Dallas Observer
The Willis
Bathtub, Light Bulb, Heart Attack (doubleplusgood)
By Darryl Smyers

Geek rock, whether by über-nerds like Weezer or more abstract purveyors of insignificant detail like Pavement, has rarely transcended the jab that it's music for and by losers, soundtracks for the dateless--in the end, guy music. The Willis seems fine with that. The five Wisconsin natives who make up this band easily fit within the nerdy confines of their own unhipness while celebrating a lifestyle that gives more weight to getting high with Saturday Night Live's Jimmy Fallon than scoring with even the most righteous babe. As a bonus, Bathtub, Light Bulb, Heart Attack rocks viciously, presenting its nerdish sentiments as unapologetic slabs of arty punk, like some mutant melding of XTC and X.

Besides a roaring deconstruction of "Good Vibrations," this debut centers around the hilarious "Jimmy Fallon: The Plan," where singer Stephen McCabe dreams up a chance meeting with Fallon where they all "get high... in Rockefeller Center" and proceed to make a demo that might get them on SNL. The song, like the entire album, is a glorious mess, a cheesy new-wave wink to inanity that confuses in the most offhanded and enjoyable manner conceivable.

SKRATCH MAGAZINE
by Amy June

The one thing the debut album from Oshkosh natives The Willis does not lack is energy. From the opening line to the closing tune this five-piece band will keep your toes tapping. The album is a combination of artsy rock with a bit of comedy, as is apparent on the clever "Jimmy Fallon: the Plan". The mediocre vocals can become a bit draining, and the music quality can use some stitching to tie up the loose ends. The Willis' sound seems to lack experience. Give them a few more years to fine tune, then give these hip nerds another listen. -Amy June

RAZORCAKE

This is straight-up polished indie pop rock utilizing unconventional breakdowns, electronic noises, ambient noises to try and help it stand out from the already saturated market in which it comes from with lyrics like “The fender guitar cooks the porn star out of his mind.” Wha? –Mr. Z

POST CRESCENT

Local musician sets the stage for sonic experimentation
By Jim Lundstrom
Post-Crescent staff writer

Stephen McCabe said he became pretty good friends with the ladies at Goodwill when creating one of the musical instruments that will be featured when his band, Willis, performs a multimedia experiment Friday at the New Moon Cafe in downtown Oshkosh. “I had this idea to get a bunch of pan lids and mount them on a board,” McCabe said. “I spent four to five hours at St. Vinny’s and Goodwill with a pitch pipe, banging on these pan lids, trying to find something...more

The Northwestern

‘Willis’ Adds Dimension to Local Scene
Band has strong history in area

By Kirby M. Paters
of The Northwestern

The pulse of music rips through the speakers with an electronic buzz. Listening to this, some people might not be sure what they’re hearing. That’s the kind of reaction Oshkosh band Willis hopes for...more