" I haven't had the pleasure of seeing 7SS live yet BUT their latest album fuckings ROCKS.....if that is what's called "generic" these days...well yeah then there are different opinions on that subject. 7SS gets thumbs up from me for being themselves and doing their own thing in a scene where the trend is to copy or to sound like something that was done 15 years ago. "
-Kim Nekroman, singer/bass player of Nekromantix
"They are one of the best bands out there, out of theMid-west - you could say out of the country"
-Exene Cervenka, singer of X, from River Front Times, Saint Louis, MO
"So many great songs, so powerful...Like a rockabilly New York Dolls."
-Morrissey, after catching a live performance at the Viper Room in Los Angeles, California.
It is St. Louis' 7 Shot Screamers that steal the audience's attention for the night....The onslaught of Iggy Pop-ian performance is immediate with vocalist Leahy flailing about like a hellcat on a hot rod. Clad in his cut-off denim vest decorated with badges and a large Johnny Cash patch on back, Leahy is a quintessential frontman whose stage banter is a call for a good time. "Thursday's a good night to be drinking... but then, every night is a good night to drink!" The band plays strong punk tinged rockabilly from their past and most recent releases, and even toss in a hopped-up cover of "Ballroom Blitz," for the suddenly attentive audience and a costumed monster on stilts- whose presence comically startles the band.
- Ink19
-...this isnt much like anything that has been released. I know the band is called "7 Shot Screamers but the singer can really sing! He isn't screaming at all which is good because the songs are slower and melodic rather then sped up psychobilly...
- Loud, Fast, Rulz issue 1
- Much of this reminds me of New York Dolls or Voidoids - style proto-punk with stand up bass. Had these guys come on the scene 25 years ago the could have stood shoulder to shouler with bands like the Stray Cats, the Meteors, and the Polecats. "Punkabilly" doesnt seem to cut it and they definitly arn't greasers. How about "nu-wave-abilly"?
- Garage Punk.com
- Walking the line between Rockabilly and Psychobilly with some punk rock attitude thrown in. Explosive and Original!
- Raucous Records
-...[7 Shot Screamers] are a monstrously manic psychobilly band from Saint Louis. Starting with roots in rockabilly, they grow into a snarling Elvis zombie. The elements of punk and a smidgen of metal are in full force, but the cool thing is that, they not only rock like crazy, but are the kind of band you dig the first time you see them.
It's a live show like any other. I have seen this band three times and every time its wilder, stronger, and more outrageous. They are a young band, but play with a mania and genuineness that come right from their black little hearts. This band alone is totally worth checking out.
- Whats Up, Entertainment Weekly for El Paso, TX
-...started out as a green rockabilly cover band and matured into this glam, punk spectacular show."
-Saint Louis Post Dispatch
- Part of the 7 Shot Screamers' appeal is their uncatagorizable blend of music. Most bands armed with an upright bass player today tend to come across as cookie-cutter rockabilly. But the 7 Shot Screamers throw in dashes of punk, glam, and classic rock and roll together as well, creating a truly original sound.
In addition to their distinctive songs, the Screamers put on one of the most captivating live shows of any St.Louis band. Leahy's tambourine shimmying and his prominent raven's nest of hair command attention even when he's not bounding and writhing manically across the stage. And Powers' rapid bass slapping and Sabella's swift guitar licks garner them as much attention as their flamboyant outfits, which range from coatst that resemble 70's upholstery to skintight snake skin pants. To keep local audiences on their toes, the band also tosses in unexpected covers (incuding Outkat's "Hey Ya") for good measure."
-Riverfront Times
(Catch the RFT feature on 7 Shot Screamers here:
Most rockabilly acts focus on hollow-body guitars and perfectly coiffed pompadours, and scrimp on vocals and decent lyrics. Not so with the 7 Shot Screamers: The thumping upright bass and slick licks are in place, but singer Mike Leahy croons smoothly above it all, mixing a little Bryan Ferry in with Brian Setzer. With the just-released In Wonderland, the Screamers have given their weight to the fledgling label Big Muddy Records, a cross-generational swap sure to please fans of all rockabilly varieties.
- River Front Times
- This band mixes psychobilly and 70's glitter rock with the attitude of punk rock...A unique yet hauntingly classic sound.
- Heavy Rebel Magazine
- Think Joe Strummer ever sat in with the Stray Cats? Well, "Keep the Flame Alive", the latest from 7 Shot Screamers provides us with a glimpse of what might have been. Mixing the hiccuping hiccup of rockabilly with the doses of raw nerve punk , the Screamers make two seemingly disparate styles come together for about 40 and induce a few smiles along the way.
-F5, Witchita
7 Shot Screamers also featured in an full story in the fall\winter 2006 edition of Loud, Fast, Rules! This magazine is available at selected media stores throughout the country.
