Even their townie-bashing song, Attitude, is sing-along-able, even if the 7:4 time signature requires concentration to nod to.

I'm absolutely serious here, come see them before they're catapulted into international stardom, because it can't be long now!

Katie Raincoat

A Warm Order For Summer

If there's any justice in this world, the pop anthem of the summer should not be flown in from Ibiza, but railed in from North Herts.
Simple Sanity, the track that opens My Pet junkie's CD Can You Answer This, is quite possibly the best track I've heard this year.
It has all the elements of a classic - a hypnotic guitar riff, an understated shuffling drumbeat, and a sustained harmony chorus that rips your heart out. Stu's soulful singing is the icing on an already mouth watering cake.
Though the trio might not thank me for saying this, Simple Sanity is the kind of track travis would have killed to get their hands on circa The Man Who.
Distorted guitar riffage is the order of the day for the second track Better Than Life.
The Band's use of dynamics in the verse where the guitar cuts out altogether brings Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit to mind. Or maybe it's the fact that the vocals bear more than a passing resemblance to Kurt Cobain.
When I hear lines like "I've overdosed in sorrow" I can't help but hope Stu doesn't own a shotgun.
Two further tracks Drift and the unlisted Marryjoanna serve to complete a fascinating insight into a band brimming with confidence and talent. Once again the riffage on Drift is memorable and Marryjoanna is a catchy nonsense song, recorded live, that reassures you the band has a sense of humour. All in all, an outstanding CD - buy it at local independent record stores.

Bill Lennon - The Comet August 2nd 2001.

MY PET JUNKIE Can you answer this? (CD-single)(Own release)

I said it a million times before but the biggest problem I have is that a day only has 24 hours and therefore it happens that there are too many cd-releases around I have to review regarding the amount of time i´m having. So here follows the description of a democd that is one year old but as the lads are so gentle to keep on sending me newsletters I know they´re still alive and kicking! My pet junkie are a typical band that are fronted by befriended students and even if rehearsals were kept to a minimum, they soon entered the stage and it´s even so that they have made some name in the capital city of music which is still London even if the musicscene in the UK rather sucks these times. Why should My Pet junkie be an exception? They´´re not if you jusst have originality as a standard cos their sound has definitely been made before but they are such a band who are still believe in the essence of the melody cos man can write what they want it are the bands who write immortal melodies that stay in the memory of the musiclistener. Not that this cd-single (it also contains an enhanced cd-rom) is immortal but My Pet junkie do have the ability to become an indieband with lots of potentials while their American rocksound that´s been inspired by the likes of Nirvana or Dinosaur Jnr. Has the typical British touch from bands like My Vitriol or Ash

The Original Sin

Various Artists Indiesent-exposure.com (quirk)

This is a comp of nineteen new bands, all bar one from the UK, a rather splendid mish mash of the good, bad and ugly, and all for less than a fiver. Most of the good appropriately enough comes at the start. Ciccone's Ladykiller sounds like Elastica playing early XTC, The Lollies' Call The Girls is catchy 80s power pop and La Pieta's Surround is the Delgados fronted by a less irritating Bjork. My personal favourites though are My Pet Junkie's Overhanging which cheekily scampers between quirky oddball indie and stadium rock and the bizarre but brilliant ranking Turkish drum n bass that is Come On Then You Cunts by The Fighting Cocks…. I can't see that one getting too many spins on Radio 2. Conveniently the bad and ugly are all crammed into the last six tracks so I'd stop just outside Istanbul if I were you.
Anyway, snap up this little bargain now from www.indiecent-exposure.com before someone on here starts playing stadiums.

Reviewed by Mawders
soundsxp-alternativemusicwebzine-albumreviews.htm.

MY PET JUNKIE - Club 85, Hitchin 26/04/03

MY PET JUNKIE are another one of those bands taking this 'You never know what your gonna get' approach which makes the songs instantly recognisable even if you have only seen them once before. Always counted on for entertainment, the band Mixed funk pop and alternative rock in each song giving each tune its own identity, the three piece can really write songs that get stuck in your head. Such as 'particle' with it's vocal hook and sparkling guitars. The use of funk guitar and effects creates something startling especially on the delayed solos. Despite a few muck ups and Leon apologising profusely for his behaviour at the HFC alldayer last week. The bands songs sounded great with Stu retaining the faithfull 'edge' on his voice. The band mixed rock and ballads and slow and fast songs in their set, Never too heavy or too soft this band have a knack of appealing to a lot of people

Matthew Turner - The Comet

My Pet Junkie (Acoustic) - The Horns, Watford, 4/3/03

Last week I went to See How My Pet Junkie were sounding. It was an acoustic affair. They really got the crowd going with their mix of excellent guitar, amazing Bongo playing and amusing lyrics. Drummer Leon must have the fastest hands on the planet, and he has the rhythm to go with the speed. Add singer Stu's strong vocals and Excellent bass work from Julia (Meg White Look alike) and you have an enjoyable package, striking through it's originality.

Steve Maggs - The Watford Observer

My Pet Junkie - Can You answer This

This Trio are Responsible for one of this years finest songs. They're called My Pet junkie and They're playing at the Nightingale pub in Hitchin Next Thursday August 9th.
Turn Inside to read a review of Simple Sanity and the rest of the tracks on the bands excellent CD Can You AnswerThis?

Review

The Flag, Watford - 29/4/03

The Return of Live music to the Flag went superbly last Tuesday, April 29th. The Line up of Bouncer, My Pet Junkie and Freaka Nature didn't disappoint a good sized crowd. Bouncer played the gig of their lives, their words not mine, and My Pet junkie were frankly awesome and in no way resemble ferrets.
Freaka Nature sounded tight and melodic as always but apologies to them as I had to leave before they finished again.

Steve Maggs, Watford Observer.

Indie Demos - Reviewed - Can You Answer This? Artist - My Pet Junkie

First rule of making a "multimedia" demo, do not put the data track on first so what sounds like a ZX Spectrum crashing greets your ears when you press play. Secondly, make sure your data is cross platform compatible, otherwise snobby Mac based journo's like myself get cheesed off watching the cd that has just deafened them on the hi-fi get spat out by their i-mac. Okay, rant over. Musically this is a very good cd. Although the artwork would have you believe MPJ are skate punk band it's turns out they have a sound that steals all the good bits from britpop and grunge, sometimes sounding like Starsailor if they'd been fronted by Kurt Cobain. Oh yes. Simple Sanity is a pleasingly laid back affair whilst Better Than Life turns on the distortion pedal for a melodic quiet bit - loud bit effort. Drift takes the same formula again but pulls in some Muse-like touches for dramatic effect. Nice.

Andy (Quirk) Thomas

Various Artists - Indie-cent Exposure Quirk Sampler

Another month, another sampler record. Yay. Though in truth, this one actually filled my overly cynical (blame TV) heart. Last Christmas I attended an Indiecent-Exposure night down Camden Town and had a pretty good night.
Perhaps it's no suprise that two of the bands I saw that night feature on this very sampler. Now, I've spouted enough praise for the Lollies these last nine months, so a little more isn't going to hurt. Call The Girls is as hopelessly catchy and lyrically sly as ever and leaves me wanting the time before their album is released to pass by as quickly as possible.
My Pet Junkie's sense of humour, evident live, carries over to Overhanging well, switching between Chuck Berry and Rage Against The Machine in a matter of seconds. I Never thought I'd ever have the chance to write that.
£4.99 for 19 tracks is pretty good value for money by any measures, so take a wander over to http://www.indiecent-exposure.com

Reviewed By Peter Mattinson
10th of September 2002

Meanwhile, there's something strangely familiar about 'Overhanging' by My Pet Junkie. Starting off slow, 'Overhanging' morphs into a ska-punk rhythm and then slows down for a rocked-out chorus complete with Maiden-esque riff. On paper, the contrast shouldn't work yet somehow MPJ pull it off really well, leaving us with a great tune that appeals to all sorts. Nice one, geezers.

Overall then, (quirk) lives up to its positive name and delivers at least 10 good tracks here. The highlight of the CD is probably Trayscape, but La Pieta, My Pet Junkie and Sufferkiss are all great songs too, and with only one slip-up across 19 tracks (quirk) is well worth the hassle of ordering over the internet.

BM

My Pet Junkie - 'The Interstellar Conspiracy Theory'(self-release)

Action. Humour. Troubled romance. And more special effects than you can shake a light sabre at. No, not the new Star Wars movie, but the latest selection of their prodigal songwriting that this southern three-piece has committed to disc. Currently giving London gig-goers a full night out with their indie-rock-rooted show, My Pet Junkie mix genres not in attempt to be experimentally brand-new, but simply to be most entertaining.
Opening 'Overhanging' is half sprightly ska-punk, half sludge-metal, with a gloriously goonie solo that breaks down into one low tone: like the recording of a bratrock kid who excitedly falls over his pedals, then forgets about the feedback when his ma calls him down for tea. Loses something from the live version for the interaction of the band's two singer/songwriters, wherein mischievous drummer Leon always yells, "lower!" in encouragement to guitarist Stu. While 'Baked Bean Skins' hints at the early Nirvana influence in the band, 'When I Am God' for them scales new heights (especially concerning Stuart's vocal chords!), a moody and haunting track with willowy guitar that recalls classic Radiohead.
Remaining studio tracks 'Interstellar..' and 'Domesticity' are mid-paced but not-entirely-serious. I wouldn't want to quote them, for fear of spoiling the surprise! The title track's a self-explanatory parody of enough sci-fi clichés to make you suspect the lyricist is less cynical than he'd have you believe, with the latter a light-hearted tale of the loss of a girlfriend; or, that is, the loss of a cook… bassist Julia hasn't complained of any sexism, however! Bonus track 'Attitude' gives a taste of live mayhem and a more singalong atmosphere from a band who never let their angst get in the way of their sense of humour.

Al Macherchearn

Hi Stu,Julia & Leon,

Just to a quick note to say thanks for a great performance at this years Rainbow Festival,
What a Fantastic Day!! We have received a lot of positive response for all the bands that took part...Ta, it was worth fighting for!

Review

My Pet Junkie are one of the most innovative young bands emerging from the 'Live Circuit' in Herts.
They encompass an energy rarely seen in the frontline of today's fast growing culture of aspiring musicians, with an impressive blend of musical styles and serious arrangements, this trio will amaze and inspire you at every available opportunity with effortless vigour and a tinge of humour.

Ian Baxter
Live and Giggin

my pet junkie' 3 piece from middx, alt rock which leaves a delightful fugazi-ish taste in your mouth.

Red Eye Gig Guide.

December 8th witnessed yet another indiecentExposure event, this time featuring The Lollies, Moonkat, and My Pet Junkie. The turnout was a bit low but those who came not only enjoyed the music but also Julia's cheerful party bags, which contained sweets and, erm, mini childrens books! The Lollies made glorious sixties stlye girlpop whilst Moonkat continued to pull the best bits from Sleater Kinney's sound and adding their own distinctive edge. My Pet Junkie were largely loud and fast, much appreciated. And yes, although the singer-drummer comedy banter sometimes reached almost Wheatus levels of "wackiness" the assembled masses appeared to enjoy it.

Drowned in sound journal, Dec 2001.

The Lollies - The Verge, Camden Town, 9/12/01

Venturing from the safe (?) reaches of Aldershot into the unknown wilderness of North London. Alone. This could fair well be described as potential signs of insanity by some. Hey, me too, if it wasn't for the fact I craved some decent live music. Did I get some? Well, no. But there was some great music (chortle).
My Pet Junkie managed to conceal their disappointment of playing to such an initially small crowd from their music. 20+ minutes work of frantic drum work recalling Loz Colbert from Ride, melodic bass playing (made all the more impressive by the fact it was only her third gig with the band) plus a guitarist who seemed to be digging up the styles of Chuck Berry, Roger McGuinn and Tom Morello throughout the set.
Many three pieces struggle to create the kind of full sound MPJ do with some ease, the energy and confidence of their songs was well received by the paying punters, most of whom moved from the bar to catch a look. Well worth making a fair effort to catch, My Pet Junkie also do an amusing line in inter-song banter, including confessions to juvenile masturbation in public places. Without doubt, Watford could have something to be more proud of then Elton John.

Reviewed by Peter Mattinson