SHATNER are purveyors of classic guitar pop with an indie rock twist. Based in Leeds, UK Shatner were formed in 2003 as Jim Bower plus brother Rick, keyboardist Chris Minz and drummer Dick Sharp re-emerged from stasis for one last shot at immortality, and to fully explore the whole midlife crisis thing. There was no plan, except to make great music. The most recent additions to the crew are Sarah Niven and Planet Claire on backing vocals.
The debut album 'Energise' and infrequent live performances have brought an uninterrupted stream of rave reviews. The band's long-awaited second album THIRTEEN O'CLOCK has just been released. It was produced by Will Jackson, whose credits include the Pigeon Detectives' number 3 UK hit album.
SHATNER don't care about anything except being the best they can be, which, quite frankly, is way better than 99% of the nonsense the mainstream music industry regularly churns out."If Simon Cowell thought we were great, we'd kill ourselves, at least we'd emigrate"
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REVIEWS OF THE NEW ALBUM "THIRTEEN O'CLOCK"
"Insanely catchy, densely packed, seamless pop perfection...and of the 13 songs not one misses by more than a whisker.
At every level and in every department it's a classic." - Whisperin and Hollerin
“A spirited, effervescent and truly
enticing piece of work...genius.†contactmusic.com
“Blackly humorous, witty, catchy, genuinely inventive, and cleverer than the kaiser chiefs.†Tasty fanzine
"Whether you’ve experienced Shatner before or not, I recommend you check out their finest hour. It will definitely strike a chord." thebeatsurrender.co.uk
"Hovers perilously over the unfashionable and dabbles with the pretentious but manages to maintain a toe-hold on healthy power pop." Sandman magazine
"Stonkingly good, should stride the Earth with utter confidence." subba-cultcha.com___________________________________________
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Reviews of the single 'Anticlockwise/ It's Time' Dec 06
"Encapsulating all the positives of Britpop, 'Anticlockwise' is a memorable tune...they can be the most indie band ever and still sound original; like a chef mixing up the same old ingredients to create a brand new dish....a solid eight, no mistakes. It'll be interesting to see what Shatner do next. Fun fun fun.
leedsmusicscene.net
"Shatner are ace. People are entitled to disagree, as long as they realise that they are wrong. This single proves conclusively that there is still plenty of mileage in the classic catchy pop hook when handled by a professional, both with the B-side (the funky-in-a-good-way It’s Time) and the single itself which aside from being an infectious, fun, intelligent and classy song in it’s own right, also has its own dance..."
sandman magazine
"..a very well written indie-pop song that recalls the Wedding Present’s cheerier moments, but with daft surf-rock riffs and a somewhat more deadpan lyrical delivery."
The Leeds Guide
"...unadulterated pop fun with a an old school rock n roll guitar hook and bass line.... there is always room for a bit of Shatner in your life and I defy you not to be bopping around after two or three listens of this track.
Tasty Fanzine
"From its opening notes this is an infectious pop anthem. Shatner don’t want to be cool for the sake of being cool, they’re never going to care about the music press and the do’s and don’ts of how to be media darlings, they’re more interested in making music that people like - and people should like this."
The Music Guru
Reviews of the album "Energise"
Four thirtysomethings who really ought to know better have managed to craft a near-perfect pop gem. Energise stands out as one of the most uplifting, not to mention unexpected, musical achievements of 2005 leedsmusicscene.net
Energise isn't burdened with any deadwood to speak of. It's a likeable listen from front to back with precious little need of the skip button. If the idea of undersung thirtysomethings making relevant guitar pop sounds highly illogical, then hear Energise first. It's illogically good.
whisperinandhollerin.com
"There's a real human and honest feel to this whole album, something that gets under your skin, whether you want it there or not. It's one small step for wry tongue-in-cheekiness, a giant leap for out-and-out good tunes" themusicguru.co.uk
Enterprise-sized hooks, tunes as catchy as the best tractor beam.. but really, there isn't anything trekky about this album. The key is that Shatner really know their pop music. Most importantly, they don't care what's cool and what isn't - they probably don't even know. That level of detachment means they can make the songs they want. Sci-fi geekery never sounded so good."
Sandman magazine
"This is never going to be considered a cool and/or fashionable album but there are more important things such as melodies and lyrics that actually mean something. Whether you are a Trekker or not, Energise is a record worth checking out."
heathenangel.co.uk
A waft of fresh air
Vanity Project fanzine
Pop that covers a lot of ground - and they can really play
Vibrations fanzine
