NOW Magazine (Toronto) // Oct 8 - 15, 2008 - Live - Club Lambi, Montreal, 10/03/08
Toronto garage-rockers Action Makes impressed an early crowd with their roots-tinged ferocity and killer guitar hooks.
NOW Magazine Blog (Toronto) // October 6, 2008 - Live Club Lambi, Montreal, 10/03/08
Fresh from a summertime membership crisis, bluesy indie rock threats Action Makes were back in top form. New addition Ryan Rothwell (ex of The Visit and Thee Diet Pills) mercilessly slammed the skins while front-man Clint Rogerson growled out some great new material. The only thing that seems to stand between these guys and breakout success is an LP release to promote.
The Mirror (Montreal) // October 2, 2008 - Pop Montreal Festival Preview
One of the fiercest shows should be at Lambi with Machetes, Soki Soki, Action Makes, Katie Stelmanis, Les Temps Liquides, Semi Precious Weapons and Meta Gruau.
Pop Montreal Program // October 2008 - Pop Montreal Bio Page
Their fuzzed out alt-psych sound has gained these flower-punks accolades as a better Brian Jonestown Massacre. Their latest effort on Dave Love's Magnificent Sevens label betrays Nuggets-era psych-garage influences, bringing this band closer to Toronto's answer to The Black Lips.
Chart Magazine // June 14, 2008 - Live - The Silver Dollar, Toronto, 06/13/08 - NXNE
Grade: 89/100. ... It's highly lucid psychedelic rock 'n' roll, sort like Black Lips. ... I'm going to go out on a limb and say I'd see these guys play any time and you should, too. ... There was kind of a slow build in this set, but at the end, the whole room was going crazy for them.
Chart Magazine // June 14, 2008 - Review of the Oholics - The Silver Dollar, Toronto, 06/13/08
If you are hammered and want to sway to the bad version of The Brian Jonestown Massacre (Action Makes put the good version was on display earlier), I encourage you to check them out.
Sound Salvation Army (Blog) // June 8, 2008 - NXNE Festival Preview
I’d settle for picking one or two of my faves. Like Toronto’s the Action Makes, a hot mess of rock n’ rollers who will storm the barn, burn it down and raise a few spirits for a ghoulish hoedown. They remind strongly of the Black Lips and the Deadly Snakes.
NOW Magazine (Toronto) // June 4th, 2008 - NXNE Festival Preview
This year Burke has partnered with Davy Love’s local 45rpm imprint Magnificent Sevens to import currently under-the-radar Swedish -garage sensations the Oholics to headline a three-night stint at the Silver Dollar. As usual, Burke’s lineup also includes an airtight assembly of strong local talents, this time selected specifically to augment the Oholics’ swaggering 60s-psych-influenced rock ’n’ roll.
NOW Magazine (Toronto) // Nov 1 - 8, 2007 - Best of Toronto: Best Indie Label (Magnificent 7s)
DJ Davy Love (he of the highly touted Blow Up dance parties) may be crazy, but his series of tough-rockin' singles by the Mark Inside, Easy Targets, Action Makes and Lipstick Machine – and off-the-hook release parties to go with them – has provided a welcome dose of excitement.
Vue Weekly (Edmonton) // July 27, 2007 - Review of Charley & the CFF 7"
“Charley & the CFF,” sounds like the best kind of dirty barroom country with thumping bass, twangy guitars, handclaps and a wailing harmonica driving to a raucous conclusion.
KVCU Radio (Boulder, CO) // September 16, 2008 - "Staff Picks" - Review of Charley & the CFF 7"
A garage/R&B inspired rocker full of fuzz guitar, backing harmonies, hand clapping, tamborine, wailing harmonica, and a genuine vocal delivery from front man Clint Rogerson.
Ground Control (Website) // September 9, 2007 - Review of Charley & the CFF 7"
Sounding like the unholy bastard love child of 13th Floor Elevators and The Rolling Stones, “Charley & The CFF”—with its hand clapping, harmonica and “Sympathy For The Devil”-esque “whoo-oo”s is a raucous revival for both the 45rpm format and a welcome return to the sound and spirit of it as well.
The Mirror (Montreal) // Aug 2 - Aug 8, 2007 - Review of Charley & the CFF 7"
An exemplary debut batch of seven-inch singles from the Toronto label founded by Davy Love ... Action Makes is all nervous vocals, tambourines, handclaps and snaky guitars.
NOW Magazine Blog (Toronto) // June 10, 2007 - Live - The Silver Dollar, Toronto, 06/08/07 w/ Soundtrack of Our Lives - NXNE
Action Makes played at the Silver Dollar later, and they were awesome. They sounded all garage-rock and bluesy post-punk.
Chart Magazine // June 9, 2007 - Live - The Silver Dollar, Toronto, 06/08/07 w/ Soundtrack of Our Lives - NXNE
The vagrant look of the band members also contributed to the dirty sex vibe of the Silver Dollar room, which was ridiculously packed and growing sweatier by the second.
Wavelength (Toronto) // January 30, 2007 - Years In Review: Toronto Independent Music Community Highlights
March 2005: Action Makes, No Dynamics, Ninja High School play a house party at Trevor Coleman’s place.
The Varsity (Univ. of Toronto) // October, 2006 - Review of Deadly Snakes album Porcella (Paper Bag)
Anyone missing the Snakes' insane live shows should keep their eye on local up-and-coming garage threats The Mark Inside and Action Makes.
Tangible Sounds (Website) // October 2006 - Live - Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto, 10/02/06 w/ Two Gallants
Action Makes sound like an opera about the crucifixion of Jesus as performed by Hells Angels. On a train. With the same feel as the White Stripes (ie - they’re a bit like your mates’ band, a bit crazy, and they might break up at any moment), but with the look of the skankiest boy band in the world.
TorontoIndie.com (Website) // July 2006 - Live - Drake Underground, Toronto, 07/13/06
If not for the Drakes [sic] fancy hipster décor, one might easily believe it was an all-night underground house party. ... The set quickly degenerated into a wild, sweaty pileup, for both the audience and the band, and long before anyone was ready to call it quits. For the final number the band invited the crowd to join in the fun, and the evening ended with a stage filled with thrashing bodies and banging heads.
Generik Music (Website) // March 2006 - Live - Sneaky Dee's, Toronto, 02/23/06 w/ The Mark Inside
Action Makes quickly took the stage and these guys tore the venue to bits. Their danceable drone rock got the entire venue dancing, with several mosh pits forming close to the stage. This band has so much energy when they perform it is impossible not not dance, they are constantly moving and their songs are so easy to dance to. Action Makes is easily one of Toronto's best acts and they are a MUST SEE.
NOW Magazine (Toronto) // Jan 26 - Feb 1, 2006 - Live - The Bagel, Toronto, 01/19/06
A.M. brought down the house with huge double-guitar garage riffs and sonic blasts of 60s psych-rock.
Pop Matters (Website) // June 25, 2005 - Live - Comfort Zone, Toronto, 06/10/05 w/ Wolf Parade, Tangiers, more - NeXT
For the second consecutive year, out of this contrived atmosphere, there emerged a white-hot light. Two proper rock shows; sweaty, grimy, and gorgeous. Hell was never this hot or loud. Thursday and Friday night at the notoriously dodgy Comfort Zone, aka NeXT, were a stark contrast to the official NXNE programme. Cobbled together by maverick show promoter Dan Burke, the nights were exercises in defiance.
Wavelength (Toronto) // November 22, 2004 - Review of CD-REO Bloodwagon EP
The first two tracks are solid, but the third is the money shot, with jagged stop-starts and guitar squelch, flowing perfectly into Death From Above 1979 bass lines, then Raising the Fawn guitar tapestry, and then back to a freak-out.
