Crunchy guitar popsters the Chevelles formed in Perth, Australia in the early 1990s; comprising singers/guitarists Duane Smith and Adrian Allen, bassist Jeff Halley and drummer Julian Buckland. They continue to be one of pop’s best secrets that carries the beat energy of The Jam and Love and Rockets with the guitar energy of The Velvet Crush. Fans of retro surf guitar will love this style as well. Tracks like “Get it On” and “Take A Chance” are a guitar driven gems that get the party started. “Wake Up Suzy” is a sure fire pop classic all about a girl told with guitar riffs and harmonies. Like fellow Aussie bands, The Stems and You Am I, it has simple sunny choruses, like “Summer Fun” and jangle filled ballads, like “Goodbye.” There is not a single bad track here and the best lyrical story is about a girl with a fix called “Stacey Loves Cocaine” with the strains of “Stacy loves cocaine/And she’s got a gun” And then a guitar fueled space epic about the heroine “Barbarella” and space madness. This is one of those bands that started out rough around the edges and has just coagulated over the years into a stellar band that cannot be ignored. Pop fans, don’t let this one blast by you.
The Chevelles "Accelerator"
Wake Up Suzy – The Chevelles