The Pretty Face The Pretty Face

(Fuzzbox, blues-harp, Farfisa and Vox organs,
The Pretty Face creates a rough immersive sixties
garage sound. Here’s a chance to listen to their
psych garage mainly influenced by the The Sonics,
The Chesterfield Kings, The Pretty Things,
The 13th Floor Elevators, the Who, The Small Faces…)The Pretty Face is one of the most famous sixties garage bands in Italy. Founded in the spring of 1997 in the suburbs of Milan, they played their first gig at the 1997 MODS MAYDAY rally in Turin. During the 90s they spread the sixties wild way of playing r’n’r and the sixties pop culture up and down the country.
They have played on stage with garage legends like the Troggs , the Fleshtones , the Morlocks and Italian 60s beat legend Riki Maiocchi . They have also played with Doctor Explosion, Statuto and Mando Diao and appeared in the 1998 and 2006 editions of the “Festival Beat”, the most famous 60s festival in Italy.
Their psychedelic garage sound is influenced by the Sonics, the Chesterfield Kings, the Pretty Things, the 13th Floor Elevators, the Rolling Stones, the Fuzztones, the Doors, the Morlocks, the Fleshtones & all the other Nuggets pearls. It’s also inspired by classical sixties brit-invasion and mod bands like the Kinks, the Who, the Animals, the Small Faces, the Yardbirds and the Troggs.
The use of the fuzzbox , the blues-harp and the glorious Farfisa and Vox organs, combined with all vintage equipment, gives The Pretty Face a gritty garage sound of the sixties ,  a sound that fills clubs and turns concerts into amazing parties. That’s The Pretty Face purpose!

The style of the Small Faces and the anger of the Pretty Things: this is the essence of the Pretty Face and reveals the mystery of the band’s name.
During their 12 year career they have played more than 180 concerts in clubs, rallies and festivals. They recorded an EP in 1999 produced by Oskar Gianmarinaro (the singer of the Italian ska band “Statuto”) and distributed by Face Records/Sony. They have also appeared on some 60s beat compilations like “Mondo Beat vol. 2” by Face Records/Sony.
The new Pretty Face album , out on October 2009, is entitled “The Pretty Face” and is produced by “Area Pirata Records ” and The Pretty Face. It contains six original tracks and six garage covers from MC5, the Sonics, the Miracle Workers, the Doors and theTurtles.
Limited edition of 500 copies in Cd digipack mini-poster enclosed!

The Pretty Face are Federico Gamberini on voice/blues harp/tambourine & maracas, Stefano Crippa on the bass and backing vocals, Federico Crippa on the fuzz guitar and backing vocals, Filippo Troncone on the Farfisa & Vox organ and Carlo Jamiro Quaini on the wild drums. So, as the Chocolate Watch Band used to say: “Are you gonna be there?” at the love-inn with The Pretty Face.

TRACKLIST:

1. You make me sad
2. Your heart is made of stone
3. Out of the question
4. Outside chance
5. Come closer
6. Getting’ tired
7. One step closer to you
8. Just a waste of time
9. Take it as it comes
10. Psycho
11. I feel fine
12. Kick out the jams

REVIEW

Francisco Ribeiro – Rock Around the Blog webzine (Portugal) 26/10/09

The Italians Pretty Face is an institution of the Italian “garage”, formed since 1997 in Milan, achieved this “weight” compatibility with only a record and many concerts, but now in 2009 the Italian record company Area Pirata, released their s/t.
The general feeling on hearing the record is similar to that heard in pearls of the Nuggets from the 60’s, composed by six original songs and six “covers”, on the original stand out “Your Heart Is Made Of Stone” a potent in “garage r&b” and “Come Closer” is psychedelic beautifully, magnificently interpreted the “covers” are from bands that strongly influenced them, such as The Seeds, The Turtles, Miracle Workers, The Doors, The Sonics and the MC5.
Do not repeat tired that in this landscape of the “60’s Garage rock” The Pretty Face are one of more exciting names, especially by the unique shape and pulled melodies where least expected and in this field are so genuine that seem original. Do not miss!

Goran Obradovic

Even though their name might imply a more British sounding approach, the latest outing of these stalwarts of Italian sixties garage revival scene is best filed alongside such American soulmates as The Chesterfield Kings, The Cynics or The Miracle Workers. Besides the cover of latter’s ‘One Step Closer To You’, true to common practice, a choice of mostly expected 60s covers is included (The Seeds’ ‘Out Of The Question’, Warren Zevon-through-The Turtles’ ‘Outside Chance’, The Sonics’ ‘Psycho’, MC5’s ‘Kick Out The Jams’, with The Doors’ ‘Take It As It Comes’ being the only surprise).
The self-written half of the album sticks firmly to the same snotty attitude, chock full fuzz tones, Vox and Farfisa organ screams and wailing harps, paying obvious tribute to the original cavemen, with ‘Your Heart Is Made Of Stone’ being the standout and a kind of a younger relative of The Sparkles’ ‘Ain’t No Friend Of Mine’.

Fuzz Overdose Webzine 01/10

Wow! That’s all I can say about this record from Italian Garage kings The Pretty Face. It’s been a long wait for the first proper full length release from The Pretty Face, who despite being ultra active in the Italian Mod and Garage live scene since 1997, so far they had just one EP and some demo CDs to their name.
Thanks to Area Pirata, they came on strong with their eponymous release, housed in a smashing plastic-free cardboard sleeve and containing 12 Garage Punk dynamites, a set of 6 garage standards and 6 tunes of their own. Those six songs are so strong that leave you begging for more, so I hope that they ‘ll include more of their own compositions on their next release, which hopefully will come sooner than 2020!
Although their name sounds like and probably is a pastiche of The Pretty Things and The Small Faces, there’s nothing even remotely British about their US Garage sound. A look at the bands they choose to cover should hint at their brand of garage, as they manage to combine the punkiness of the Miracle Workers, with the melody of the Turtles, the energy of the MC5, the Sonics’ attitude, the psych overtones of the Seeds and the Doors musicianship.
Fuzz guitars, swirling organs even some sitar are all employed and mixed into the Pretty Face magic cauldron, to make this an essential album! Definitely one of the best of 2009! Here’s hoping for more from The Pretty Face.