Review
SMOTHER.NET-REVIEW OF NO GOING BACK-LEIANA Rough and tumble grrrls are hot. They know it. Guys really know it. But forget the good-looks, this bitch will crush you. Armed with a vice-grip of a voice (slightly sweetened with harmony), Leiana parks her tush firmly in the seat of the skate-core kids with a nod to Black Flag, old school punk rock, and smart alternative female rock. Move over Joan Jett, there s a new chick in town. - J-Sin --smother.net
RAZORCAKE REVIEW OF NO GOING BACK --razorcake
BIG BLOG ONLINE REVIEW OF NO GOING BACK By Grant Britt The Deal: Philly Indie rockers redefine skate punk. The Good: Leiana sounds like a punky version of the Go-Gos: faster, with better guitars and more funk. But this aint no girly pop. Leiana the singer and the band deliver their message about as subtly as a punch in the nose. The songs are little thought snippets, pounded into place with Treeces sledgehammer guitar and nailed down with Leianas punky, adolescent -sounding vocals. Its billed as skatepunk, but its more interesting than the fast-paced industrial sludge/speed-metal fusion that usually defines that genre. This stuff has plenty of punch provided by big power chords played at a headlong gallop. Guitarist Chuck Treece plays guitar Leslie West would be proud of. "Suffer" sounds like Belinda Carlyle fronting Mountain; big fat, crunchy riffs that slide greasily down the fretboard. "Friend" is an interesting standout, the closest thing youll find to pop, but with a snarly enuff attitude that you wont mistake it for teenage angst. "Me Again" is full tilt head-banging, and "No Going Back" sounds like it just dropped out of Metallicas setlist. The Verdict: If you missed your morning caffeine fix cause your local stop-and-rob was out of Jolt Cola, this is a fine substitute. --big blog online
Product Description
LEIANA BIO The music industry may be more dominated than ever by soulless mega-corporations, but the DIY spirit of bands like Leiana is still alive and definitely still kicking. The female-fronted, Philadelphia-based band of seasoned musicians has a rapidly growing fan base in the hardcore and skatepunk worlds. With two self-produced and self-released studio albums and a third on the way, as well as stateside and overseas touring under their belts, Leiana are proof that talent, inspiration, and hard work are still the most important things you need to make good music. Singer Leiana and multi-instrumentalist Chuck Treece form the foundation of Leiana. A former pro skater and prolific musician, Chuck has been a driving force in skate rock for over 20 years. He s also a founding member of punk legends McRad, and a well-respected tour and session player whose resume includes such diverse acts as The Roots, Bad Brains, Urge Overkill, G.Love, and Billy Joel. Chuck has had so much studio and live experience that he really is like a mentor, explains Leiana. The EP didn t go unnoticed, especially its first single Surfy Punky, which made its way onto several punk compilations. as well as the soundtrack to ESPN s women s downhill skiing show. The tune Follow Blind made it on the soundtrack to pro-skateboarder Todd Falcon s movie Call To Fly . Bitter off the new album No Going Back was featured on the Brenden Borek Compilation along with Jack Johnson, and G.Love amongst others. The band seemed to find an instant niche. Chuck, skates, I surf our audiences are young kids who are into that. It s kind of where we fit in the most. In May of 2005 Leiana released her first full-length CD Page. The well-received album featured the singles Follow Blind, which was included in the Gnarly Dude compilation, and two versions of Dirty Car one remixed by Mike Elizondo (Dr.Dre, Eminem, Fiona Apple). Also in 2005, Leiana started her own label, Page Records. The band has toured the U.S. extensively and also did a UK Tour in fall of 2005, and a headlining tour of Japan in the summer of 2007. They ve also played such festivals as the Boston-area LocoBazooka, NXNE and headlined at a showcase at South by Southwest in Austin. The touring line-up of Leiana has varied, and in the past included Chuck either on guitar or drums and Roy Mayorga on drums (Soulfly,Ozzy StoneSour). Leiana recorded the follow-up to Page at Bombshelter Studios in Los Angeles, owned by STP drummer Eric Kretz. The new album No Going Back was mixed by Matt Knobel (Lenny Kravitz). The band will be touring continuously starting November 2006. It can be a 24-hour a day job, but Leiana wouldn t even consider cashing in for the easy route.
