In June 2000 the Seattle Experience Music Project managed to put together a show which billed many now legendary '60s Northwest garage bands such as the Wailers and the Kingsmen. Still, they couldn't get what is probably the best of them all, THE SONICS, to reunite. So, Scott Mccaughey (Minus 5/Young Fresh Fellows/REM) started to get an all-star Sonics fans´ band together, so that they could perform at the show and represent the original and almighty Sonics. Boooom!! THE NEW STRYCHNINES were born.

And who could dare to play the songs of the wildest and greatest garage-punk band that ever existed? Well, my friend, they had to be real heavy-weights to face such a challenge. And they are !!! The New Strychnines are 75% of MUDHONEY (Mark Arm, Steve Turner, and Dan Peters), with Tom Price (from GAS HUFFER and MONKEYWRENCH), Big Kahuna (from GIRL TROUBLE), Scott McCaughey (from The YOUNG FRESH FELLOWS and The MINUS 5), and Craig Florey. It spells w-o-w... WOW!!!

As often happens the guys had a lot of fun playing together and kept practicing, playing more and more shows, sometimes billed as the Original Sonic Sound. But that´s not all folks, THE NEW STRYCHINES, as if they were on a "mission of God", went into the studio with McCaughey and KURT BLOCH (producer of Nashville Pussy, Supersuckers, Devil Dogs, Fastbacks...) and recorded a whole record of Sonics covers, which you can get now and sell by thousands to both Sonics and Mudhoney fans!

WHAT SOME THINK ABOUT THE SONICS, AS TAKEN FROM THE LINER NOTES:

Peter Buck (R.E.M.): "If I had my way I'd play 'Strychnine' at every show in every band I'm in!"

Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam): "One night we were up at the house and Steve Turner played me the Sonics. I was aware of them, but I wasn't aware of HOW GOOD they were!".

Deniz Tek (Radio Birdman): I had seen and heard my fair share of the great sixties underground bands of southeastern Michigan, but when I finally heard the Sonics album for the first time in 1977 I was shocked. I couldn't believe the raw intensity of it. Those guys were obviously hanging it way over the ragged edge, with no regard for the consequences. We were totally inspired by that.

Andy Shernoff (The Dictators): Three chords, a savage beat, and a distorted howl = real rock and roll!!....God bless The Sonics and all they stand for!!!!

Roy Loney (The Flamin´ Groovies): When I think of The Sonics I think: DISTORTED, CRUDE, RAUNCHY, DEMONIC, PRIMITIVE, MAGIC, CLEAN CUT, LOUD and CLASSIC!! The first time that I heard The Sonics I was driving in my '57 Chevy and when "The Witch" came on the radio I almost ran off the road. I went out of control. The only other time that ever happened was the first time I heard "You Really Got Me" by The Kinks. We're talking Major. Ya know?

Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys): The Sonics were the missing link between the Ventures and the Stooges. One of the few bands who lived up to their legend – and more – when I finally got to hear them. They would be a bigger influence on Dead Kennedys if we had succeeded in capturing the power of their songs and the fire coming out of Roslie’s mouth. But noone anywhere ever has.

Niklas Vahlberg (The Nomads): The Sonics were by far the best band of the 60's as far as I'm concerned... the missing link between Little Richard and the MC5!

Billy Childish: In 1983 I was playing in The Milkshakes and we were confident that we were the best group in the world. Then one night at a show in Nottingham we heard a record by The Sonics, me and Mick turned to each other "Oh, dear, there could be a bit of competion!" Happily we found out that they were not contemporary. The Milkshakes were still the best group in the world."

Greg Prevost (The Chesterfield Kings): …these guys are one of the FUCKING GREATEST BANDS EVER!!!!!!!! Gerry Roslie IS THE WHITE LITTLE RICHARD !!!

Mike Stax (Ugly Things Magazine): Nothing matches the intense, visceral rush of the Sonics at their best. In the Pacific Northwest, a place where bands in the ‘60s were renowned for raw, honest, hard-kickin’ rock’n’roll, the Sonics kicked just that much harder and faster. The throat-searing howl of Gerry Roslie, the string manglin’, amp-smokin’ terror of Andy Parypa, the explosive, locomotive drum sound of Bob Bennett – unforgettable, immortal and still unequalled.

The Hives: Totally relentless and stripped down to the bare essentials, the Sonics made some of the best rock music there ever will be. If you like 60s rock but sometimes think it needs more beat, it was in Seattle all the time. Just magic.