the situationals

The Situationals put a modern spin on post-punk powerpop. They are guided by their love of ?80s alternative, early NYC punk, new wave, and contemporary indie. They add to these influences their own strong songs, smoldering hot vocals, and driving instrumentation. The Situationals are Kelly Morse, Candice Tucker, Todd Day, Jason Perkins, and Michael Carinelli. They formed in Charlotte, North Carolina and quickly gained a reputation for their raucous live shows and unique material. Their music has been used in films and television.

They are guided by their love of ?80s alternative, early NYC punk, new wave, and contemporary indie. They add to these influences their own strong songs, smoldering hot vocals, and driving instrumentation.

The Situationals are Kelly Morse, Candice Tucker, Todd Day, Jason Perkins, and Michael Carinelli.
They formed in Charlotte, North Carolina and quickly gained a reputation for their raucous live shows and unique material. Their music has been used in films and television. In 2006, they released the debut EP, ?Heaven is High and The Emperor is Far Away? to enthusiastic reviews.

Now, The Situationals return with their self-produced full length album, Bellwether



For a couple of weeks this song "Way Too Blue" has been tugging at the corners of my cortex and driving me crazy. It's not the most complex number - basically, just a spangly, arpeggiated riff, part-Edge/part-Andy Summers, married to a thrumming rhythm. But it is the most insidiously insistent song I've heard all year, a bonafide pulse-quickener and hip-twitcher. Key among its components: vocalist Candice Tucker, who with her sensual coo, operatic delivery and tuff-gal swagger, brings to mind a cross between Debbie Harry, the Motels' Martha Davis and early '70s proto-grrrl rocker June Millington. Song after song on this mini-album from Charlotte's Situationals has its own compelling twist: crunching opener "Sometimes" is pure Clash; "Boys Of Troy," with its martial thump and guitar lick is destined to be embraced by the post-punk, dance-club set; and a Jesus & Mary Chain cover, "Hardest Walk," adds a hint of the classic girl-group productions of Phil Spector to the Situationals' already widescreen equation. Throughout, Tucker,
abetted by her four male co-conspirators, exudes genuine star quality as her emotions -- one moment vulnerable, the next guarded, then stricken, but full of resolve - unfurl. Based on the sonic evidence here, I can say that The Situationals are the most exciting female-fronted Tarheel band since Fetchin Bones or the Graphic.
Fred Mills. Stomp and Stammer

Press play for the 1st time and you feel as though you stepped into the gymnasium for the school dance scene of a John Hughes flick. While the feeling stays with you, it is not all the Situationals bring to the table. The six track EP heaven is high and the emperor is far away makes an 80's meets 90's sound timeless. By the third listen you will find yourself tapping your foot, singing along and maybe it will even inspire a little chair dance.
indiematters.com

Fans of the '80s era will welcome the original lyrics and composition, and with the retro theme permeating the music scene, the genre has yet to tire out. The Situationals put a fresh new spin on the sound of that era, and once the synthesizers kick in, the music has an added richness not often found in the music of its predecessors. Whether you grew up listening to the sounds of Blondie and The Pretenders or weren't even born yet, you might find something you like here. The Situationals' sound has a universality that could captivate an audience of thirty-somethings and teens alike. Now '80s music fans can enjoy Reagan-era sound, without the Reagans. As they say, everything old is new again.
Amanda Durham. Performer Magazine

I was most impressed by how well they captured the feel of their live show. The production is amazing. The vocals are stellar. The music does all the right things at the right times. With production by The Situationals' own Kelly Morse, the band has really outdone themselves with this piece of high voltage, melodic rock.
Seth Boulton. Amps 11 Magazine