THE CHELSEA SMILES

Urgency, passion and bravado provide the blueprint for all great rock and roll. Since joining his first band at the age of 12 (NYC hardcore legands Agnostic Front) Todd Youth has studied that blueprint and constructed an incredible career. At 15, a US arena tour with The Beastie Boys became his proving ground as he handled guitar duties for Murphy's Law in the jaunt's opening slot. Youth looks back with a smile--"We were basically a bunch of crazy kids from New York who had never left the tri-state area, and we were suddenly playing arenas. It was my first tour!" After touring and making records for almost ten years with Murphy's Law, he wanted a change of pace--So he picked up the axe and joined D-Generation, embarking on national tours supporting Green Day and releasing several major label albums. "At that time, New York was really hot again because D-Generation was happening and all of these other bands came out in their wake. No one ever blew up out of it, but it was a really cool and very decadent time." After parting ways with D-Generation in 1999, Todd riffed for the legendary Danzig until 2003. During his downtime, he managed to play with everyone from Debbie Harry of Blondie, to Johnny Thunders old partner in crime Walter Lure, to Motörhead. But he'd never had a band he could call his own--Until now...On The Chelsea Smiles's Acetate Records debut, "Thirty Six Hours Later," the singer/guitarist injects his experience and charisma into every track, crafting a record that draws from every influence that drove him to pick up a guitar in the first place. "In between Danzig tours, I put this together to have fun and play some high energy rock and roll." That high energy rock functions as the catalyst for a tangible explosion of energy, both live and on the album. "It's all about immediacy," says Youth. "It's about capturing the moment. It's not about ProTool-ing it to death. We went into the studio where we did our demos and we did this record the way that we wanted to. We recorded and mixed it in 36 hours--That's why it's called 'Thirty Six Hours Later.' No one was over-analyzing anything. The final record was just what this band is..."The resulting album melds the fire of grit of old-school punk a la The Stooges, with the metallic bombast and hooks of classic KISS. A lesson in hard rock, cuts like "Nothing Wrong," "Built to Last" and "Heart Attack" bear the marks of The New York Dolls with a new-found vitality. The riffs pack a prize-fight punch and the solos sport a bluesy soul, while the rhythm section grooves along infectiously. It's a complete step up from the band's first Capitol Records 4-song EP. "It's rock and roll, man. It's not supposed to be serious. It's made for people to have fun and let loose."Youth has made sure that The Chelsea Smiles rekindle that fire of early punk and gutter rock in every aspect: from their live show, to their work ethic, to their image. "We're a hard-working band. We rehearse hard. We play hard. We'll play anywhere, anytime. Everyone's heart is 100 percent into this. They believe in everything, right down to the way the band looks. I was always drawn to bands like The Ramones or The Clash, and those bands looked like gangs to me. I wanted something that just had the whole package." Guitarist Skye Vaughn Jayne (Ex-Bullets and Octane), bassist Johnny Martin and drummer Karl Rosqvist round out Todd's gang of 21st century rock outlaws.The band's chemistry in the studio and onstage is undeniable. Martin anchors down a propulsive low end as Rosqvist steers the songs with the pounding rhythms of a man possesed. Meanwhile, Jayne swaps leads, licks and vocals with Youth. The band's tight musical bond stems from one common influence. "In this band we have one link between all of us, and that's early KISS. Everybody in this band completely worships KISS, up until the "Dynasty" record. To me, KISS is a classic, dirty New York City rock and roll band. You need to come from that musical background to really play it."Having toured with artists including Social Distortion, Backyard Babies, The Datsuns and the New York Dolls, The Chelsea Smiles continue to deliver their own brand of "dirty rock and roll" at each and every gig, continuing that legacy. "Playing music is all I've ever done, all I've ever wanted to do, and probably all I ever will do," Youth concludes, "and I'm totally ok with that." And once crowds catch The Chelsea Smiles, everyone will agree--That's all he ever needs to do. --Rick Florino/ Ruin Magazine a