Year: 2003
Country: US
City: Portland, OR
Label: TKO
Format: CD, LP
Tracks: 13
Time: 34 min.
Genre: rock
Style: Punk Rock
We caught the Riffs one night at the Paris Theater in downtown Portland. As far as punk bands go they seemed to have it all, attitude, studded belts, power-chords aplenty and an alarming large fan base. Somehow they manage to get under your skin - like some back alley disease and eat away at your brain. Two weeks later, I was up in Seattle hitting some of the underground punk shops and the buzz was all about The Riffs – 180 miles north of their hometown. I was convinced to dig a little deeper. Contacting Riff frontman Tony Mengis, we set up a meeting at a ruffian water hole in Portland’s seedy northwest neighborhood. Mengis tends bar like an orchestra conductor balancing payouts from lively Keno machines, pouring whiskey sours and beer refills to throwing out the occasional crack addict. His dark eyes don’t miss the two groupies positioned at the end of the counter, their black fishnet stockings ripped in all the right places. He takes it all in without missing a beat. Veteran musician making a sort of talented punk'n'roll with powerful guitars, piano and mid tempo rhythmic section, which can to remind bands such as: Sex Pistols, Dead Boys, New York Dolls, Iggy Pop, Zeke, Dwarves or Turbonegro, to mention a few ones. Highly recommended
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