Wednesday, September 14
DANDY WARHOLS LISTENING PARTY
SECRET FRENCH KISSING SOCIETY LIVE AT THE WORMHOLE
Catch The Secret French Kissing Society live tonite plus...
Dandy Warhols: "Odditorium or Warlords of Mars" in stores 9/13
The Like and DiG!: Get cd singles, matches, lighters, stickers, posters.
Friday, September 23
HEADQUARTERS @ ROSE AND CROWN - Ft. Lauderdale, FL 9PM
OCTOBER
Saturday, October 8
The Peacock Room - Orlando, FL 8PM
First Blood (Purple Skunk)
By Jonathan Zwickel, New Times BPB
Thursday, September 8 2005
Just because singer Stavros Polentas garbles his words like a shit-tanked, heartbroken Joe Strummer doesn't mean Secret French Kissing Society sounds anything close to the Clash. On the contrary, despite Polentas' obvious, loutish affectations, he writes profoundly powerful, cinematic, alt-rock vignettes, gothic tales of harsh life, harsher love, and unlikely redemption. All through his vocal and thematic gestalt, Polentas' band -- bassist Jessie Steele and drummer Chuck Britzmayr -- stays wrapped tightly around his schizoid guitar, building or bending at his every nuance. If you've ever seen SFKS live, you know these guys are masters of mood, able to scream through blistering, abstract noise into hushed, numbed lulls of acoustic guitar and calm vocals. First Blood veers maniacally through similar extremes, often within the same number. It's not so much volume or speed that drives songs like "Dirty" (with the wince-inducing line, "I'm a wolf at the door/gonna eat you alive/fuck you hard like a whore") and "Church on Sundays" (with a rosy, flamenco-punk trumpet) into self-flagellated friction. Rather, it's Polentas' art-damaged voice dragging deeper and deeper into the pit of self-loathing that imbues these songs with righteous drama. Far-off piano inflicts further gravitas on already-somber tunes like "Bruised Noodles" and the haunting "Black & White Cartoons," where Polentas' lyricism shines through the dusky cobwebs of the music's mood: "I've got a bag full of god if I wanna get high/A small collection of quotes that I stole on the sly/I've got a house and a home and grave when I die." There's plenty of volume as well, in the crescendos that come at the end of "A Silent Film for the Blind" and "Lonely Balloon." These long, panoramic songs earn their angst through incisive songwriting and scathing musicianship. Settle in, have patience, and forget your Clash collection. Secret French Kissing Society has its own epic story to tell.
Three Views of a Secret
Friday, June 3 2005
Bill
Meredith, The Palm Beach Post
Boynton
Beach trio Secret French Kissing Society makes a powerful pop statement
on its debut CD, First Blood (Purple Skunk Records).
Mixing
elements of New Wave-era bands Psychedelic Furs, The Cure and The Smiths,
vocalist/guitarist Stavros Polentas, bassist Jessie Steele and drummer
Chuck Britzmayr can both whisper and scream — often within the same
tune. Polentas' acoustic and electric guitar work makes for haunting instrumental
intros (Bonnie & Clyde), and his intelligent lyrics include doses
of humor (A Silent Film for the Blind)
Monday, January 31 2005
Aaron at The Bullhorn
Who can't fall in love with the name Secret French Kissing Society? This trio from Boynton Beach, Florida has just released their debut album and is putting together the framework for an extensive tour in 2005.
The band, in its present carnation, came together when drummer Chuck Deuce joined in February 2004, rounding out the line up which contained original members bassist Jessie Steel and lead singer Stavros Polentas.
Polentas sat down with thebullhorn.net recently and gave us an insightful look into the workings of this band. <more>
Saturday, July 17, 2004
Jason Budjinski-New Times Broward/Palm Beach
There's not much that's still a secret about the Secret French Kissing Society. It's quite obvious, really -- this band can dole out some good pop tunage. And not pop as in the "Oh baby, I love you" variety of fluff. No sirree. SFKS runs several shades of melancholy, à la the Smiths or the Psychedelic Furs, but never quite falls into the depressing category. It's equally bitter and sweet; there are plenty of quirky, upbeat ditties amid the slower, more plaintive dirges. From the up-and-down dynamics of "Suicide Bomber" to the more evened-out pop of "My Girlfriend's Friend," the poignant melodies of singer/guitarist Stavros Polentas take you on a synaptic roller-coaster ride. You might even hear a Cure song or two. Or three; the band knows quite a few and does a damn good job of them too. The audio tongue-swapping takes place tonight at Dada Restaurant Lounge (52 N. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach). The free show starts at 10 p.m. with Die Maudlin Tiara. Call 561-330-3232.
Coming from the outskirts of Miami, Florida, The Secret French Kissing Society arrived on the scene in 2004. Armed with carefully crafted songs and raw live performances, they quickly gained notoriety among local promoters, the media, and fans alike. Their debut album "First Blood" was recorded at The Dungeon in late 2004 and released on Purple Skunk Records. Combining a vast array of influences from early 60's mod rock to the new wave and noisepop of the 80's and early 90's, their sound is a throwback to the days of solid songwriting, sarcastic yet refined lyrics, and minimalistic arrangement. - William Shears, New York Herald Tribune
The Secret French Kissing Society music mixes the emotion of the 80's English new wave era, (Smiths, Cure) with the rawness and intensity heard on Nirvana's "Bleach". It is difficult however to pigeonhole the band with any labels though because the influences range from Dylan to the Misfits. -Chuck Deuce (drummer for The Sloppy High Fives and former SFKS drummer)
Management,
Bookings, Publicity:
Steven
Rullman TheHoneyComb.com
steven @ thehoneycomb.com
Band:
Stavros
Polentas - Vocals, Guitar, Piano
Chris
Hinckley - Vocals,
Guitar
Jessie
Steele - Bass Guitar
Darryl Bonebrake
- Drums
Rob
Yapkowitz - Acoustic Guitar
Mark Silva
- Tambourine
Label:
Purple Skunk
