Press
“I Never Learn” (2023)
“A musical adventure ‘I Never Learn’ engages with melodic, up-tempo folk tones. A bright singalong with an abundance of joyful jangly guitars and catchy hooks. It mixes up the sound with bursts of deconstructed DIY garage rock riffs to showcase everything the band is about. The lyrics offer an emotional rollercoaster of the trials and tribulations of love. The idea that while we know we should learn from past mistakes we rarely do. The notion of knowingly allowing someone to mess you around because something is better than nothing. ‘I Never Learn’ is a relatable listen as we’ve all experienced toxicity in love, letting ourselves get taken for a fool unable to detach ourselves from another person. ” –ClickRollBoom
“Punk Rock Ruined My Life” (2023)
“It’s a great sing-a-long track with some cracking lyrics and catchy tune…likely to be in your head for a while after hearing it so be prepared to find yourself singing ‘punk rock made me weird’ whilst you’re at the bus stop (thus proving the song’s point).” –Punktuation Magazine
“…raw, honest, fuzzy, and at times, some of the vocals almost sound like meows. Intrigued yet or do I need to keep going? Seriously though, this song made me smile bigger than any other song I’ve heard in a very long time and although my day has been rough and every email I get seems to be about another fire that I have to put out, this song made me push away from my desk, stand up, and just dance it out for a little bit.” –Girl at the Rock Show
“…a humorous take on a feeling that something many punk rockers over 30 years old can relate to. You can prepare for this track by taking two ibuprofen and make sure to apply plenty of Biofreeze.” –IAMTunedUp
To the Ends of the Earth (2022)
“Raleigh, North Carolina, quartet Thirsty Curses are spiritual heirs to the drunken, sardonic and masterful songcraft of the Replacements, Violent Femmes and hometown power-pop heroes Let’s Active. The band’s forthcoming fourth album, To the Ends of the Earth, is a refined take on the band’s punk-pop sound that showcases its most sophisticated hooks to date.” –The Big Takeover (Online Review)
“To the Ends of the Earth puts together memorable tunes, keeping listeners coming back for more.” –New Noise Magazine
“…there’s a ramshackle element to the music on the new record that firmly places this talented band alongside such Raleigh-reared greats as The dBs and Let’s Active.” –Rock ‘n Roll Globe
“Thirsty Curses continues to deliver impactful projects one after another, coming closer to cementing themselves as one of the more unique rock bands in Raleigh and beyond.” –Music Mecca
“Thirsty Curses’ music is pretty impossible to pinpoint. It comfortably sits somewhere between punk and softer indie sounds of the 80s. ‘To The Ends of the Earth’ offers a fresh palette of sounds married with their DIY aesthetic.”-Psychedelic Baby Magazine
“If you like the Replacements tracks with pianos on them or IRS-era REM or ever wondered what Marshall Crenshaw dipped in Carolina barbeque sauce sounds like, check out this band and their new record To the Ends of the Earth. A healthy dose of piano-driven power pop won’t kill ya.” –Jeff Yerger
“‘To The Ends Of The Earth’ is such an insane album, that definitely has so many reasons to stand out, it is one that deserves all the recognition it gets. It’s a really memorable and impressive collection of tracks and one that keeps you hooked from the moment it begins to the very end.” –Strike A Note
“I absolutely adore this album…it makes me want to go into your back catalog” -From interview with Enter the Shell Podcast.
PRAISE FOR “NOTHING REALLY MATTERS”
“US-based Thirsty Curses is unlike anything or anyone else… ‘Nothing Really Matters’ blasts out with pounding drums, dynamic guitars and powerful vocals from the first second. A constant spewing forth of loud and brash noise expertly arranged to bring an abruptness to the uncompromising tune makes it intense and intimate at the same time.” –The Other Side Reviews
““’Nothing Really Matters’ offers a strong dose of garage rock with indie and punk influences, creating a unique sound. The band manages to explore many genres in their own way, leaving the sound with its own identity.” –Headbangers News
“The vocals carry a great weight of emotion in them and sound very unique. “-York Calling
“That was super cool”…..”He looks like a bite-sized Axl Rose”….”There’s a lot to like about that song”…”I have prayed a lot and Satan has finally come through for me.”…the Fanboys Podcast (from The Hard Times podcast network)
“‘Nothing Really Matters’ music video echoes something to the effect of Guns N’ Roses meets Every Time I Die with a bit of Scissor Sisters-style ‘campy’ piano bar cabaret mixed in, for good measure.” The Witzard
“”With a lot of good humor and talent, the North Americans Thirsty Curses surprise with a sound that goes from 0 to 100 very fast in “Nothing Really Matters ”. The slow song explodes and gives way to upbeat riffs, heavy drums and electric vocals, mixing punk and hard rock elements to create an energetic, attitude-filled sound. The result is a full plate for rock fans!” –Rocknbold
“As soon as I pressed the play button I was immediately intrigued by the vocal timbre of the singer…The production is excellent, perfect for the genre, a direct and sincere rock without strings attached.” –Edgar Allen Poets
PRAISE FOR Thirsty Curses (2019)
WKNC on “Bruises On Your Shoulders”
If you’ve been following WKNC’s coverage of local artists then you’re no stranger to the name Thirsty Curses. This Raleigh rock band has been prominent on the scene since 2017 and has made quite a name for themselves rather quickly.
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Ultimately, what I perceived as the greatest takeaway of this video was the timing of its release… It seems as though Getchell, without even knowing what kind of landscape we’d find ourselves in months later (as this song was written and released in 2019), was able to tune in to exactly what the population was feeling… and needed to hear.
Vents Magazine Review of Self-Titled Album
“Thirsty Curses’ “self-titled album provides a raw, unapologetic perspective on the roughness we all feel through the ins and outs in life. This musical masterpiece of an album draws from several genres – such as punk, lighter and heavier rock, alternative and even country – although this album gives off a true “classic rock” vibe through and through. Every song beautifully blends diverse sounds and styles with harmonious and catchy lyrics. An album that would please both you and your older-aged rock-loving dad…
Thirsty Curses did it all absolutely right and smashed it out of the park with this album. This one is a true winner.”
88.1 WKNC Review of Self-Titled Album
“There is some phenomenal songwriting on this album. In every song, the lyrics flow and swing together extremely harmoniously, creating a sense of continuity and balance that lets you just sink deep into the music.”
OFFICIAL FAME MAGAZINE Review of Self-Titled Album
“Each track of this album refuses to hide raw emotion from the weight of life, but also leaves traces of hope between the lyrics. “Thirsty Curses” is like shifting clouds in a foggy winter day that invite temporary beams of light to shine through the gloom.”
All Ages Zine Review of Self-Titled Album
“From the Refreshments tinged “Smash-Hit,” to the toe-tapping “You Don’t Have To Tell Me,” and the spastically haunting, jaunty melody of the piano laced “Cold Black Ink,” Thirsty Curses gives us slight touches of punk, folk, country, 90’s alternative, and even Americana with songs such as “Slice of Paradise” and “Red Marks,” but never truly dips more than a toe into the water of each sound. This album is all over the place stylistically, but that doesn’t mean that sitting in the middle of each song is what becomes their signature; top-notch songwriting!”
Beachcomber on Self-Titled Album
“I’m a sucker for pop smarts, intelligent and witty lyrics, and a bang-up whistling tune. This record has all three.”
Feature on YOU HAVEN’T HEARD THIS MUSIC PODCAST (1:02:00 – 1:30:00)
“Brilliant! …Post-punk Americana with inflections of gypsy swing.”
“This scratches some itch I didn’t know I had.”
Conversations About Her Review of Self-Titled Album
“Thirsty Curses are a great discovery not only for garage lovers, but for a wide public of eclectic taste, as their sounds are able to take them far…
The garage rock band is able to draw musical materials which range over different generes, from punk and folk to country and blues. Despite their recent formation, they have been highly productive musically. Their latest self-titled album, was recently released by Spectra Music Group on November 8 and is now available on all streaming platforms.
Moreover, the first single extracted from the album is “I Want To Wreck Your Car” that, as the title could suggest, is about a complicated relationship. In the lyrics, love and hate are mixed together in a flow of conflicting thoughts that can be generated by only a deep feeling. It is a contrast that is possible to perceive even with the sounds, which open the song in a happy way to conclude it then with chaotic guitars that melt together in something that makes the listener feel close to The Beatles’ “Day in the Life”.”
Interview with Gaston Gazette
“I started writing from a different place,” Getchell said. “The ‘All Shook Up’ album was a little angrier than the upcoming record. I’ve just started exploring some difference influences and some different sounds and different approaches to writing. This album is a little more personal than previous stuff.”
Getchell said that if there was a theme to the record, it was a “personal reflection of how did I end up here?”
INTERVIEW ON WNIA 89.1 – BIG BANG Radio Spotlight
“Anybody that’s heard Thirsty Curses’ music knows that you guys have an awesome blend of all these different genres…Alternative, mixed with Americana, mixed with a little folk, and even some country…So, how would you all describe your sound?”
“Schizophrenic”
Indie Band Guru on “Smash/Hit” from Self-Titled Album.
“Some raw emotion-laden alt-rock that hits all the right notes.”
PRAISE FOR ALL SHOOK UP (2018)
Yes! Weekly Profile
Thirsty Curses make rock’n’roll, with a boisterous beer-swilling edge to it. Many of these songs are about living it up while things fall apart at the seams, or at least trying to find some glory in chaos and meaninglessness. You might hear a connection to the Replacements, the Hold Steady, the Dropkick Murphys, and other rowdy rockers.
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Getchell’s songs do a nice job of balancing exuberance and despair. There’s a thread of existential crises running through many of his songs, but there’s also a fair bit of shrugging off the hardship with bits of winking optimism.
MP3HUGGER on “Exile” from All Shook Up
“Wild materials operate in this act, a kind of insurgency that reminds me a little of early Kings of Leon but a countrier dimension. Perhaps a little Clap Your Hands Say Yeah going by the slightly demented singing. And all railroading by Johnny Cash knocking out the rhythm, yep this is a track with plenty of facades, personalities with even room for a little Undertones before it closes. I like its action jackson approach and though there was never a moment of transcendence it still made for escapism of the highest order.”
Dying Scene – On ALL SHOOK UP
As schizophrenic as their genre influences seems to be, the one common denominator is that I dig every single track I’m hearing… I defy you not to get hooked by the track “Dimlit Cathedral.”
Alternative Addiction – on ALL SHOOK UP
The band has an eclectic sound that touches on everything from punk rock to folk. They sound like a cross between the Avett Brothers and Rise Against. On their new album that diverse sound is delightfully all over the place. For the first time in a while, we listened through the album and struggled to choose which song to pick as the Indie Song of the Day because it’s all pretty damn good.
Listen through “Slice of Paradise” from Thirsty Curses below and be sure to stream the album on Apple Music and Spotify too. You won’t regret it.
Muzique Magazine – On ALL SHOOK UP
Recorded, produced, and mixed by the legendary Mitch Easter (Avett Bros., R.E.M., The Squirrel Nut Zippers, Pavement) at the Fidelitorium (Kernersville, NC), All Shook Up takes the band’s eclectic sound on their previous release (Holy Moly) and ratchets up the fusion of genres that shape the infectious Thirsty Curses sound. In the midst of recording the album, front-man Wilson Getchell stated, “The only way you’re getting these songs out of your head is with a bullet.”
Starting off with the boisterous “I Can’t Keep Up” and ending with the reflective “Long Folk Revival”, the band’s second outing draws from a variety of influences, as each of the individual members maintain a healthy and diverse musical appetite, evident throughout the group’s extensive catalog. Divided into three “movements”, the band seamlessly juxtaposes honest and self-referential topics such as difficult relationships, dead-end jobs, and shaping one’s sense of self with tongue-in-cheek observations about “Today’s Kids (Are Not Rockers)” and the state of the world today.
In the guys’ own words: “We received a lot of feedback from the last record that there was something on there for everyone to enjoy and we wanted to carry that aesthetic through on this record… but this time around we wanted to make the punk songs more raucous, the ballads more soulful, and the rock-jams more epic in scope.”
After a listen to the final five contiguous tracks on the record, the boys have undeniably achieved a grander soundscape through the additional harmonies of Kevin See’s raucous lead guitar and the dynamic interplay between Tradd Yancey’s and David “Keebler” Henry’s toe-tapping rhythm section which never seems to take a breath. Wilson Getchell’s catchy vocal melodies are beautifully complimented by additional backing vocals throughout the record, which provide another layer of pop-sensibility to the diverse song selections and only add to the “ear-worm-quality” of the tracks.
On the whole, All Shook Up is the perfect summer record to blast while driving to the beach with the windows down, to crank up late at night for a pick-me-up, and to find the hair-of-the-dog the next morning. Just be prepared to relentlessly hum the tracks while at work, including the NSFW ones…
Radio Free Lightening Blog – Blurb on Thirsty Curses’ new record ALL SHOOK UP
Sound: Cheeky, bouncy indie pop that doesn’t take itself so goddamn seriously, but seriously gets in your head all the same.
Story: “The only way to get these songs out of your head is with a bullet” says Thirsty Curses front man Wilson Getchell during the recording of the band’s newest record All Shook Up, which is out right now, friends. That’s kinda dark, maybe. But this tune helps to illustrate the point by its brightness, buoyed up by frenetic playing and affable delivery, not to mention a kaleidoscopic animated video that matches with the childlike energy of the music. The song and the rest of the record was produced by none other than Mitch Easter, he of Let’s Active and the early production chair occupier for a little band called REM.
RAWMEAT ON ALL SHOOK UP:
“We think a record that implies wearing condoms isn’t rock ‘n roll might not be the right fit for us.”
Floorshime Zipperboots on ALL SHOOK UP:
“More than anything, this band reminds us of Kings of Leon.”
Digital High Music Blog – Blurb on Thirsty Curses “Dimlit Cathedral” Single.
– on this teaser track from their second studio album Greetings From Grand Rapids, the North Carolina quartet ratchet up the catchy, with a lively mix of foot stomping rhythms and vocal harmonies.
New Jersey Stage: Sights and Sound of Note – Blurb on “Holy Moly” Single
Thirsty Curses is an eclectic four-piece rock ‘n’ roll band from Raleigh, NC. Like a tall glass of water they satisfy on their latest single “Holy Moly” that is an infectious blend of rock and punk infused with southern charm – we swear!