Here are some thrill racer demo reviews that were printed in other people’s zines. You can also find a fascinating thrill racer demo review at Jim Santo’s Demo Universe and see that a thrill racer demo got some airplay in England on the Jimmy Possession Show (Student Broadcast Network.) Too cool! Plus, David from the ALL FM "Under the Pavement" show played a thrill racer track on 07/02/02 in Manchester, England.

Angry Left Wing MoFo #1 - Ireland
by Crazyman
Hailing from San Diego, California, Thrill Racer is a singer-songwriter who fuses simple melody with intelligent lyrics. Her voice has been described as having similarities with that of Nico, which I can’t comment on myself, but I do know a Fiona Apple similarity when I hear it, and Thrill’s voice has one. She’s been recording demos for a few years now, originally recording with other musicians before realising that "the results weren’t worth working with flaky, unreliable, snobbish, and mentally disturbed people," and therefore being writing her own music.
Kudos then for going it alone, and Thrill sure knows how to put together a good song, as evidenced by "Bad Dreams" and "Very Bored". But many times the music feels very synthetic, and the echoed effects on the vocals sometimes hide what is a good voice. If The White Stripes have taught us anything, it’s that all you need for a good act is a drummer and someone else. Thrill Racer would make a great someone else, so all she has to do is find a drummer who can help add flesh to the songs, and who won’t stalk her.
As it stands, some of the strongest tracks here are Thrill’s collaborations with others, namely the two songs with Adam Shaw. "Obsession" is a catchy, up-tempo piece of indie-rock that would no doubt chew up the charts if there was any justice in the world. "Does Not Matter", meanwhile, sounds like classic Cranberries. Thrill even adds a haunting Delores O'Riordan-style vocal.
So, Thrill Racer probably won’t be appearing on Top of the Pops anytime soon (not that that’s a bad thing.) But if you admire anyone who sings an honest, witty, sometimes humourous lyric, or if you’re just tired of fake rockers and thriftstore fashionistas, then you might just get a kick out of this.

eyeball, eyeball XII, MMII - by Michelle:
6 more songs, 2 in a college rock vein (sorry to be so crude). At first listen I thought "Depiction of an Outcast" was a tad hardcore, but I was mistaken. Thrill sounds suitably tired + fed up as she complains about liars and the like. Anyone who’s read her per-zine can understand where she gets her inspiration from! "Sweaty" is much quieter + sleepier + more relaxed overall and thus more beguiling. The last 4 tracks are Thrill minus a band + armed only w/ a voice, piano + a drum machine. My faves out of the 4 are "Missing" where the piano + drum machine gel together, a re-recording of old fave "Love Gushing Out" + "Vulnerable". It’s quite novel to hear a piano actually these days outside of relaxing classics and gives the tracks a naive charm. They sort of remind me of X-mas, weirdly.

eyeball, eyeball #11 - England, by Michelle Drury:
THRILLRACER - the Corey Demo
3 tracks concerning loser boyfriends who can’t commit wholeheartedly to love. 1st up is "Halfheartedly," the weakest of the 3, and is angsty alt. rock punctuated by the odd burst of indignant guitar. "Plaything" is much lighter sounding with more space to breath in the song and better pacing of vocals. "Maybe Nothing" is somewhere between the first 2. I could imagine it being on a less rockin’ Easyrider type soundtrack. Repetition of vocals and matching guitar parts work best on "Maybe Nothing" especially the "you wanted something to do" bit. A backward demo; best track last!

The Original Sin - Gent, Belgium
"THRILL RACER Demos" by Didier Becu
Back to normal music (...and a big fuck off to all those who are making the stupid remark "What is normal music?" as you know what I wanna say...) The sole big question is that I really can say if Thrill Racer is normal music or not, as they may use all the classical instruments but their music goes so straight into your body that I even would use a term like "doom rock". How Thrill (she’s a girl!!!) does it is beyond me, but it’s like she singing like a ghost (that’s probably why I compared her to Nico once) and the lyrics are also very satirical, I suppose she must hate the society we’re living in...Those who know Thrill Racer must notice that it is quite different from her previous offering as it’s a bit less catchy (...and with that I’m referring to the sing-a-long element), but these songs are digging much deeper. If you contact Thrill (do it!!!, do it!!!) also do ask for her "The Easy Way" zine that gives you a perfect insight into her "career", some useful tips for vegans who are living in the US and an obsession for Morrissey (well, she also dares to criticize her hero.) But for all those who hate Moz, they can sleep on both ears as you don’t hear any influence of him in Thrill’s music.

Eyeball Eyeball - UK
"THRILLRACER: Demo #3" by Michelle Drury
...plus a few others. thrill racer returns, but with a slightly different sound to #2. The tracks have more of an indie American band feel like what a decent band on ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ would sound like (not that they ever have a decent band real or not.) The music and reverby vocals work best on ‘Does Not Matter’ and ‘Obsession’ out of the 4 tracks.
‘Class Conscious’ has also been re-recorded with clear vocals (don’t hide your voice away!) and a few stupid attempts to hurry the song up by the guitarist.
Another new song ‘Mortal in the Open’ is really nice with a class organ sound. Rough recording sound, but definitely worth doing properly and not in a dustbin.
Stuff on ‘Buffy’ or Eels’ll probably get you a copy or any other trade @ [address and URL] for those who can download ‘Walk in Your Shoes’ on MP3 (might be the mental rawk version tho--‘guitarists are all ego’--indeed!)

The Original Sin #29 - Belgium
A very familiar face Thrill is...Why? Cos we believe in her, cos we love her, cos she’s cool and mostly cos she’s making great music (...or were you expecting me to hype someone who has an enormous stamp collection???) I’ve already said Thrill Racer sounds a bit like Nico...but it’s more like something what would happen if suddenly Brett Anderson’s place in Suede would be replaced by that girl who made The Velvet Underground such an immortal band. "Walk in Your Shoes" is a sort of uptempo indie rock song with a bitter aftertaste (simply cos it goes a bit deeper than your usual indie song.) If you don’t believe me you can hear the song yourself on Thrill’s website...

The Original Sin #24 - Gent, Belgium
"THRILLRACER" by Didier Becu
It doesn’t happen that much that bands got a good review in the demo-column from Melody Maker but American girl Thrill did it!!! She’s coming from the same area where brylcreme-rockers Rocket From the Crypt are doing the jerk, but this is something else... Thrill’s voice sounds a bit like Nico although she’s looking more healthier and her music is a bit like Mazzy Star, John Cale (well...suppose that John was a girl!), Kate Bush without the weirdness... Bedroompop that should be played in front of 23,000 people! If you want to discover Thrill’s fine contribution to the world of pop, write her a letter and ask nicely if you can get her demo... Believe me, it’ll become something essential... And no I’m not making this up...this is really good stuff! Time to talk! [interview follows--see original zine for that.]

Eyeball Eyeball #5 - Notts, UK
"Thrill Racer - What a Refreshing Change" by Michelle
Demo No. 1: "Walk in Your Shoes" is a potential Top 10 full stop. Like one of the Fall’s poppier numbers like "Slang King." "Class Conscious" has a heavy distorted keyboard sound and is more resigned sounding. The other two tracks transfer the distort to thrill’s vox and slightly grungey guitars buried in a dustbin. ¶ Demo No. 2 (cunning title eh?): The lyrics to two can be found in The Easy Way #1 along with a hilarious piece on thrill’s ex-collaborator and potential sociology teacher--Mike Ashley--avoid this man! And some bits on Moz fan life. ¶ Back to the songs--"Love Gushing Out" is as distorted and dustbinney as ever (no criticism) and is too short. Best song on the demo. All these distorted vocals can do your head in. The whole demo has a bizarre late night bar feel. The caberet act from another dimension? ¶ I’m surprised some label hasn’t picked thrill racer up. Oh well, you cannot live on mediocre, guitar indie pop forever. 5 LP deals, tales of mad fans pissing you off, and veggie rock stars to search "thrill" America. It’s not all over-rated T.V. progs, grunge (cheers, not), and plots to start World War 3 you know. Yes, thrill racer are good and American! ¶ Pah! Who needs idiot producers to wreck your sound when you have a bedroom? Or copy your influences? Not thrill. ¶ Thrill also wants to do a vid for MTV. Let’s hope she does. I spent a week at my brother’s and the music videos were as dull as dishwater. Underworld’s must win a prize for being simultaneously dull, irritating, and unoriginal. All indie vids look the same and all R’n‘B ones do too. If there’s a video bigwig reading this I’m available as a video ideas generator.

The Original Sin #18 - Gent, Belgium.
"THRILL RACER Demotape (4,5 points)" by Didier Becu
Homemade bedroomtapes...I just love ’em cos then you hear a band who have to convince an audience without the studiotricks which can turn a crap band into a splendid one...I mean, if a bedroomtape sounds magnificent you know that you’re talking about real talent! ! ! Thrill Racer are an American duo (Thrill who does the vocals and lookin at her picture reveals she’s a massive Morrissey-fan and Mike who does the instruments). Even if Thrill claims to be influenced by The Smiths I can’t hear anything from them in thrill racer’s music but that does not matter cos their sound is sooo good you don’t even think about it one minute. Thrill’s voice is just extra-ordinary beautiful...very Nico-like and with Mike’s musical additions you can’t help comparing them to the most beautiful songs The Velvet Underground have made on their famous album with the banana on the cover! ! ! Simply amazing...a perfect blend from Mazzy Star, This Mortail Coil and even...Jezus & The Mary Chain! ! ! Check this out! Believe the hype and if they find the right people there will be one! ! ! (CONTACT: THRILL RACER, PO BOX 506565, SAN DIEGO, CA, 92150-6565, U.S.A.)

Melody Maker July 18, 1998 - London, England.
"Holly’s Demo Hell" by Holly Hernandez
THRILL RACER
WALK IN YOUR SHOES
From San Diego, Thrill Racer are inspired not by Rocket From The Crypt, but Morrissey, the Godrays, eels, Wilco and the Replacements. And, wonder of wonders, they have managed not to copy any of them. Maybe it’s due to their inordinately bored-sounding female singer and the low-key feel of the whole. It displays none of the simple up-ness of Wilco, or the irritating self-consciousness of the eels. This is not to say that Thrill Racer will be the ones to butter our muffins in the future, but they are a bit sexier than the other stuff this week. Not a glowing recommendation, I know, but I’m doing my best (41.)

Maya Zine #2 July 1998 - Niles, MI, USA.
"On the Radio" by Erin Tracey
I’ve come across two really good bands lately. The first band is thrill racer. Thrill sent me their four song demo tape (which I’m listening to right now.) I dug it as soon as I started listening to it. The lyrics have meaning. My favorite song, "Walk in Your Shoes," is about classes in society, and it has really great guitars in it. I also love the vocals. They totally make me want to sing along.

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