Flairs Shut Up And Drive CD - Import

The Flairs, who hail from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, are a standard guitar/bass/drums pop-punk quartet that writes and performs quick-tempo, guitar-driven rock tunes. In their publicity materials, they make a point of citing their affection for the Ramones, but on their debut full-length, Shut Up and Drive, they cover Skid Row's "18 & Life," which is perhaps more indicative of their sound. Of course, '70s punk rock and '80s hair metal were never really that far apart musically; it was more a matter of attitude (and wardrobe). Singer Dawn Mandarino presents lyrics that focus primarily on romantic scorn, which fits with the aggressive music. But she never loses her sense of melody, and the music, while propulsive, never gets really wild. That's the mark of pop-punk, and the Flairs do it quite well. ~ William Ruhlmann

The Flairs are a 21st century band ready to take the world by storm with their catchy, hook-laden rock songs harkening back to the days of '80's hard rock and punk, seasoned with a whole-lotta attitude! Vancouver based band, The Flairs, created quite the buzz with their 2004 debut EP, described as being a magical blend of youthful spirit and undeniable talent by a group determined to unleash their vision on an unsuspecting public. Those starving for real living, breathing punk-coloured hard rock with smart pop sensibilities will eat this up for any meal. The Flairs are on a kick ass mission to rock out even harder with their new full length CD, 'Shut Up and Drive.' The first single and video was a spin on Skid Row's "18 & Life", which received airplay on rock radio stations across North America as well as rotation on Much Music. Shortly after this, The Flairs embarked on an intense 14 week summer tour, which took them across Canada, the US, and impressively, Indonesia! The powerful presence of The Flairs once again created a big enough buzz on MTV Asia, Indonesiar TV and the Soundrenaline Festivals, where upwards of a whopping 90,000 people attended. To date, The Flairs have released 4 other successful videos from the cd 'Shut up and Drive' including 'Sorry For Lovin' You', 'Falling Into Pieces', 'Ready to Roll', and most recently, 'Stinger'. After virtually growing up in their previous pop/punk band Tuuli, and opening for bands such as The Donnas, Disturbed and rock legends Cheap Trick, Dawn Mandarino (vocals and guitar) and Jen Foster (drums and vocals) decided it was time to form their own band. The Flairs story began in the summer of 2002 when Dawn and Jen met Bif Naked's guitar slinger, Gillian Hanna (lead guitar and vocals) as they played North American outdoor festivals and concerts. All three found common ground, added Gillian's brother Ryan Hanna (bass), and the band was officially born. The Flairs attribute their unique sound to their individual influences. Dawn's love for bands like the Ramones and Garbage, Jen's ska-influenced punk in the vein of the Dance Hall Crashers, and the Hanna's passion for heavy guitar rock groups like Metallica, Guns 'N Roses, Stone Temple Pilots and Led Zeppelin. In the mix they have created a sound The Flairs can truly hail as their own. The new album is fast, loud, and extremely addictive, 'Shut Up and Drive' literally kicks this band up a notch into overdrive and gives us a taste of what The Flairs music is really about. Having created such a raw, vibrant buzz across Canada, The Flairs constant touring regimen has included a successful run with rock legend David Lee Roth, highly praised performances at three consecutive Vancouver's New Music West festival, and sold out shows at Toronto's NXNE and Canadian Music Week. They have also showcased at New York City's esteemed punk rock venues, Los Angeles' International Pop Overthrow Festival and headlined the ROCKRGRL Music Conference in Seattle. Most recently, The Flairs have just returned from their 1st, and very successful 2 week European tour in April 2008. This took the band to a new level as they traveled across