12/06 AAPA

AAPA VOTES THV #10 RECORD OF THE YEAR

AAPA

1/07 Music Tap UK

Music Tap


The Human Value is a duo (actually, now a trio AFTER this album) that plays a punkish pop that is full of all the right stuff that makses for great sounding records. It is also a disc that I went back to several times after hearing it. That's a sign of a good record, when you just can't seem to move on to the next album because the one you've just heard won't leave your brain yet.

Playing like a throwback to the latter-day 70's new-wave power pop, The Human Value sounds a bit like stuff from Joan Jett, and other bands from the late 70's period with vocalist, Turu, sounding, at times, a bit like Patti Smith (it's there-listen to "Kill Pangs", a great song on this album.) The album begins with a male pleasing "Give Me", a sexual turnabout with the girl begging in the middle of the night, full of buzzing guitar.

But there's other influence in there as well. On "You Want Him", the song is like an outtake from Fear Of Music (Talking Heads) as does "Lonely Girl", and "Parts Per Million". "Complications" sounds like a hopped up Joy Division tune. And now that we know that there are plenty of influences in The Human Value, let's step away from comparisons and listen to the album for what it is.

This debut (released in the UK in 2006, now in the US) is a collection of various styles of '70s' post-punk brilliance headed by a vocalist that is well worth her salt (and great looking as well... well, she's bloody hot, is what she is). And you can't look past the instrumentalist in the band. Known as Hiram, he plays the guitars, bass,keyboards, and throws in vocals as well. They've since added a female drummer.

The album contains 13 tracks, all of them excellent, and all worth your time. Now that you know a little about The Human Value, you should check them out. I couldn't let the new year begin without giving you a look - and listen - to one of the better sounding bands that has crossed my desk, one who can come to play and make it sound great in the process. We've (as listeners) made a big deal out of Interpol, The Killers, and other fun-to-hear bands that draw heavily from the well of past music. We should be adding The Human Value to that list.

The Human Value's debut is very contagious and extremely viral. Once inside your head, it's hard to get out.

Four out of Five Stars

12/06 AAPA

It must be really frustrating for an artist to make an album and then see the majority of the press opt to throw around comparisons and influences instead of writing about the actual songs? - They sound like early Blondie, Talking Heads, Siouxsie & The Banshees only heavier, at times sounding like Depeche Mode meeting Curve (cool indie band from the 90`s), great Joy Division sounding bass lines (oh, that was me!), a bit like The Pretenders and The Ramones, there are PJ Harvey moments, etc, etc. - The Human Value hail from the states (although the origins of their band members lie in Cuba, Greece and Spain) and they released this self titled album over there last year. Since September they have been touring up and down the UK to rave reviews and released opening track "Give Me" as a single to coincide, followed by the UK release of this album on 2nd October. But what about THIS album? - Well for all those influences just mentioned, this debut album is captivating, at times both eerie and dazzling, abstruse yet arousing, and unique in that it is able to awaken all our emotions in a truly original and exhilarating way. There is not one duff or filler track on the entire album (take note The Killers!), while singer Turu has a fantastic voice, capable of tons of variation and range (from the dreamy vocals in track 8 to the haunting vocals in tracks 3 & 13) and the album is full of catchy choruses and rousing bass lines. Lyrically they are also up there with the best, as song after song all those human emotions start to come out - Girls needs (track 1), love and hate (track 2), certain pitfalls of female independence when wandering without any purpose (track 4), a love that died (track 5), while in "Tonight" (track 6) there is a touch of brilliance when Turu delivers the line "I'm so loveless" in such a way that by hanging on the first part of "love..." she sounds like she's actually saying "loveable" before abruptly changing the direction and meaning of the entire song by opting for the word "loveless" instead - which is then quickly followed up with the line "I'm so touch deprived my skin is a lepers hide"!, false friendships (track 8), female manipulation (track 10), and saying goodbye to liars (track 11). This is an excellent debut album; it is also very provocative and it ensnares you in both a menacing and a stirring way. - 8.5/10 - TerryA – November 2006

AAPA

12/06 NEMISIS UK (LIVE REVIEW)

Throw enough mud at the wall, they say, and some of it will stick. In a rather muddy nutshell, that seems to be The Human Value's touring strategy. The band has temporarily relocated from their home territory of California to spend a couple of months slogging around the back-room-of-a-pub venues of the British indie circuit, playing anywhere they can scare up a gig, with any other bands who happen to be shunted onto the bill. Not the most scientific way of building up an audience, of course: it's sheer chance whether the crowds are sympathetic, or indeed whether you'll get a crowd at all. But you've got to admire the band's rock 'n' roll grit. If they don't come away from this tour with an enthusiastic new fanbase, it won't be because they haven't put the miles in.
XXXXXXXXXXXX

Tonight The Human Value play what, I suppose, counts as your typical British indie venue: a ramshackle room, entirely decorated in the traditional scuffed matt black, stuck round the back of a Camden Town boozer. It's by no means the Enormodome, but I'm sure that compared to some of the primitive places the band have encountered on their tour the dear old Dublin Castle counts as high tech heaven. The PA is (slightly) bigger than a school disco rig, and - miracle of miracles - the venue even has stage lighting. The band find themselves sandwiched between a selection of indie chancers of the blue-jeans-and-T-shirts variety. The Human Value, in their minimalist-noir outfits, immediately look different. No, more than that: they immediately look interesting.

There's just time to get a drink in before the band starts. At the bar I'm served a pint of John Smith's by the world's most disdainful rock chick, who wears a cut-down Jack Daniel's T-shirt with so much attitude it's almost a threat. Then, for the umpteenth time in my life, I find myself doing one of my favourite things - standing in a grubby venue, beer in hand, letting a turbulent rock 'n' roll cacophony wash over me. Yes, 'turbulent' does indeed describe The Human Value's racket rather well. Their music is full of edges and angles, scrapes and collisions, like a speeded-up film of rush-hour traffic. Bumps and tumbles, a big, rolling, motorised sound, Turu's vocal pulling it all along and imposing a cross-grained authority on every song. Yet the band never lose control. Even when they rampage through 'Give Me', their new single (and, more or less, signature song), running red lights all the way and definitely exceeding the speed limit, there's a sense that they're clinging firmly to the steering wheel of their careering juggernaut. Lynnae's drums hammer an implacable, effortless staccato; Hiram's guitar sound swells and crashes, filling the room with sound.

Now here's a thing. The Human Value have no bass guitar in the line-up. That, I suppose, proves that the karmic balance of rock 'n' roll is still fully functional. As soon as The Violets, until recently our favourite band-without-a-bassist, get themselves a four-string handler, along come The Human Value to fill the bass-free band gap. But, although there's no bassplank being spanked tonight, there's plenty in the bottom end: lots of rumbling, reverbed, distorted noise, shaking the ramshackle stage and causing fragments of paint to detach themselves from the Dublin Castle's haphazardly decorated walls. It's a wonder that a band so stripped-down, so minimal (look at that drum kit, who needs rack toms anyway?) can make such an impressively huge noise. And there's the essential difference between The Human Value on record: taut, precise, tipping their hats to the speed cops even as they feather the accelerator. And then there's The Human Value on stage: turning it up to twelve, and giving us all a white-knucke ride. 'Complications', with its squalling dual vocals, slithers through like a train sliding on greasy rails, while 'Tonight' builds up to a suitably cacophonous climax. An encouraging rattle of applause runs around the crowd - even if nobody's quite sure of the identity of this band, some sort of connection seems to have been made.

And that's the authentic British indie circuit experience for you, I suppose. Giving it loads in small, black-painted rooms to audiences who might, if you get lucky, quite like you, but aren't necessarily sure who you are. It's not a fast track to superstardom, that's for sure. But if ever there was a band which deserved to leap from this stage to a bigger stage, that band is The Human Value. Let's hope the mud is sticky.


NEMESIS

12/06 MUSICFOLIO UK

VOTED ALBUM OF THE YEAR 2006

MUSICFOLIO

11/06 NME

11/06 UK FUSION

"Last-minute replacements to the bill they may be, but LA’s The Human Value prove they’re bona fide rock stars all righty, Blighty. The main support to Hitchin goth outfit, My Passion, their performance is a master class in stark, near-austere theatrics.

Lead singer Turu makes her mike look like an extension of her mouth so close is her relationship with it, feisty drummer Lynnae bangs away with a deceptively light touch betraying her love of jazz percussion, and guitarist Hiram strums, effortlessly displaying his strategically-placed Fred-Perryesque tattoo to all and sundry whilst doing so."

9/06 THE PORTER UK (LIVE REVIEW)

Who needs values when there are bands like this, introducing The Human
Value. Superficial comparisons to Souxie Soux on vocals with a high-density
riot-grrrrrl assault against the fragility of the blokes (Hiram) voice,
makes for a glass shattering combination! The bass was actually guitar ­ the
ONE guitar making ALL the noise. The deepest shoegaze wall and riffs of
slowed Stooges, a perfect fusion. All this over a female drum machine,
absolutely flawlessly rock tight. If you need to see an example of how an
interesting groove ­ like bossa nova - played fantastically can be more
effective than any rudiment and spectacular drum solo, look no further, This
girl is on the button.
With a song like Somebody¹ you are in How Soon Is Now¹ by The Smiths
territory. Not for influence comparisons but for the pure fact that the
defining riff is so good you could actually listen to it on a loop forever.
This Human Value is about getting lost, throwing it all away for this
beautiful rock n¹ roll moment and if a band can make somebody else do that
for one minute of their shit, routine-built, over-looked, systematic hell
for a life then that is worth more than all the money in the world.

10/06 DIVA MAGAZINE UK (FULL PAGE FEATURE)

9/06 MUSIC-NEWS UK (LIVE REVIEW)

"The Human Value is a classic case of a band being more impressive, more
varied and more affecting live than can ever be reproduced in a recording.
Lead singer Turu is a tousle-haired ball of energy with a voice of such
depth and resonance that it teeters on the verge of being frightening in the
constricted space of The Fly. She is a darker Shirley Manson, a deeper Beth
Gibbons of Portishead and blows the socks off Moloko¹s Roisin Murphy.
Guitarist and backing vocalist Hiram was similarly solid in his performance
and provided an added depth to Turu¹s vocals, melding easily to form the
dark harmonies which the band so effortlessly produce.
The drummer¹s arms were a blur most of the time and it was a wonder she
could keep up the pace for the entire forty-minute performance.
By far the best track was the final song which was blinding in both energy
and sound and kept the audience transfixed until the last note.
The three-piece band from LA are over in the UK until November to promote
the release of their self-titled album."

BY: NICOLA YORK

MUSIC-NEWS

9/06 THE TUBE CLUB UK (LIVE REVIEW)

The Human Value kindly passed by at our venue and it was obvious they had
embarked on a tour because their music was so tight and purring along like a
wild cat. This band are a 3-some and its another case of less is more. All
adept on their own instruments and fronted by a fantastic sounding female
singer. The words that come to mind are Dark, mysterious, rocky and cool

10/06 UK-FUSION MAGAZINE UK

Monday, 02 October 2006


Karen O, your days as a rock-chick pin-up are like so over. For there’s a new art-punk chanteuse on the block: The Human Value’s Turu. And, boy, does she measure up; to the extent that one suspects were Beavis and Butthead exposed to one of the band’s videos, they’d be rendered blind.

Vocalist/keyboardist Turu was born in NYC to Russian and Greek parents. After studying acting at Lee Strassberg Institute, she got involved in dance, music and fashion, the latter still an obvious passion although personally I think her best look would be minimalist, as in the less clothes the better. Turu went on to form the band Sukhotin (aka The Send Effect), once memorably described as purveyors of “angry, post-industrial, goth-influenced demon-pop.”

Cuban-born Hiram, who opened for The Raveonettes with old band Kittens For Christian, on guitar and drummer Lynnae, of Mexican and Irish descent, complete the multi-national line-up. The Human Value are exactly the sort of band you’d expect to headline a transsexual/transgender fundraiser. Which, of course, they recently did, although they’re a little reticent about the whole experience: “We promised not to discuss the events of that evening. Let’s just say we were “manhandled” and leave it at that.”

More Yeah Yeah Yeahs than Blondie but less Raveonettes than The Kills, THV are retro to the extent that like another great influence, The Cramps, they’ve got ‘Good Taste’. This debut album is produced, engineered, and mixed by the Grammy-award-winning Bruce Bouillet. And you can’t help thinking similar acclaim for the band is if not just around the corner, a realistic aim.

Possessing the capacity to monkey about with your heart beat, The Human Value are one potent arsenal of noise. Turu herself has special powers. She could give the most slumberous of men sleepless nights.
(3¾/5)

UK FUSION

9/06 MUSICFOLIO

"kill pangs" voted song of the week on musicfolio.com

10/06 GET READY TO ROCK

One of LA's hottest new bands, The Human Value have their roots in the dark synths of the 80's, combined with smouldering vocals and the attitude of the great bands of the era - The Banshees, Talking Heads, Blondie and The Ramones.

But The Human Value are no retro band. They purvey a brand of pop/rock of the type delivered by PJ Harvey - dark, heavy and brooding, but at the same time sexual and sensual. And they're spearheading a new wave of exciting and spontaneous fuzzed out guitars, grinding rhythms and seductive vocals combined with underlying pop sensibilities.

The Human Value are Turu (vocals and keys), Hiram (guitar and vocals) and Lynnae Hitchcock (drums) who joined the band post the recording of the album. Together they sport eclectic backgrounds including Russian, Greek, Mexican, Irish and Cuban. Put that together on an album recorded in Nashville and completed in LA, and you get something truly original.

The Human Value's sound is dark, dirty and seedy with Turu's vocals falling somewhere between Patti Smith and Chrissie Hynde. In other words, this is a record with attitude. The opening track (and first single) Give Me sets the scene with a huge brooding beat of distortion like a swarm of wasps around your head, with haunting vocals that could have their roots in progressive rock (early Curved Air?) or punk. It's a compelling number, as is You Want Him, which is sultry, and possibly a better choice of chart material.

Kill Pangs is a stunning number with breathy vocals and inventive use of violin, and another highlight is the almost delicate duet on Parts Per Million. But for the most part this album is a breath of fresh air, in a stale music scene. Commercial success? Who knows, but cult status beckons with certainty.

****


Review by Pete Whalley

GRTR

10/06 HED MAGAZINE UK (LIVE REVIEW)

This event was given an international flavour with the inclusion of The
Human Value, an FFM three piece from Cally-forn-aye-ay. Female fronts not
really being my thing, I was going through the motions, likening them to
Blondie and Elastica but then the last song just blew my two odd socks off
me. There was Patti Smith in there, aided and abetted by Chrissie Hynde and
a blaze-at-a-textile-factory haired drummer to die for! This band rocked -
in the purest sense. I made a telepathic apology to vocalist Turu and pinned
their badge to my lapel. I am still wearing it!

9/06 CONTACT MUSIC INTERVIEW

The Human Value
Interview:

Grappling with 80’s rock and giving it a modern kick to add pulsation and provocation that leers out in the tracks such as ‘Give Me’ and the attitude of ‘Somebody’, makes the cosmopolitan outfit a gripping prospect on the brink of their debut album release. Vocalist Turu stands on the front line like a tiger, with her prowling style that is elevated by the grinding guitars and coating vocals of Hiram. The percussive bite of Lynnae Hitchcock grips the tracks as masterfully as Grohl used to with Nirvana, often taking the sound away from the expected direction to facilitate the variety of the gang. The guys unlock their secret to their rock de force.

1. The Human Value has been reached through forays in intriguing outfits such as Kittens For Christian and The Send Effect and you’re quite a cosmopolitan outfit. Was there a defining moment when your visions joined together? Also, how have your past experiences shaped this current project?

Turu & I (Hiram) had collaborated many times in the past, including her singing backup vocals on the last Kittens for Christian album. The moment came when I realized my band was ending and I suggested that we begin a project together. The very next day, we were writing a record and within three months, we were recording in Nashville with Grammy-award winning producer, Bruce Bouillet.

In our past projects, we were able to lay the groundwork for what we do now, but there was a certain symbiosis that occurred when we began collaborating that had not been achieved in previous projects. Basically, we both committed to pursuing this project above and beyond any other part of our lives. We were willing to sacrifice it all for this band.

2. The first impression many people in the UK had of your sound was in ‘Give Me’ that captures a buzzing sound and shakes it as though it’s a poor man’s money box, to produce Blondie-eqsue provocation and XTC style eccentric frivolity. What is the tale behind this and what made you chose it as being many people’s introduction to your music?


The song’s meaning is actually quite literal. We believe that everyone feels the desperation to satisfy his or her needs, almost to the point of begging. It’s our humble attempt at channeling a visceral emotion that really can’t be explained. Therefore, we felt it was a good song to lead with, because it is identifiable and fun…wait till you hear the new remix!

3. ‘She’ is one of your most intriguing offerings to date, for the fact that it
Illuminates certain elasticity in Turu’s vocals, to give off a vibe betwixt Katie Jane Garside and Regina Spektor and deviates slightly from your New Wave revivalist sound. Is this a direction you were conscious of heading in or was it a natural partner for the salacious lyrics?

Interesting that you are drawn to this song…it was the first song we wrote together. The song, like all the others, invoked the kind of vocal style that it wanted. Each consecutive song also took on a life of its own, and we simply followed the leads we were given.

4. Which of your songs sums up your current mood and why?

Probably “Won’t Be Long”, because of its message of endurance and patience and unflinching belief in yourself and because we’ve just been enjoying playing it so much lately…it has great energy.

5. How do you want to leave people feeling after they have witnessed a live The Human Value set?

Inspired, as if they’ve just witnessed something really honest and unique. Nothing is better than a performance that is not full of shit….

6. Your self-titled album is released later this year. What in your mind is the prevailing mood on it? Have you achieved the sound that you want to achieve or are you still a band in transition?

Dark and brooding, contemplative and sexy with emotions exposed like a raw nerve. Both: we feel we’ve achieved what we set out to do, but we are always in transition.

7. What is the last gig that you attended as a spectator and does it feel strange
watching other artists? Are you constantly making mental notes on their
performance.

Eagles of Death Metal. No, it’s not strange – it’s inspiring when it’s a great band like that. It’s not that clinical; it either moves you, or it doesn’t.

9. Finally, if you could change but one thing about the modern music industry what would it be?

We’d be sitting on top of the heap!

10/06 ALLGIGS

Right from the fuzzy bass led wanderings of Give Me, this trio of musical liberators from the West Coast, led by the provocative pitch of vocalist Turu, immediately erects a solid foundation from which to project their carpe diem message. This is off-set by a slower and mournful offering You Want Him, built from the grinding bass of Hiram, it squeezes into the skirt of PJ Harvey to project feelings of longing and bemusement to an eerily ambient musical base. Previous projects such as Kittens For Christian (Hiram) and The Send Effect (Turu), has laid the foundation for this expansive new wave and raw rocking outfit. A snappy and salacious vocal to and fro between Turu and Hiram in Somebody, almost eclipses the effect of The Kills regarding this approach, as the chemistry can be felt on record. It must be quite a hair raising number when performed live?
Tripping guitars and buzzing bass-lines help the positive Won’t Be Long, to gush out a message of endurance, patience and self-confidence. The vocals take on a sure, but calming stance and the musical backdrop adds some grit to complete the life enhancing parade. The number lingers out of a dark and brooding shadow that is cast over the majority of this daring debut, something that is encapsulated in the haunting She, wrapping the enigma of young femmes in a riddle. There is spontaneity to the songs and the feelings projected through them, as the range of Turu and Hiram allows them to explore a range of issues and forms of musical expression, as they use the thrusting percussion of Lynnae Hitchcock to add force to the mood grappling array. The Human Value adds a bit a depth and reflection to modern music. This is going to make the allies out of the music lover who wants more than meaningless rhythm and a catchy chorus from their hobby.
BY:David Adair

9/06 Toazted interview

Toazted UK Interviews Turu from The Human Value!

***CLICK HERE TO LISTEN***






>TOAZTED

8/06 Curlio

Hot new band The Human Value are preparing for their UK debut. Their debut single, "Give Me" will be released on September 18th in the UK while their self-titled debut will be released on October 2nd. The band are more a band of Gypsies, with no real home. At the moment they're living on the West Coast in the USA, though they moved to Nashville to record the album. Soon they will pack up and head over to the UK for a tour there.

The band's music has been compared to Siouxsie and the Banshees, Blondie, and the Talking Heds. I think that the music provided by guitarist Hiram, drummer, Lynnae Hitchchock, and vocalist/keyboardist Turu goes back more towards the sound of Jefferson Airplane. The vocals supplied by Turu are very mesmerizing in a Grace Slick "White Rabbit" sort of way. Listening to the songs makes you wonder exactly what kind of mushrooms you just ate. I'm partial to "Nashville #5" and "Kill Pangs."

CURLIO

09/06 THE SKINNY
written by: Ally Brown

An update on Siouxsie & the Banshees' legendary goth-punk sound

The Kills are a popular American boy-girl beat combo with leather jackets & shades, sexy, scuzzy guitars, and peculiar names, but too much blues. The Raveonettes are a popular boy-girl beat combo with the guitars and leather jackets, but are too blonde, bright-eyed, and Danish. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club have too many members, and are all men, but have the shades and the guitars sorted. The Human Value are a soon-to-be-popular American boy-girl new-wave beat combo with peculiar names, low, scuzzy guitars, gothic melodies and sensuous female vocals, who are very reminiscent of Siouxsie & The Banshees - and they are perfect. Siouxsie and Severin were the boy-girl core of goth-punk legend, and were real. Hiram and Turu are the boy-girl core of LA’s Human Value, who have updated that sound, as every generation insists on doing with great music, so they’re not really real - but this eponymous debut album is intense and atmospheric; creepy, sexy, and exciting. You’ll be spellbound.

5/06 NEMESIS UK Magazine!

NEMESIS


Watch out - my new band detector unit is flashing code red. That means we've got a hot one.

Here's your essential information. The Human Value are two humans and a drum machine - on this album, anyway: the band now have a full-scale human line-up. They come from Somewhere, USA. Guitarist and all-round man-who-makes-the-music Hiram Fleites was once in Kittens For Christian; vocalist Turu was previously in Sukhotin (nope, I'd never heard of them, either). But the really essential information is simply this: The Human Value are a cracking combo. It's been a while since a new band has come out of nowhere and made me think, Ooooh. This lot are a bit good. But The Human Value have pasted a grin on my stupid face and I'm sitting here moshing in my seat. That's a result all right. Even if it does make me look like a twit.

The band's sound is a splendid combination of gritty, buzzing, clanging guitar and Turu's world-weary, after-closing-time vocals. The rhythms are neatly convincing, rattling everything along like the last train home. It all hangs together ludicrously well, and the songs themselves are little things of beauty. The sound of The Human Value pitches up somewhere between PJ Harvey and Th Faith Healers - to mention a 90s British indie outfit of which, I suspect, The Human Value have never heard. But there's something in the way many of the songs here take off into spiralling, guitar-driven mantras, the way Turu sings a kind of keening blues, dragging her voice through gravel in the verses and then revving it all up as the chorus comes round, that recalls the outer fringes of British indie-dom, just as it also hints at vintage US alterno-outfits such as 10,000 Maniacs. And if you're going to deploy a few influences, you can't get much cooler than that lot, is what I say.

All of which doesn't mean that The Human Value are simply a vintage John Peel show distilled down into one band. They stamp their own identity very firmly onto their music. They have a certain jaundiced, world-weary persona, as if they've been buffeted by life but they're still defiantly standing. 'Give Me' is a wonderfully petulant jeremiad, bile and bubblegum-pop handclaps in one neat package. 'Lonely Girl' is a smoke-blackened roadhouse blues, while 'Tonight' is probably the most accessible song here, a tumbling mash-up of syncopating drums and layers of guitar falling over themselves as the song scrabbles up to the take-off-and-fly chorus. If there's a hit single here, this is it. And 'Somebody', on which the band prove their out-there pop sensibility once again, must surely be the follow-up. 'Parts Per Million' blends a little cream with the vinegar - it's a charmingly downbeat ballad, with Hiram shadowing Turu spookily on the vocal. This one'll convince you that the vibraphone is a rock 'n' roll instrument, too. And right at the end there's 'Springtime She Waits' - slow and battered, like an old Pontiac driven by a frowning Tom Waits.

In short, it's all an unexpected treat, and I'm now consumed by a desire to catch The Human Value live. That might not be entirely easy, since although the band seem to gig extensively in the USA they have not, so far, ventured elsewhere. However, apparently vague plans exist for a European tour later this year, and I'd certainly like that to happen. This is lovely stuff, and it needs to be taken to the world.

4/06 I really love music UK mag Review

the human value - give me
first and by far the best thing in recent times for me, is a far too short 4 tracker by a usa band called the human value : dark, brooding electro goth rock-pop with a press release that goes on about recording in the night to provide the required ambience. all that cliche aside, the ep provides a wonderfully addictive seedy under belly soundtrack to those who have succumbed to the domination of the myspace generation. perfectly fuzzed up basslines, black nail varnished hand claps give it their radio all for the lead track, 'give me', but from the strength on offer, there is more to their name checking of the cool bands than meets the eye.
definitely, one to check out methinks.


I Really Love Music

4/06 UK Music Search Review

BY: Mike Bond

With fuzzy guitar riffs, generous smatterings of handclaps and big glorious pop hooks - The Human Value deal in ragged power pop, the sound of Blondie being molested by The Ramones down some dark alley.
With single GIVE ME, the band stake their claim as future pop stars - a song dripping with attitude, energy and catchy hooks. Singer Turu purrs along with rock menace whilst guitarist Hiram weaves fuzzy guitar magic, propelling you along and leaving you breathless and happy.
That all four songs here sound strong enough to be singles in their own right should also tell you something about The Human Value, from the shimmering glam smoulder of SHE to the messy pop racket of SOMEBODY.
As overtly pop as Pink, as unashamedly noisy as The Ramones, The Human Value are a band that are going to be very hard to ignore in the coming months.

UKM

4/06 This is ULL music guide UK review

Reviewed By Steve Rudd
Armed with band members from as far-flung places as Cuba, Greece, Spain and
North America, this fresh quartet is making some exceptionally exciting
sounds courtesy of this debut single.
Here is an Alt.-rock band with commanding attitude, fronted as it is by the
feisty Turu - who used to be in the band The Send Effect. Turu, in The Human
Value's initial stages, hooked up with ace guitarist Hiram, and from there
they recruited the remaining two members.

The Human Value's music heaves with Dressy Bessy-esque vibes and Siouxsie
and The Banshees' brand of nu-wave originality, as the chorus-dominated
title track in Give Me gives way to Nashville #5, which is a simply
mesmerising piece of music blessed with Turu's extraordinary vocals.
The distinctive guitar chug also sees through Somebody and She in style,
with the dark vibes and classy melody-lines ensuring that this band is truly
one to watch, especially since they've been working closely with Grammy
award-winning producer Bruce Bouillet.
Given the strength of both this single and the band's eponymous album, The
Human Value is clearly priceless.

This Is ULL

4/06 "Give Me" video is featured on UK's Video-C online mag

"Give Me" video is chosen as the Editors Pick on Video-C's hot online mag in the UK...

Check it out and give it a 10 in the ratings!

Video-C

3/06 Rhythm & Booze UK

The Human Value-Give Me

Human Value are a new hot four-piece hailing from the USA, though the various members of the group have origins from the likes of Cuba, Greece and Spain.

The Human Value first formed when Hiram Fleites formerly of Kittens For Christian and Turu former lead singer of Sukhotin (aka The Send Effect) grew frustrated with their former bands and decided to join forces. The duo then decided to leave everything and venture to Nashville to meet up with producer and Grammy winner Bruce Bouillet, during this time they wrote and recorded what would become the group's debut album (which is due later this year).

Give Me is the first taster of The Human Value and if the four-tracks on here are anything to go by the full length album is set to be pretty damn good.

Give Me opens with a howl feedback that's quickly followed by loads of fuzzy guitars, driving drum beats and gloomy synths all the whilst Turu's vocals are a dark seductive croon. The chorus is a deeply infectious mixture of hand claps and Turu's icy evocative vocals that'll have you humming along in no time at all.

Somebody utilises both male and female vocals with Hiram's voice joining that of Turu's to stunning effect, the gloomy voice of Hiram compliments Turu's PJ Harvey like tones wonderfully whilst the synths add poppy sensibilities to the sound creating a delicious musical stew which will have you diving in for again and again.

The CD ends with She, which begins with Turu crooning soulful before a grungy distorted guitar gatecrashes the party creating a powerful and attitude fuelled performance that hints at their punk influences.

The Human Value offer up a unique brand of music that far exceeds the sum of their influences, you can expect big things for this band so beat the rush and check them out now.

Added: March 28th 2006
Reviewer: Will Munn
Score: 4 1/2 out of 5

Rhythm & Booze UK

3/06 Alternative Nation

Alternative Nation
I’ve been waiting for an excuse to use a black light bulb again since 1987 and I think I may have just found it in The Human Value. Many things pass me by these days musically, but I’m glad I managed to catch these guys. The Human Value are perhaps getting an unfair retro tag being compared to such luminaries as Bowie, Talking Heads, Souxsie & The Banshees (and dare I say it … The Ramones), but these guys are the real deal from the first cords of that fuzzy guitar sound through the haunting vocals and to the end fade. These guys hit the spot.
There’s a fair mix of cultures in the band—members from Cuba, Greece, Spain and the good old US of A. Whether this has any bearing on the musical bent of the musicians it difficult to tell, but one thing is for sure—The Human Value have captured a incredible sound that evokes a classic area of ’80s music.
Even though all the comparisons are clear, these guys have a very unique resonance that is more ‘inspired by’ than ‘copied from’ the aforementioned greats. They have stamped a very prominent identity over their music, definite pop overtones, but with a sleazy, seductive quality running through its veins and oozing into your soul—much of which is down to the haunting lyrics of lead vocalist Turu.
The Human Value’s new single is out in April and is well worth a listen!

3/06 Heathen Angel UK Review

Rating: 9/10
Reviewer: David Adair

The new wave, new wave crave is marching to the UK and the potential leaders of it, America’s The Human Value, capture a buzzing sound and shake it like it’s a poor man’s money box, to produce Blondie-eqsue provocation and XTC style eccentric frivolity. The crawling vocal approach of Turu that has a mechanical effect turns the wheels of this satiating grinder of an A side.

The hollow percussive build up to B-side ‘Nashville #5’, helps to set a nostalgic feel that throws matters into a reflective vortex at which throbbing instrumentals are the centrepiece. There is a lustful hunger that trickles through Turu’s stammering vocals, lifting the number’s quaintness to a catchy high ground. The vocals take a delightful turn towards the Katie Jane Garside manner, in the salacious glam/punk melting pot of ‘She’ and keeps this purring first single bubbling throughout its entirety.
 
Heathen Angel

1/06 Purple Radio UK Review

“Yet another "hottest new band from the States" has?appeared with this EP, but despite many of the other bands labelled with this tag being a disappointment, there is something very likeable about the human value. The dirgy guitar combined with the smouldering vocals of Turu make it very easy to compare this band with Blondie or PJ Harvey, but this is definatly a good thing. The tunes can be catchy, particulary Give Me and Nashville #5”

12/05 Bruise magazine & Jointz Mag Feature

Appraising The Human Value
By Sandee Curry



Previously a pretty scary downtown dive, the reinvented Bar 107 is now awash in black velvet paintings, hipster décor, and kooky movies. As the jukebox provided the soundtrack from David Bowie to Black Sabbath and back again, Bar 107 made for the perfect setting to meet with a band whose music is like a vintage Italian horror film—dark, grainy, scary, very sexy, and kinky in a way that nothing purely American ever dares to be.

There is something undeniably nostalgic about the music of The Human Value. It is reminiscent of everything good about the ‘80s: driving beat, dark synths, smoldering vocals, and intense lyrics. But this is no retro band. The Human Value possess a sound all their own and are driven by extreme passion for communicating through music. The Human Value is truly a labor of love.

“Not one day goes by that we don’t treat this as if it’s the air we breathe,” said Turu, lead singer and main lyricist for The Human Value.

Formerly of Kittens for Christian, co-songwriter Hiram Fleites also handles guitar and vocals. Turu provided backup vocals on the Kittens for Christian record while she was also busy with her band Sukhotin (aka The Send Effect). Frustrated with their previous projects, Hiram and Turu eventually joined forces for this incarnation.

“When you need to make music, and you need to express yourself, you have to do it, so we found ourselves putting everything on the line,” said Turu of the band’s self-titled debut.

The duo left everything behind and took off for Nashville to meet up with Grammy-winning producer Bruce Bouillet, and during that time, they fiendishly wrote, played, and recorded with the fire evident in the resulting sound. The album was recorded in the Oak Ridge Boys’ old studio, which was so haunted that it literally and repeatedly scared the piss out of the band mascot, Lucy the dog. In this creepy, musty basement, the two “never saw the sun” during recording. They worked through the nights to get it done, lending a visceral vibe to the record.

Turu says of the album, “I think it’s introspective and it tries to think about all the emotions we go through and all the reasons why we think we’re here and why we exist and what it’s all worth.” It was music that needed to come out, and this urgency comes across.

That raw emotion and the deep connection between Turu and Hiram are evident in the harmonies. The layers of distorted guitar and throbbing rhythms make fine companions to Turu’s soulful purr. The music is steeped in the dark and heavy, the sensual and quite melodic. The heavily textured record is thick with a sound that draws you in and envelops you. The themes of the songs are human, universal, relatable.

The band was the first on Big Deal Records’ roster. Then came the difficult task of finding band members to complete the puzzle. The search finally resulted in Alex Tanasi on bass, Lynnae Hitchcock on drums, and Susan Lagle on guitar. With this lineup, the personalities seemed to blend together in an eclectic human stew. The members’ ethnic backgrounds are as diverse as their influences, and the outcome is a combination of Cuban, Greek, Argentinian, Spanish, and Native American. While all the band members are deeply rooted in their cultures, the music comes not from a specific ethnicity or location, but from a similar core. Their influences range from The Velvet Underground to Bill Withers to the Pixies to Roberta Flack to PJ Harvey, and while all these influences make perfect sense in the context of this music, the band’s sound is not at all derivative.

Just back from a West Coast tour where they fell in love with each other as people and as musicians, they’ve set their sights on Europe and a second record for the near future.

The Human Value will be playing dates in the LA area and the Pacific Northwest in December and January. With Turu’s commanding, sexy, powerful, and mesmerizing stage presence leading the charge, the band’s live performances capture all the intensity and passion of the music and purvey it in a way that any thinking, feeling human can relate to.Bruise Mag

1/12 Incendiary Magazine

"It’s dark, it’s dirty and it sounds as seedy as hell....The Human Value’s Hiram avoids any kind of angles and uses guitars that drone and wail enough to make Sonic Youth beam with pride whilst Turu, his partner in crime, wails above him with a voice that sounds like Chrisse Hynde and Patti Smith. Lyrically, they’re all about sex and lust. If they weren’t making this an eponymous album, then they could well have called it Wanting Impatiently, because they want it and they want it bad.

It’s a steamy little affair, this album. It groans, it drones, it grinds and it’ll get you all hot under the collar. So get out the bin bags, screw in the black light and get down and dirty. You know you want to."


Damian Leslie-

1/2006 Crave Magazine

With comparisons to groups such as Blondie to the Ramones and the Talking Heads, The Human Value brings their own unique blend of retro/rock/pop that will appeal to a wide range of audiences. In a scene that owned the 80’s, The Human Value exploit their old school influences but push forward with their own sound that will set the standard for years to come.

The album opens with the catchy “Give Me” that you would expect to find blowing up the airwaves from local radio stations. “King Pangs” is a very peaceful and but dark song that is very relaxing and easy on the ears. Other strong tracks that showcase Turu’s unique and melodic vocals and Hiram’s smooth guitar melodies, are “Tonight”, “Parts Per Million” and “Complications”. Definitely check out The Human Value and find out why this duo is making a scene and look for them to be around for years to come.

12/20 Creem Magazine

Sounding like a slightly harder version of Siouxsie and the Banshees, the Human Value come out swinging on their self-titled debut. The album has a persistently dark and gothic sound, but most of the tracks are genuinely catchy and well-produced. Guitarist Hiram, formerly of Kittens for Christian, does a good job of keeping things interesting with his propulsive fuzztone approach. And singer Turu's full-throated vocals lend a grand sweep to the proceedings. The record's been picking up some college airplay, but the opening track, "Give Me," sounds like a ready-made alterna-radio hit just waiting to happen.

—W.C. Moriarity

12/6 Slug Magazine

The Human Value = PJ Harvey (Dance Hall at Louse Point) + My Bloody
Valentine
Baby, I think I wanna take you for a ride. Ex-Kittens for Christian member
Hiram Fleites is The Human Value‚s mastermind, woo-ah ha ha. Think guitars
so laden with splendid buzz that they‚d give the Raveonettes a run for their
money; vocals veering between Blondie 80s new wave, PJ Harvey sensual
know-how, Siouxsie Sioux wailing and Chrissie Hynde earthy maturity; drums
and drum programming encompassing ABBA and Sisters of Mercy without blinking
an eyelash; violin hanging like a terrible, haunting tightrope dangling high
above. Goth overtones are unavoidable, but as far as parallels between The
Human Value and Kittens for Christian, there are few, and they are
unimportant. „Complications‰ might come the closest, if that‚s what you‚re
looking for, but only because Hiram is singing, really. „Nashville‰ is my
favorite track, coming lovingly close to jagged shoegazer like Scarling. or
My Bloody Valentine. My only suggestion is that songs #6-#9 have similar
chord progressions and would do better separated in the track ordering. This
is going in my Top 10 for 2005. ˆRebecca Vernon

10/26 KUPD2 Radio Review

There hasn't been anything that has resembled Souxsie
& The Banshees in quite some time, and it would be
unfair to completely make that comparison. Yet, singer
Turu will make you think of the former at times while
you listen to the album. Oh, by the way...she is hot!
With partner Hiram and verying guests..it borders on an
edgy new wave plain. The charm of this music is it
a familiar comfortable sound that many can relate to.
Dark and moody, and Turu's breathy vocals make this
an album that is pretty cool. Hiram plays a lot of instruments,
and the song arrangements are very strong.The cello injection
on a few tracks add to their sound. Feeling in a somber
mood? Try this on for size.

10/11 POPENTERTAINMENT.COM click here for link

It's sad that the Human Value is just releasing their first album at the same time the legendary New York club CBGBs is fighting for its life. Because the Human Value would fit into the CBGBs scene pricelessly. They recall such classic bands as the Ramones, the Talking Heads and mostly early Blondie so much that I could totally picture them on that tiny stage.

"Complications" with distorted vocals from guitarist Hiram feels like it would be right in home in the Bowery in the early 80s.

Yet, the Human Value in not just a retro band. With sultry vocals by Turu anchoring most of the songs, there is a wonderful timelessness to much of this debut album. The gorgeous "Parts Per Million" has a sweet bossa nova vibe over a layered vocal. The atmospheric "Springtime She Waits" has an eerie goth vibe. "Somebody" has a crunching guitar line alternating with a bright keyboard riff, and just like the instrumentation, the duet vocals play dueling styles; Turu's vocals seem rather detached and cold (but in a cool way) while Hiram's seem more nakedly vulnerable.

"Tonight" has a buzzing melody, though Turu's hiccupping vocal and the chorus are strangely reminiscent of the Rolling Stone's "She's So Cold." More interesting is the new wave obsession of "You Want Him."

So maybe before they board up the old Country Blue Grass and Blues jount, someone sign up the Human Value to take the stage. (9/05)

Jay S. Jacobs