THE ROUTES - LEFT MY MIND
THE ROUTES- RAVE UP ROCK 'N' ROLL RHYTHM AND BLUES GARAGE PUNK EXPLOSION!!!
The Routes are Masao Nakayama (drums), Toru Nishimuta (bass) and Chris Jack (guitar/vocals). Taking influence from amongst many others Link Wray, The Yardbirds, The Animals, The Sonics, The Wailers, The Downliners Sect, Hound Dog Taylor, The Routes distinctive sound soon scored them a contract with UK label Motor Sounds Records. In 2006 the songs The Shadow, and Left My mind appeared on the Motor Sounds Records compilation Blood On The Scratchplate '65. Blood On The Scratchplate '65 received strong reviews and was extensively distributed to shops and online retailers worldwide (even Amazon Japan as a UK import). Following the release of Blood On The Scratchplate '65, The Routes were established as a name in the underground UK/Europe rhythm and blues/garage punk scene.
Left My Mind features 11 original songs, recorded mostly live. Left My Mind captures the incomparable wild sound of The Routes at their best. Listen to the album and hear for yourself! Worldwide distribution is expected to succeed that of Blood On The Scratchplate '65, thanks to a strong online advertising campaign, and a new distribution deal in Europe. In addition to the release of their debut album Left My Mind, in February 2007 The Routes will appear on the Sazanami Label compilation Wild Sazanami Beat Vol.4

1. LEFT MY MIND
2. TELL ME AIN'T SO MP3
3. BLEED YOU DRY
4. CHANGE YOUR MIND
5. DYING TOWN
6. THE SHADOW
7. ROUTES BOOGIE
8. SLIGHT DELIGHT
9. IF YOU DON'T GIVE ME WHAT I WANT
10. RARE FIND
11. I'LL MAKE YOU SORRY

Review - The Routes 'Let My Mind' by Electric Roulette.com
http://www.electricroulette.com/2008/03/review---the-ro.html

Hands up if you like your beat to be fueled by very little in the way of chords and loads of skuzz? Kind lady, kind sir, you will be wanting to let the sounds of The Routes kick you 'bout your lugs with their latest snot-propelled creation, 'Left My Mind'.

Now, you might be wonderin' why the hell you should bother with yet another band trying to ape The Sonics are somethin'. Fair enough. There's enough of them out there... but not one of them are a buncha Japanese noiseniks side-stepping The Sonics adn going straight for the high yelp o' The Wailers. Man. After listening to this LP, I would kill to see 'em batter Dirty Robber. But I'm gettin' ahead of myself... you ain't heard this LP and you wanna know what it's like dontcha?

First thing that hits you with this LP is that it's clearly been recorded on no tracks at all. It sounds live... but live in a living room as opposed to live-like-the-MC5-album. It's noisy, simple, aggressive... and unbelievably funky. There's 11 cuts on this great album and every single one of 'em makes you wanna do The Jerk, The Alligator, The Mash Potato, The Hump, The Crimp, The Frig... hell, it's so good that it made me start inventing dances at the end of that run... it's that good.

Now, with most garage bands, you get the impression that they suffer from a fondness for music equipment porn. Gotta get the right pedals, the right sound, the right mixin' desk... not these dolts. This is clearly a band with some amps, some instruments and a volume control set to loud. There's bleed all over the place, the vocals are scratchy (in a punching the air way) and the drummer is tight'n'loose. This band as fuggin' ace.

Not only that, but they're clearly skilled musicians... not in a prog way of course... that wouldn't do... but the solos that leap outta each song could easily come from a vintage Yardbirds LP. This is tough, breakneck and soulful... and far from psychedelic. It's beat with a capital B. 'Tell Me Ain't So', all bad English, is one of the best things I've heard all year. It made me jump around the place until I sweated blood. 'Rare Find' is another one. Killer fuzz riff and snappy rhythms that'll make you want to start your own club night jus' so you can put these hell-raisers on. They'd wreck yer house and head mind.

Basically, it you like high-octane rock 'n' roll that'll make you start foaming at the mouth, then this is the LP for. Not only that, they're Japanese, which will give you cool cred points down the local record shoppe. It's shallow I know, but we all like getting in on the act before anyone else does don't we. Seriously, go buy this album... it'll only prove that you have impeccable taste.

REVIEWS

Once upon a time a young man was on the inter-net, looking at, ahem….art or something, when he stumbled across The Routes, they fell into his lap, unsigned, keen as mustard, razor sharp, and a nice line in patter (and suits).  He couldn’t believe his fucking luck, “I don’t believe my fucking luck” he said.  That was me, (just in case your mental).

Listen to me now people, The Routes are the real thing, I’ve heard them produce their glorious sounds, on their four track tape machine that needs hitting with a hammer, bribing and threatened just to make it work, for a while now, and what’s the end result, this album your holding in your lucky hands.  They’re AUTHENTIC, they don’t just sound authentic, they are authentic, and that’s important, these days more than ever.  I’d like to add before I sign off, if this record doesn’t make you dance, and dancing is good, your dead in your soul, you’re a shadow, and need to smile more than any other human being on earth.

Garage, RnB, Rock n Roll with punk attitude, call it what you like, i’ll leave that to you, but one thing you can’t deny……..it’s genius.

I really hope and believe, you will love this record as much as I do. I’m glad you bought it, it can be one of your favourites.  You have excellent taste, well done.

Long live The Routes
Andy Mc Gibbon

Motor Sounds Records