TPA in Street Voice UK Music Magazine

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 22:12:10 -0700

THE PASSIVE AGGRESSIVES - Conflict Resolution: This is one album I've been waiting to hear after coming across the band on My Space. This four-piece manage to combine the classic rock sound with grunge and make it work! What's more they've got a wicked vocalist in Keren Gaiser who's vocals work so well with the wicked music this American outfit play. I have to give a big thumbs up to some cool guitar playing from Jose Santiago too! Just listen to how this man plays – He's wicked! Aside from some great music and vocals I have to say the lyrics are well written and ones that actually make you think. For me I thought the whole album was full on and not one weak track amongst the fifteen numbers on this release. For me the tracks that stood out for me were 'All We've Got Now', 'Conflict Resolution', 'World Of Compromise' and 'Don't Want To Be With You'. The production is spot on and packaging top notch too!

Steve DIY

TPA in Overloaded Rocks

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 22:10:01 -0700

Passive Aggressives – Conflict Revolution

With lead singer Karen Gaiser the Passives have a great vocal talent to help produce an interesting mix, Conflict Revolution is a varied album that will keep your interest from start to finish. Brilliant cover of the Turtles 1967 hit Happy together

Dave Watts - www.overloadedrocks.com

“I wouldn’t be surprised at all if they make it big”

Mon, 1 Jun 2009 22:06:45 -0700

Debut album from Oakland based The Passive Aggressives. The band brings a mix of funk,rock,pop & metal to the 15 tracks. The Turtles "Happy Together" gets a fine treatment and fits in nice among the other songs. This a cool bunch of songs that are made for the stage with the energy level on 11. Great production and the band feels very tight.
 Keren Gaiser provides some fantastic vocals with "Violeta" as my favorite. "Slice It Away" and "All We've Got Is Now" are two songs I think would make great radio singles in the US. My overall view on The Passive Aggressives is that this ain't really my favorite kind of music but there's alot of great tunes here.
 I wouldn't be surprised at all if they make it big especially on the American West Coast. So look out!!

Andy Flash: Spinechained

New Website

Fri, 15 May 2009 17:39:08 -0700

Ok. So, our old website was getting a little old. Hopefully, we’ll be able to keep this one up to date, up to speed and fresh.

The Passive Aggressives in "Fireworks"

Thu, 14 May 2009 12:47:57 -0700

From Oakland, California come THE PASSIVE AGGRES SIVES consisting of Keren Gaiser on vocals, Tim Dayner on drums, Andrew Smith, Christian Thompson and Jose Santiago on guitar, Damian Lynch on bass and are utterly superb. They perform a mix of funky rock with progressive and melodic rock. Keren Gaiser has a superb vocal range reminding me of Gwen Stefani. This band are awesome and their funky mix and melodic style works well.

First track ‘All We’ve Got Is Now’ is a blinder with sharp Satriani like guitars against a funky back-bone and soulful powerful vocals from Keren, a totally workable radio song. ‘Soundtrack To The Voices In My Head’ has a cool funky vibe; this one is almost Red Hot Chilli Peppers jamming with No Doubt and Primus, and is very catchy with poppy undertones. ‘Violeta’ is a slower, beautiful track, the vocals are delightfully delivered and is a stunning, gorgeous song based around a simple acoustic structure before bursting into a retroish funky jam style song.

‘Conflict Resolution’, the title track, is also really good. It’s more poppy and feels very sexy in structure. Again Keren’s Belinda Carlisle influenced vocals are awesome and really make the song shine. ‘Happy Together’ is another cool song and has a strong Gwen Stefani feel. I could swear blind that I have heard this song before and a little research leads me to me believe that it is indeed a cover of a song by The Turtles. Don’t think I have heard The Turtles original though so I guess someone else has covered it over the years, however it’s a good cover tune and another song that radio could latch onto. ‘World Of Compromise’ is next and shows a softer, deeper melodic vocal style from Keren. Her voice on this song sends shivers down my back and this is a little country in flavour, almost Sheryl Crow in style. A very good song. ‘Slice It Away’ is another laid back tune and this time I hear a little Fiona Apple in the mix with maybe some Tori Amos. A very strong song with some great musical backbone from the band. ‘Just Believe’ is funky with a mid 90’s and seventies retrovibe. A little like the indie pop band Dee-Lite from the 90’s. Next is the very cool and almost hynotic earthy feel of ‘Don’t Want To Be You’, and oh boy, I really got into this track. It’s fabulous vocally, musically … everything. Lots of interesting guitar structures built around a very catchy melodic feel and should be a radio single. ‘One More Look’ has a strong acoustic guitar feel and is easy flowing, pop/rock which fits well against the material. ‘Lulla-Bye Nation’ is a simple track based around a banjo feel, and for some reason it makes me think of the Oasis song from the sitcom ‘The Royle Family’ in a small way crossed with Fairground Attraction. Next is ‘Perfect’, a short almost tribal fun ditty which is followed by ‘Not Perfect. A deeper, almost progressive, darker song which is awesome and quite heavy, coming over a little like Xandria and Evanscenece. A very good song with a different, and good bass work as well from David Lynch.

‘Evil Cloud Song’ takes the progressive, funky edge a little further without losing the feel for the rest of the album. Another good song with soaring vocals from Karen and so much going on, vocally and musically as it charges at you and lulls you in deep into the grooves. Last track is ‘Let’s Begin’, a heavy progressive instrumental that ends the album on a high. I found this album to be downright impressive from start to finish. There is so much going as you dig deep into each
song and it really doesn’t feel like it’s fifteen tracks long either, showing how confident the band are. The production is also top notch with everything crisp and clear as it should be. A most impressive band and an album that is well worth exploring. Keren Gaiser was kind enough to send me some new songs that she has been working on under her own name, so let’s take a look at those. ‘Figure Out’ kicks off the CD and is fabulous: very poppy and perfectly sung, catchy with a slight country edge and vocally Keren comes over like Amanda Marshall. Her vocals are huge and the song could almost be a female John Waite. ‘If
You Just Believe’ is more electronic based pop, again very catchy and reminding me of Garbage. ‘For You And I’ is a stunning ballad, very melodic and beautifully performed against piano and acoustic guitars. ‘Let Me Go’ is deeper in structure. Keren’s voice is huge; it’s got a solid 70’s vibe, a little blues edged, retro but completely awesome. Maybe a little Fleetwood Mac and Heart on this song. ‘Ordinary Girl’ is another corker and Keren’s voice again is top notch and delivered with flowing passion – superb addictive pop/rock built around huge vocal melodies. ‘Control’ is more of the same with cool, breezy Hammond keys, whilst ‘Sleepy Head’ is a very catchy song with strong guitars built around a pop/rock/country structure. ‘You Are Always With Us’ is a totally stunning ballad, very melodic and superbly performed to massive proportions. ‘Same Reflection In The Mirror (Hebrew Version)’ ends the CD, again it’s a gut wrenching, sweet balladic style song, with lush harmonies and vocals gliding through. Who needs the likes of Elaine Paige, Barbara Striesand and Celine Dion when we have new, tasty blood in Karen Gaiser.

Karen Gaiser deserves to be a star; she’s got the talent, she can sign and knows how to pen a good tune. Simply put, both The Passive Agressives and Karen’s own songs offer a rich, diverse and entertaining style that will leave you most impressed.