Below we include reviews and what some have told us are constructive criticisms.
What the Governors are saying:
"My favorite US band since the New York Dolls"
-Garry Johnson, Punk poet and author of Oi: A View From The Dead End Of The Street
"The new face of Street-Punk"
-Stinky Turner, The Cockney Rejects
"Un-fucken-believable!"
-Beki Bondage, Vice Squad
"Oi meets The Stooges in Pop's back garden?"
-Clyde Ward, record producer, bassist for The Gonads
From "A Flame That Can't Be Dimmed: A Redskins Tribute"
"And on [Maninblack's] wonderfully dark and maudlin Bring it down (this insane thing) there are some sublime almost Joy Divisionesque moments."
-Modern Times newsletter, November 2004
"'Bring It Down' appears as a beautiful electronic version by Maninblack from New York City (the new band from André Schlesinger, former vocalist for the historical band The Press)"
-City Of The Dead, Online 'Zine
"Less frantic than the original, a neat version nonetheless, Maninblack contributes a New York Art Punk remake of 'Bring It Down'- that given the contemporary popularity of the likes of The Stokes, is right on pulse at the moment."
-Scootering Magazine, January 2004
Advance Praise For "New York, New York, USA"
"Like a NYC version of the Rejects, terrace chants and class guitars. New Oi for the Millennium! Reminds me of the Bridge House... When's it out?"
-"Hoxton" Tom McCourt, The 4-Skins
"It reminds me of the early Rejects, a great passionate street anthem!"
-Jeff Geggus (AKA Stinky Turner), Cockney Rejects
"Awesome, diabolically fine. Love to see you play that in front of a New York crowd. But even better would be to hear it blasted down High Street Tripoli/Tehran/Kabul... and then stuck on a loop-tape inside George Michael's skull until it drives the over-rated creep nuts."
-Garry Bushell, UK multimedia icon, Singer of The Gonads, the Godfather of Oi!
Just put it on my Tab!
"And finally, got the new Maninblack CD with one song called "New York, New York, USA." It’s really great, for one song. The singer, Andre, used to be in an Oi band here in the city called the Press, and now I guess he fronts these guys. Their song sounds a lot like "Rock n Roll Radio" by the Ramones and "Saturday Night" by the Bay City Rollers. A lot. So much so this song could be a hit. Actually, I expect it will. It’s a lot like an Andrew W.K. song, too. Smart and stupid. I bet these guys are doing car and beer commercials in no time."
-George Tabb, NYPress (Volume 15, Issue 51)
Good Words From Bad Taste
"Maninblack brings back some great memories for me like when I partied to the sounds of The 4 Skins and The Business. Keep the feeling alive!"
-Pete O'Hern, star of the Peter Jackson film Bad Taste
"Maninblack reminded me of my pre Remnantz days when I played in punk bands around Wellington. I can't wait to hear them cover the Bad Taste song... Rock on dudes!"
-Mike Minett, star of the Peter Jackson film Bad Taste, lead vocalist/bass guitar for the The Remnantz
Circular File...
“Maninblack are just a bunch of hard guys who don’t know how to use a volume control”
-Percy Bertrand, President, Velvet Boy Records