THE FUZZ are total West Seattle Rock. Two guitars, bass and drums. Old enough to know better, but that just don’t matter. With Best Kept Secret, their 3rd album, they are planning to expand the hood. From the opening primal guitar turmoil of “Can’t Wait” to their rumbling tribute to Wilt Chamberlain and his 10,000 girls, the country-sleaze of “Charley Horse,” all the way to their epic closer, ”Call The Cops,” The Fuzz get it done. 100%.
THE FUZZ is a veteran combo with guitar-monster Rod Moody, who has played in at least 100 bands including early Sub Pop grunge favorites Swallow and Seattle hardcore pioneers Deranged Diction, Andy Hoggarth, co-vocalist and guitarist weaned on classic country and old-school rock & roll who favors the red Les Paul (‘cept on Fender night), Orange County punk rocker & skater champ Brad Jackman on the bass and skin-man/spiritual force Tom Hendrickson from Bam Bam and the Runaway Trains. Add it up and you get something that is not halfway between the Dead Kennedys and the Rolling Stones but might be a third of the way. They do know how to rock.
THE FUZZ started out in 2000 when Rod stole another man’s band. They quickly made a “friends & family” record, Here Come The Fuzz, with producer & longtime pal Jerry Hammack. After a handful of shows, Rod was called away to Providence, Rhode Island, where he stayed for four years eating quahogs and lobster rolls (Oddly enough GMR Prez Tom Dyer was there at exactly the same time). He came back fat and sassy in 2005 and The Fuzz picked up where they left off. Well sorta.
THE FUZZ took a while to get round to tracking their 2011 sophomore release, Fun Forest, which at least provided extra cash at gigs and a few spins on KEXP. (But it IS a very fine record and you should buy it, pal.) Twelve years in, The Fuzz is no longer content to be Seattle’s Best Kept Secret. They wanna blow that up. Their new release is the first of their three albums recorded in a real recording studio (the previous two were recorded in the basement) and is coming to you from the home of true Seattle Underground Rock, Green Monkey Records.
THE FUZZ are a fixtures in Seattle’s dive bars, playing their beautiful songbook all the way from Georgetown to Shoreline and who knows, they may even expand that range with this new album. Tacoma? Everett? If they are feeling crazy, maybe even Portland!
And Finally:
THE FUZZ would like you to know are not an indie band, not an alt-whatever band, not a crossover band…they are a fucking ROCK band!
“True grit from the 206.” John Book
The Fuzz have released a new album on Green Monkey Records called Best Kept Secret and if you are someone who loves their rock in a dingy club or basement with a hint of stink and gank, you’ve come to the right place. It reminds me of the kind of music I’d hear from a group of people who have a lot of experience and know what they’re doing, singing about and playing, and that’s exactly what this is. This is experienced music, and some of this reminds me of early Mudhoney or even Green River, as if Mark Arm decided to show up and say “hey, I want to jam with you guys.” I’m sure fans of the Seattle music will say “this should remind you of a lot of other people than that” and there’s nothing wrong with an aggressive song like this with lyrics that refer to Kareem Abdul Jabbar, as they do in the nice basketball anthem “Wilt”. Nonetheless, for those who remember and know what Seattle rock sounds like, perhaps this is why this is called Best Kept Secret, for this is something you’re not going to hear on the radio with its own dedicated hour during lunch, This is true grit from the 206. John Book
“Dig The Fuzz and have your cardiologist on speed dial”
“Dig The Fuzz and have your cardiologist on speed dial”November 13th, 2015 “the third album of melodic garage-punk from Seattle vets The Fuzz rips its way through dueling buzz-saw guitars and a whole lotta shakin’ and bakin’ going on in the rhythm-section. … So if your idea of a night on the town involves rolling around on the floor and slam dancing or stage diving with your besties, dig The Fuzz and have your cardiologist on speed dial.” Jeff Penczak/Soundblab
THE FUZZ – “BEST KEPT SECRET” GET GREAT FIRST REVIEW!
Frank Gutch Jr. in Indie Musicology: THE FUZZ – Best Kept Secret: There is raw power here. Raw power! Play it low and you won’t get it. This kind of music you have to crank up!!! Wild freaking take-no-prisoners, slashing guitar and vocals as raw as the guitars. Riffs! Noise! Pounding beat! It’s all here. Again, though, crank it up!!! Garage freaks, metalheads, Power-Poppers and speed freaks are going to love this album. Hell, I’m not any one of those except maybe a Power-Popper, and I love it
Feb 22, 2015
press quote Four Star Review!
Review: The Fuzz – Best Kept Secret (Green Monkey Records, 2016) (Rock) The Fuzz started in 2000 in Seattle, Washington, USA, and consists of: Rod Moody – solo guitar, Andy Hoggarth – vocals and lead guitar, Brad Jackman – bass guitar and Tom Hendrickson – drums. Their debut album “Here Comes The Fuzz” already appeared soon after the formation of the band and it was in 2011, followed by “Fun Forest”, which is worth mentioning that both albums were recorded in the basement of their home. the new album “Best Kept Secret” in Elliott Bay Recording Studio to Seattle and recorded by the Green Monkey Records released on October 16 2015. “Best Kept Secret” contains nine songs, including “I Can not Wait” and it is the first I hear the band play a nice swinging pop song that 60s beat contains influences and is followed by “Too Bad”, a delicious swinging 60s related uptempo beat song, then I “want” hear and containing the band plays another brilliant piece of rock that influenced the years, 60 music. then lock the strap me “Charley Horse” for a high-tempo pop song that light country rock contains influences (listen to this song over the soundcloud link below the review), to be followed by “Girl”, a swinging rock song, which contains some fine tempo. in “She Believes” the band dishes out like a fast rock song for, which is played at breakneck speed and takes a minute and “Locked Out” the Fuzz also plays a fantastic piece of rock at high speed, while in “loaded” a delightful swinging rock song to put get where rhythm & blues influences in sitting and singing me slightly reminiscent of Mick Jagger. the last song on the album is called “Call the Cops” and also let herein the band I enjoy swinging uptempo rock song, where inaction is not an issue. “Best Kept Secret” is a nice swinging album by the Fuzz and I can therefore recommend every rock lover, to listen to this disc again, to perhaps reach the same conclusion as me.
“Fun Forest exists to fill a niche in dive bars nationwide.”
Fun Forest, The Fuzz (Out now, Dubious Records, myspace.com/thefuzz): If the Aquabats had grown up listening to Crazy Town, this tongue-in-cheek, clap-along dirty pop with two helpings of punk would almost make sense. Instead, Fun Forest exists to fill a niche in dive bars nationwide. JW
Jul 07, 2011
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Rod has a brilliant sense of lyrical detail, not afraid to describe every manner of fucking or fighting, what he needs right now, and what needs to change or else
For me, it’s also going to be imperative to see The Fuzz, which is Rod Moody’s new band, who used to be in Spike when I interviewed them in The Rocket back in 1994. They have a new album called Fun Forest which sounds just like it: Rod has a brilliant sense of lyrical detail, not afraid to describe every manner of fucking or fighting, what he needs right now, and what needs to change or else. Rod’s been in a lot of other bands, most notably before that Swallow (Sub Pop), but also Why, Deranged Diction, Runaway Trains, Dry Bones, and Green Handshake. His sound is an irresistible working man’s stew of Black Flag, Dick Dale, Ramones, and other old school rev up-the-stolen-GTO and go-pick-up-the-dirty-white-go go-booted girlfriend garage dance-stomp. He sneaks in hilarious greasy little lyrical teases at the apathetic kids of today in “Run Run Run” (Circle Jerks as a cranky beat band!), gets sexy strolling blues-punk on “All Over The World,” and blisses out on a nice ballad on “Forget It.” Solid stuff and I can’t wait to hear it.