth
I’m not gonna try to do another St Patricks podcast like I did last
year. Frankly, I don’t think any podcast can top that one.
So instead, I’m gonna shift focus and set my sights on one of my favorite
groups of Irish-Americans playing today.
Yes, The Safes. Now, the O’Malley brothers and I have a lot in common;
we’re Midwestern dudes that grew up in our respective Midwestern punk
scenes.
We come from strong Irish American families with all the good and bad that
brings to the table. Our families were comprised of music buffs who instilled
a strong sense of it in us.
Where we differ is that I write meandering, rock criticism about the arcane,
unusual and underappreciated while The O’Malley brothers play in a
band called The Safes who ROCK THE FUCK OUT.
In fact, The Safes are rocking the fuck out of Austin this
week at SXSW. At the end of this post I have listed the shows in chronological
order.
Now, what I want to point out is that you, the potential SXSW attendee are
clearly faced with a decision and I would like to share my insight into
said decision.
Our feelings, our dreams, our ideas are increasingly becoming artifice. Reality is virtual and our passport into our virtual existence is our ranking as a consumer.
So we consume more and more artifice and the money that is raised from this creates more and more artifice. The end-result is that our lives are becoming one long staged event.
It used to be that indie (or underground, or alternative,
or whatever) culture was the last bastion of some sort of authenticity.
But SXSW and other “industry” events of its’ kinds represented
the death-knell of our little private Utopia years ago. There’s no
going back now. And in my opinion, there are two types of people at events
like SXSW.
There are industry-types who are peddling and consuming artifice and there
are music-fans who just wanna see some cool bands.
As a music fan, your mission over the next week or two is
to go see as many great bands as you can while getting as little of the
industry dirt on you as possible.
You’re on a mission to prove to yourself that there are at least a
few things left that are undeniably real.
And you can’t get more real than The Safes. They’re
just a great, unpretentious Midwestern rock-n-roll band who combine the
hooky-smarts of early Cheap Trick
with the energy of the best Chicago punk bands. Every show I have seen them
play has been a barnburner and I have to believe they are gonna melt your
face in Austin.
So do yourself a favor and check them if you are at SXSW. It may be the
most authentic thing you experience all week.
-Joe Stumble
Powerpop
Blogspot
Excellent video news from the Windy City: Ace pop/punk rockers, Friends
of PowerPop© and all around cool guys The Safes just made their national
television debut!
Here they are on January 29th on WGN-Chicago (hey -- it's a SuperStation!!!)
with the ultra kinetic and infectious "Fairy Tale Tomorrow" (from
their debut album Well, Well, Well.)
As you can see, these guys are a terrific little outfit with charisma to
burn, and they have boatloads of great songs. At the moment, they're world
famous only in their home town, but if ever a band deserved to impinge on
the national consciousness, it's them. Incidentally, at this point I should
note something I also noted the last time I wrote about them -- that they're
the subjects of what's easily the cleverest and most artful group photo
of the 21st century so far. (Note Brian Jones and company in the background.
Heh heh.)
For in our friends in Austin, Texas I should also add that the band is doing
a bunch of club shows at SXSW next month. You're welcome.
-Steve Simels
Thursday MARCH 18 -11am
The Liberty - Chicken Ranch Records party
1618 1/2 E 6th St
Thursday MARCH 18 -3pm
Trophys 2008 South Congress Ave
Friday MARCH 19 -3pm
House of Commons "Don't Tell Mom Fest" 2610 Rio Grande St
Friday MARCH 19 -930pm
The Liberty 1618 1/2 E 6th St
Sat MARCH 20 -8pm
The Tiniest Bar in Texas: Merrifield Records party
Tapebombs
I’m torn on where to be Wednesday night. I was just doing some ‘e-search
and adding some dates to the newest feature of this lovely blog (a show
listing in case you missed it)
when I came across this. TheSafesI love me some power-pop. Especially when
it’s been garage-marked in all the right places. The Safes, a 4-piece
from Chicago and made up of 3 instrumentally talented brothers and a bass
player, will be in town tomorrow night playing at Club Liberty. Yes, that
is right. Club Liberty. Who knew they threw shows?
Perhaps more to come? We’ll keep our eyes open. Anyways, their power
chords, radiant hooks, and boss-stomped boogie has got me wondering if maybe
Kimya Dawson @ the Mohawk is the right answer, or if I should bike my way
down to East 6th instead. I guess we’ll see.
February 2010
Frankie and Patrick's car did a 180 degree spinout
into oncoming traffic and then thank God back into the ditch on I-57 on
Feb 5 when headed toward Champaign
Luckily for everyone, Frankie is the new Mario Andretti. Naturally, to celebrate
another joyous day we decided to book some more shows in the Midwest in
the winter.
Folks in Milwaukee, Kenosha, St. Louis, Minneapolis, Madison... don't say
we don't love you. Dates
Folks heading to Austin for SXSW we'll be playing a bunch of really fun
parties there from March 18-20
January 2010
The SAFES live national television debut on WGN
tv singing "Fairy Tale Tomorrow"
Come on out to Quechers for Jet
W. Lee's "Who Shall Remain Shameless" vinyl release show in
Chicago with The SAFES and She
Bear
December 2009
Holy guacamole - Make a Wish benefit show at the
Pickwick with the Break, Kitty's bday bash in Galena, good tunes friends
and bbq in KC,
OKC are you for real? (and on a Tuesday night), Emily in Austin @ Liberty
with Love Collector & the Stuffies, Lew, Obsolete & Chicken Ranch
Xmas peeps & more bbq
punk rock's alive in Houston! with Born Liars, swampy New Orleans with Jenna's
teacher crew @ Circle Bar w/ uber surf trio the Unnaturals, Nicholas Cage
can attest
Memphis bbq @ Corkys & another slamming beer-drenched Angel Sluts show,
spot a trend our friends? All you all rule! 2010's gonna be fun - lookout
November 2009
The SAFES will be playing our
annual Thanksgiving Eve show in Chicago with our good friends and great
bands The Differents,
No Enemy, and Kim
Schaefer at Beat Kitchen (17+)
Wednesday Nov 25 - 9pm sharp
New
Haven Advocate - "Unlocking The Safes"
The members
of The Safes hold considerably stronger ties to one another than you'll
find in most other bands.
Unlike groups comprised of players who are simply friends or musicians working
together,
the links in this Chicagoan garage rock/power pop trio stem from a family
tree. Frankie O'Malley (a vocalist that trades off
between drums and guitars) and Patrick O'Malley (on the same duties as Frankie)
are siblings while bassist/vocalist
Patrick Mangan is their cousin. In the past, their ranks have also contained
O'Malley brothers Sean and Michael.
Despite the raucous quality of their swift,
unrefined sound, The Safes aren't reviled by their relatives.
In reality, it's quite the opposite. "There's a great deal of support
from within the family across the board," said Frankie.
This is likely because the O'Malley clan is made up of music lovers. "Our
Dad had a band, our cousins have a band," he said,
adding, "All of our nieces and nephews play string instruments and
take classical lessons." This inclination has even
affected the group's music. "On our last album [2007's "Well,
Well, Well"], our Dad played baritone sax on two tracks
and we had three or four nieces and nephews playing violins and cellos to
layer in the mix."
As Frankie O'Malley elaborated, The Safes is a project stemming from an
appreciation of rock music that originated during
his teenage years. "When I started playing when I was 14, I had a punk
rock band [whose] first five songs we learned were
covers," he says, mentioning the Ramones, Iggy and the Stooges, and
local stalwarts Naked Raygun as his cover subjects of
choice. "The reason that we do power pop and garage rock is because
the songs have hooks, and girls like catchy songs."
Upon starting his outfit, O'Malley wanted to produce work influenced by
a variety of artists, among them Joe Jackson,
Cheap Trick, Big Star, The Who, The Kinks and The Replacements. He finds
a common thread between this diverse palette of
names. "If you think about it, all of those bands aren't very different
from one another. All have short, two-minute pop songs
from the template of the '60s set-up of what a song should be. Even more
modern bands like Nirvana, Supergrass and Oasis -
it's all the same thing," he said.
O'Malley considers the most important traits
of any song to be the lyrics and the melody, and The Safes write their music
with this idea in mind. "A great song can be sung without any accompaniment
- just the lyrics and the melody. If you have that,
you have a good song," he said. "It's as basic as that. All of
the other whistles and bells are just for fun - to dress it up
and make it interesting."
When comparing The Safes' records and concerts,
O'Malley finds sonic differences between the two. "We have four releases
up.
Two of them are studio albums and two are EPs done in studios, but like
it was a show," he said. "When we play live,
it's much more raw and intense. When we record, we want to make an album
- something more sophisticated-sounding, something
we could get on the radio. I want to make as much money as I can playing
music, because it's what I love doing."
The trio already has great aspirations for
their future. "Our next two albums are completely done and both departures
from
anything we've [previously] done," O'Malley reported. "There's
a lot more acoustic guitar, more pianos, organs, background
vocals and strings." However, even as "experimental" as The
Safes' next releases might be in comparison to their predecessors,
he attested that "they're still straight-up pop - guitar, bass and
drums - as catchy as it can be."
By Reyan Ali Originally Published: Issue 853 - November 18,
2009
-
Roust!
veterans to play Darkhorse
When The Safes singer and guitarist
Frankie O'Malley and drummer Patrick O'Malley were returning from seeing
their parents on their wedding anniversary Saturday night,
the two witnessed a UFO. Or so claims Frankie. "UFOs
exist -- it's pretty much a scientific fact that the government won't admit,"
Frankie said.
"I know if I tell people I saw a UFO, they'd think I was crazy, but
I had Patrick with me. I took it as a sign from God that we are going to
take over
the universe as the world's biggest band."
In the meantime, The Safes
will be playing tonight at the Darkhorse Tavern, 128 E. College Ave., along
with local band The Maximums. Frankie's leanings toward
the supernatural seem to play a part in how he sees his band's music as
well.
"It's like a spiritual
experience when we're performing, channeling higher spirits and gods,"
he said. "By the time we're done playing, we're drenched in sweat,
but it's sugary fun pop music that girls love and dudes do, too." The
band's sound is very garage rock-oriented, and although the band's records
run the gamut from
mellow and intricate to loud and raucous, Frankie said he focuses on the
former when performing live.
The band's albums often feature more expansive instrumentation, but the three-piece band is forced to strip down these experiments in concert.
"To be perfectly honest, I think live we're better as a three-piece," he said. "Live, we sound like a rock 'n' roll dance party."
Frankie said the band has
two finished albums and is shopping around for labels during the tour. The
band has already been writing new material and plans on playing a few
of these unreleased songs tonight, he said. Although
the band has played State College many times in the past, it keeps coming
back for the great response.
"Roust! is one of our favorite
places in the world to play," O'Malley said. "The kids that come
out are awesome and love rock 'n' roll. Sometimes kids at other colleges
can be too cool."
Jesse Ruegg, a promoter with
Roustabout! who is putting on tonight's show, said the band always gets
a good response from its audience.
"I think they have the right details for a rock 'n' roll band,"
Ruegg said. "They're just doing what they know and writing great pop
songs."
By Kevin Sullivan. Collegian Staff Writer
-
Tour dates
starting 11/11 in State College, PAat the Roustabout - don't miss these
tour dates - new songs, shirts... fun fun fun we can't wait to see you all
again!
If you have VH1 check out the
"T.O. Show" (the
wedding ceremony episode) for The SAFES "Cool
Sounds are Here Again"
It's strange, they superimposed Terrell's face on Frankie's body
The Blind Eyes sure are one great band and great dudes- such a blast - we'll
do it again
October 2009
Just headed back into Prole
Arts Studio with Jason Ward to mix "Hot Pursuit" and "Know
it All"
Frankie is writing fully-realized gem after gem, day after day. It is silly.
We're playing some rocknroll shows in Milwaukee, Madison, Chicago, Champaign,
and STL with STL's finest popsters the Blind
Eyes
Check the shows page for details - can't wait to
see you folks!
Read the Annie Zaleski show preview in the Riverfront
Times
"The Safes is one of the hardest working
bands in Chicago. In between touring the Midwest on a regular basis –
treks which include stops in the Lou every few months --
the trio managed to record two new albums in its spare time. Although many
new songs perpetuate the kicky garage-rock of releases such as Well, Well,
Well,
others demonstrate quite a departure for the O’Malley brothers. Some
are akin to Husker Dü’s most palatable SST-era punk-pop work (i.e.,
the lo-fi, catchy kind),
but the main influence appears to be the Apples in Stereo’s winsome
psych-pop nuggets.
Either way, the Safes’ live show – an intense experience which
underscores the O’Malley brothers’ chemistry and musical talents
– isn’t to be missed."
September 2009
Damn Thee
Lexington Arrows and Blackbelts
sure know how to make you have a good time! Thanks to all that came out
Our friend Trevor Ewen of Chicago's own Howlin
Tumbleweeds layed down some french horn on "Belfry Chimes"
- sounding nice
The last weekend in August the boys went into Rax Trax with Kevin Tabisz
of Blackbelts to mix some of the new Magnolia recordings:
"4321" - "Blue-Skies Disguise" - "Simplicity"
- "Diamonds Shining"
Midwest, east coast and southern dates
rolling in for the fall...
Check out this week's NewCity
for a SAFES article written by John Wawrzaszek
There's this Facebook
thing people keep talking about
August 2009
What a time in Galena, the Motor City, and St
Louie! Thanks to our mates
Check out the shows page for some fun gigs in the
city
-A yummy tamale shop show on Aug 22
-a reunion show with The Its!
where all proceeds are going to Extreme
Chairing,
promoting adaptive action sports to
those with disabilities as well as raising money for research
on Saturday September 5th at the Beat Kitchen with the Howlin
Tumbleweeds too
Mixing soon? Yes.
July 2009
It will be nice to get out of the studio and play
in Galena, Detroit, STL
Friday July 24th with our buds The Blackbelts, with Dave Elliott on bass
and cousin Richie on the kit, at PJ's Lagerhouse
Tour dates across glorious this land are in the
works for Oct, Nov ... along
with a new single
The store
link is finally updated. Delight vinyl lovers. + New t-shirts are being
printed at OBRO hq
May 2009
Yeah thats right. We're playing with The
Differents at the Abbey on Friday June 5th
Plus back to Miss Kitty's Grape Escape in Galena
for the WM3 show the first Saturday in June
Just tracked some Steinway piano, Rhodes, and fiddle at Western - getting
near the finishing line
April 2009
Rock n roll shows in
Madison with the Rogue Dolls & at Cals with Ostello and The Hussy from
Madison plus more Magnolia recording
one of these days
we'll post some new photos
March 2009
Catch the SAFES on March 19th in Cleveland,
at a Roustabout! in State College PA on Friday the 20th,
and playing in Philly w/ our friends Jukebox
Zeros for their Rock
and Roll Ronin record release show
on Saturday 3/21 at Connie's Ric Rac
February 2009
Our friends at JBTV
have been playing the Sky video! Check it out, request
it!
Watch JBTV Wed cable 25 at 9pm and Thursday at 8pm and Sundayat 12 midnight
this week on CABLE 25.
It will also air on WEDE ch 34 11pm Saturday night and on 62.2 WJYS 11pm
Saturday if you get digital.
VBS,
The
Heavy Edition, Cloud
Speakers, HeyTube,
Obeycdrc,
Oklahoman and many others are streaming
as well
Power of Pop
There’s much to be
said for doing some research about the album you’re about to review
before you go into it at full volume.
I say this because my eardrums are still ringing from the aftershock of
being blasted with the raw garage-rock opening riffs of The Safes’
latest EP, Sight Of All Light.
The brainchild of the O’Malley brothers
trio, Sight of All Light is their fourth release and second EP. Clocking
in at just around 11 minutes long,
The Safes waste no time in getting to the point as title track Sight OfAll
Light sets the pace and tone for the rest of the record with a driving
drum pulse and massive, ear-filling guitar power chords that wrap around
the vocals in a very 1970s Cheap Trick manner. Second track Troublemaker
doesn’t depart much from the opener as ringing distortion underline
the harmonies on the intro, before settling into an abrasive repetitive
format
for the rest of the song.
The rest of the EP can pretty much be summed
up in the same few words really, catchy, hooky choruses on top of crashing
power riffs that leave
no space for breathing. It’s hardly as boring as that description might
suggest, mainly due to the length of the EP itself. The unprepared
listener might come out shell-shocked after the 11 minutes due to the breakneck
frenetic intensity at which The Safes plow through the songs,
but a few repeats on the playlist will offer up some rewards as one begins
to notice the subtleties and layers that cleverly underline the songs. The
Sky Is Falling is one such track that will offer up its secrets upon revisitation.
A rather good record that grabs you by the scruff of the neck on the first
listen and demands you stay for the rerun.
Samuel C Wee
January 2009
Come sing along with us at a Chicago acoustic
performance at Grealys on
Lawrence
on Sat Feb 7
"The Sky is Falling" video that was
directed, edited, and created by the uber talented Andrew
Maggio
with top puppeteer Rachel Frizzi who built and maneuvered the adorable puppets.
It's also a "Video Star" on 1/21/09 on Dailymotion
Heads up OH & PA, SAFES will be playing dates in Cleveland and Philly
again check the shows page for all the info and
dates!
New recordings for our next record are
scorching. Here are the working songtitles:
"Baby's Bouncing"
"The Wide Open Sky"
"Birthday Cake"
"Ace for a Face"
"Safe n Sound"
"She's So Sad"
Next week we start recording the follow-up, to
the follow-up of Sight of all Light. Yep that's right.
December 2008
Washington
Post - Going Out Guide
"Old-fashioned, fuzzed-out
power pop"
"[The
Safes] play mighty catchy and often rambunctious power pop, with the hooks
and harmonies
needed to make that kind of music go down easy. There's also just the right
amount of nervous energy and wistful exuberance.
It should sound great in the friendly confines of the Hut and to the passersby
who shoot bewildered stares through the large window.
-- Fritz Hahn, Rhome Anderson and David Malitz
Daggerzine
The Safes -SIGHT OF A LIGHT EP-
(O'BROTHERS)
Dug their debut ep BOOGIE WOOGIE RUMBLE which rocked my socks off and the
follow up last year, WELL WELL WELL was
just as righteous. This new 5 song ep blurs by in under 15 minutes but the
band puts its best foot forward on here.
The band is made up of 3brothers, the O'Malleys, who probably argue like
the Hanson Brothers (see film SLAP SHOT for reference point)
but who cares….the songs rock. Whomever the guitarist is he seems to
be speaking a new language on each tune
and if you don't believe me check out "The Sky is Falling", "Sight
of All Light" or the Husker Du-ish "Greed' for proof.
Sounds like the best Dirtnap Records band that isn't on that label.
Razorcake
“Sunshine is finally mine/Everything’s going to be okay.”
Sounds like Shirley Temple optimism, right? Blinders on. Denial in full
effect.
But Sight of All Light is a different enchilada altogether. Intense pop
tunes played through clenched teeth. Trying to convince yourself that
it’s all good but knowing otherwise. These songs are heavy and dark.
They feel like that The Safes are venting and purging. Sight of All Light
captures the same tone that’s come into my head every time I’ve
thought about national politics in the last eight years, only with guitars.
I hope the Safes come back to the pop side on their next record, but this
is a really good departure.
–Mike Faloon
Peruse Stephen
Haag's review of "Sight of all Light"in Popmatters
There's a link to some youtube
footage of "The Sky is Falling" shot by our friend Katie at
a show
with The Hussy & Matt Joyce in Madison, WI
at Mickeys in
the fall
Don't miss out on the Miss Kitty b-day celebration at Miss Kitty's Grape
Escape on Sat. Dec 6 in sparkling Galena
Skyscraper Magazine
In this iPod generation, where bands have 60-seconds of less to make their
musical point, the new 11-minute
Sight of all Light by Chicago's power-punk poppers The Safes provides a
short, sharp spasm of melodic
intensity. The five-track mini album rocks like All meets the Apples in
Stereo: hefty hooks, beefy guitars and lots of fun.
Brothers Frankie, Michael, and Patrick O'Malley some non-stop commotion
on hardcharger "The Sky is Falling",
The Donnas-like "Troublemaker," and the timely Rancid-esque money-grubber
"Greed," which could be the theme song for this
year's financial meltdown. Topping the quintet of under three-minute long
tunes is the soul-searching slab "Unlock the Mystery,"
a detonation of strafed drum fills and unadultured rock combustion. Sight
of all Light certainly doesn't rewrite the book on
energetic punk-pop but the EP stays exhilirating, and it's easy to get caught
up in the musical surge.
Sight of all Light is best experienced as loud as possible and on repeat.
Your headphones may burst your eardrums but it will be worth it.
-Doug Simpson
November 2008
Chicago Tribune By
Bob Gendron - November 21, 2008
More shows you shouldn't miss
Wednesday: It only seems natural that sibling-led bands give way to tension
and infighting.
Perhaps the Safes are still too unknown for such foolishness. The three
brothers O'Malley show no indication of falling prey to egotistical traps.
At least not in public. Celebrated for its raucous concerts, the local group
hasn't forgotten that garage rock is supposed to be fun.
The catchy hooks and raw energy on the recent "Sight of All Light"
(O'Brothers) EP extend Midwest power-pop traditions
established by Shoes, Cheap Trick and Material Issue. Yes, these gentlemen
have done their homework.
And if there was any doubt about The Safes' punk influences, sarcastic attitudes
make certain that
they won't be mistaken for well-mannered mama's boys.
(Don't Miss It) at Beat Kitchen
Read a "Sight of all Light" review in todays 11/ 18 Daily
Herald written by Jeff Pizek.
The "Sight of all Light" US tour
was outrageous! 11,000 miles, 30 shows, 21 states, tons of fun, more to
come...
Dates in the midwest for Jan & Feb are being booked
"The Sky is Falling" video should be coming out soon- look out.
We'll be heading back into the studio in early winter to finish the next
LP
Keep checking this site for new photos and the Sight of all Light tour recap
October 2008
See you in a few come say hi
Read some of the love
Arizona Republic
This Chicago power-pop band makes its Phoenix debut in support of Sight
of All Light, a new EP whose title track hits like a Superdrag single,
setting the stage for a total hook explosion. Other highlights from the
jangle-punk swagger of Greed, which sounds a bit like
unlikely coming together of the Sex Pistols playing a Byrds song, to the
spy-movie feel of the final track, Unlock the Mystery.
Ed Masley
Riverfront Times
The Safes — the Chicago trio of brothers Frankie, Michael and Patrick
O’Malley — pound out raucous power-pop gems.
But the band’s recklessly energetic rock music is deceptively simple:
Its infectious songs display the sort of effortless proficiency and
ease that few songwriters ever master. The new five-song EP Sight of All
Light (which was produced by Frankie) blazes by
in less than twelve minutes on the strength of warm and gritty production.
Ultra-catchy melodies and overdriven, saccharine-sweet riffs
call to mind the quarky eccentricities of early Foo Fighters crossed with
the timeless rock & roll of the Kinks.
Shae Moseley
Two
One Five Magazine
No, The Safes are not
on Stiff Records, but damn if they don’t sound like one of those gems
you find on Stiff Records samplers from the early ‘70s.
Of course, the appeal of bands like Generation X or The Damned or even T.S.O.L
were that they were awesomely bad and titanically intense.
The same can be said for The Safes new album Sight of All Light. It begins
as endearingly awful as any Germs song; borderline unlistenable,
yet with such a grating, cool sound, it becomes addictive -- like the namesake
track “Sight of All Light.”
Then, there are songs that are just straight-up awesome like “Troublemaker,”
which comes off as tough and poppy as early 999 records
(Maybe the only time I’ll get to reference 999 in a review) and, probably
the best song on the album, the anthemic “The
Sky is Falling,” is a pummeling group-chant track that is pummeling
and unrelenting.
Abigail Bruley
September 2008
The release of "Sight of all Light"
is September 23rd
The US tour in support is booked
The new van toys
Shooting "The Sky is Falling" video with Andrew Maggio
filming and directing, Rachel Frizzi teaching and schooling with the puppets,
and Melissa Brockie puppeteering was magically delicious
Losing Today
The Safes' new EP is a short but sweet 11-minute jolt of hooky power-pop
played with a punk energy that will have you wondering if they sound like
The Buzzcocks playing Cheap Trick songs or Cheap Trick playing Buzzcocks
songs. Either way, the three O'Malley brothers have held on to every drop
of the
sharp songwriting prowess they last displayed on 2007's excellent full length
Well, Well, Well, and, if anything, they seem to get more wild and raucous
sounding
with age. Sight of All Light's five songs may pass by quickly, but in that
short time you'll be non-stop pogoing throughout (which recalls The Clash's
"Tommy Gun"),
and pumping your fists to the intense rockers "The Sky Is Falling"
and "Unlock The Mystery", with it's machine gun drum fills. Apparently
the next LP is already recorded,
which is a good thing because after hearing this you'll be itching for more.
David Mansdorf
Next
Big Sound
Hello All, we’re starting a bit
of a new thing at The Next Big Sound and interviewing bands about their
music, their shows, and their strategy to get heard.
The fun kicks off with Frankie from Chicago’s own - The Safes. The
Safes are making new music and currently out touring, so check their schedule
and go see them live.
Tell people who don’t know The Safes about your music and your influences.
Our music is real! We mean
it. It sounds fun and you can shake butt and sing along or just put your
hands in pockets and try and look cool! We don’t care!
Influences vary and change like the
weather around here. I know Patrick’s really big into Elliot Smith,
Spoon, Dr Dog, The Bee Gees and Zeppelin. Michael’s usual listening
to
Wilco, Rancid, Louis Jordan or Sam Cooke. I love everything! And we all
agree that The Flat Duo Jets, Magic Sam, Fetchin Bones, Guadalcanal Diary,
Fats Domino, Joe Jackson, The Andalusian Dogs, The Kung Fu Monkeys, ELO,
Material Issue, The Cramps, The Lovin Spoonful, Syd Barret, Bob Wills, The
Rondelles,
Ringo Star, The Soft Boys, The Gossip, The Shakedowns, The Differents, Mahler,
and Speedy West and Jimmy Bryant are the best ever.
I see you guys have a
full schedule on the road. How would you describe your live shows?
Yep can’t wait to hit the road,
playing live is the best!!! Our live show is high energy fun! It’s
kinda like one of those church services where the people became
possessed and everybody’s sweating and singing as hard as they can
and really feeling the spirit! Like if an old soul band from the 60 took
a time machine to today
and played power pop songs through totally cranked guitar amps! Hyper space
with a kick ass beat.
What have you found to
be successful in growing your fanbase outside of your hometown?
Throwing down the live set from
town to town is doing the trick for us. After that our work is done and
word of mouth spreads!
The Next Big Sound is
located in Chicago, and we love the music scene here. What’s something
about the Chicago music scene that people from different cities should know?
I think people from everywhere
should know these great Chicago bands, The Sonnets, Big Buildings, Patty
Elvis Band, Penthouse Sweets, The Andalusian Dogs, The Black Belts,
The Cavity Creeps, OSTELLO, The Chivalries, The Glass Trees, The Bon Mots
to name a few.
What’s your favorite
venue in Chicago to play and why?
That’s an easy one. Cal’s!!!
Hands down, infact it is my favorite place to play on earth. Still trying
to figure out why exactly.
There’s something magic about that place man! I love playing there!
I think bands in general play better there. It’s real, you can’t
hide behind a monitor or blame the sound guys
or whatever, you gotta bring it to Cal’s!
What are you currently
listening to?
Exploring music with Bill Mclaughlin
Where do you find new
music to listen to?
I’ve always had such good
luck in this department when I was really young I could always count on
my cousin Billy,
my brother Sean and my friend Joey to turn me on to the coolest new stuff.
Now a days, Patrick’s is usually
the one telling me about the stuff that flys under the radar.
Oh and touring!! I guess it should
come as no surprise that while driving around the country playing music
how many killer new bands you find!!
My friend Erika is also always mailing
me the hip new stuff too.
How do you guys communicate
with your fanbase?
I’d say splendidly! You can
count on a conversation from me, if stop to say hello at a show.
What do you think bands
should do today to have a successful online presence?
Write great songs!
Where can people find
your music, your show schedule, and more info on The Safes?
http://www.thesafes.com
And the closing question…
How did you come up with the name – The Safes?
In our sleep I think!
Jason Sosnovsky
Oh yeah just wait until you hear the followup
LP to SoaL
August 2008
Here is the The SAFES
Sight of all Light tracklisting
Sight of All Light
Troublemaker
The Sky is Falling
Greed
Unlock the Mystery
Sight of all Light
tourdates are being confirmed with some stellar
bands- check out the shows to see when we're coming
to your town
The new EP will be available on iTunes, Rhapsody,
Napster, Emusic, Sony Connect, Amazon.com at the end of September
Andy Maggio and Nika Thiel will be shooting and
directing videos for "The Sky is Falling" and "Sight of all
Light", respectively, in the upcoming weeks!
July 2008
Tour dates down south and west are lining up
The lovely and fun Grape Escape in the heart
of downtown Galena - Sat July 19 - don't miss it
Be on the lookout for a show at the Hideout in early August
Recording up in Benton Harbor, MI went smoothly
check back soon for studio photos
May 2008
Hi peeps don't miss your chance to hear The SAFES
play some standards and favorites at the Taste of Des Plaines.
Last year was an absolute blast so don't miss out!
While simultaneously finishing the artwork for the "Sight of all Light"
ep, The SAFES will be heading into the studio to lay down
the first 6 tracks off of our next LP. We're so excited!
Thanks to everyone who came to out the Rock for the Whisper V concert and
helped raise over $1,000 for ovarian cancer research.
Special thanks goes to Pat Keenan of the Phenoms who arranged the show!
A few months back Frankie recorded some tasty
guitar and drums at Wellington Manor with Kevin Tabisz at the helm for Dave
Elliott's
soundtrack for the video game "Crazy Eights". Gamers keep your
eyes and ears peeled for this.
April 2008
Mark your calendars for May 3rd for the 5th annual
Rock for the Whisper concert at Reggies
with wild stylings of The Phenoms
and Carbondale's Conniption
Fitts. All proceeds go to the National
Ovarian Cancer Coalition
17+
St. Louis
Post-Dispatch
In
the glory days of Frederick's Music Lounge, a few rock bands from other
cities found a home there.
One such outfit, The Safes, traveled down from Chicago frequently to bring
their catchy-as-all-get-out
garage rock to an audience that grew to love it. The Safes are three brothers
(out of a family with 11 kids)
who have loved great music of all kinds since they were kids. Frankie, Michael
and Patrick O'Malley
all play instruments, and they all write songs. Whether delivering a power-pop
gem,
a dark and heavy rocker or an ecstatic three-chord, garage-style treat,
the Safes tend to surprise.
(SP)
Riverfront
Times
The Safes groove a familiar sound that is wholly unoriginal but entirely
excellent, by nodding to Brit-garage, Mod and all kinds of power pop.
(Think early Kinks spliced with any bubbly Superchunk tune.) The Chicago
trio's 2007 release Well, Well, Well earned the brothers O'Malley
— and they're real brothers, not "band brothers" à
la the Ramones — plenty of positive attention from tastemakers like
Pitchfork.
Some of The Safes' studio detail is lost in translation live; the blasting
rock elements overpower the music's pop intricacies.
But its show always brings a welcome punch of rock & roll fun —
and a chance to shake your tail feather.
-Jaime Lees
Last
Days of Man on Earth
Hey the Safes are coming back to Saint Louis on April 5th. If you don’t
remember the Safes, they are one of my favorite acts around today in the
midwest. I did a big writeup on them here. They put on a crazy live show.
Apparently they are releaseing an EP this summer that is as of yet
untitled. The Safes are playing at a local club here called The Bluebird,
with one of the best bands from Saint Louis as well.
They are called The 75s and they are kind of a combination of K Records
style indie-grrl pop, punk rock and post-punk.
They describe themselves as “punk for the brokenhearted” and I
am definitely down with that right now.
I played with them at my last Left Arm show and was completely impressed.
-Joe Stumble
March 2008
Be on the lookout for some some shows in early
April in Champaign, Carbondale, and St. Louis in early April
Keepin busy reconding... summer
will be here before you know it...
so will some new SAFES recordings
February 2008
Read a feature interview
in Friday's edition of the Chicago Tribune
thanks to Andy Downing for writing the article
Cell phone users can get your favorite SAFES
Ringtones right here
That's right The SAFES "Well, Well, Well" ringtones,
The SAFES "Boogie Woogie
Rumble" ringtones, and The SAFES "Family Jewels" ringtones
Hey Lovers come on out and spend a sultry night
with The SAFES, The Sonnets & Mega Super Ultra at the Darkroom on Feb
14
Check the SHOWS page for the details
Be on the lookout for some shows in Madison & STL soon
January 2008
Check out the piece in the RedEye here
December 2007
The SAFES head up to Dubuque, IA on Friday
Dec 7 before we acoustically and harmoniously celebrate
Miss
Kitty's B-Day Bash at the magical Grape Escape in lovely
Galena on Sat. the 8th!
Stay tuned info on the "!V
Annual CHICAGO CALLING - - A Very Clash Christmas"
with an opening set with Frankie and Patrick followed by
All Mod Conned and London
Calling!
Benefiting The Carole Robertson Center for
Learning in memory of John Slater III
On the horizon, recording, recording, and more
recording!
November 2007
5th Annual Thanksgiving Eve - Nov. 21,
2007
Beat Kitchen
2100 W. Belmont
with
Central Standard & Ted Ansani
Be on the lookout for shows on
WNUR "Airplay",
WLUW "Radio One",
Fearless Radio
and in Dubuque, Galena in December.
Tune into JBTV
to check out The SAFES interview with Jerry Bryant and our videos for:
"Since Trust Went Bust"
"Wired"
"Deception"