What do you get when you take three of the nicest and handsomest guys in the world, a Joey Ramone tattoo, a splash of guitar gear nerdy-ness,  and rarely a song over 90 seconds? You get The Give-Ups. Duh.

I’m a Midwest transplant and every time I go home for a visit I hope that The Give-Ups will be in the same area with their gear and preferably playing their tunes. It is rarely the case that this happens, but when it does, my heart fills with fast, pop-punk joy. The shows in the Midwest differ from the ones here in Seattle, WA. See the photo below; that’s how we roll in the Midwest. Punk shows are a collective happening, not a collection of people standing around watching others play music.*coughSeattlecough*

The Give-Ups shows are an experience. The songs are rarely over 2 minutes long. There is no talking in between songs. It is just pure, fast and loud; the way rock n roll is supposed to be.

The Give-Ups have spent the past year or so working on their first full length endeavor at Sonic Iguana Studios with Mass Giorgini. I cannot tell you how excited I am for this release to come out. Well actually I AM telling you how excited I am for this by writing this little piece. Until the release is officially out, you should check out their awesomeness.

—Michelle Leigh

The Give-Ups Myspace

The Give-Ups Youtube (go there to see live videos)

The Give-Ups Facebook (Be their friend, they won’t bite)