www.dailyvault.com MEET THE TYRANTS IN THERAPY Emotional Coathanger Records Review by: Christopher Thelen Smarter than the average listener would expect. Lighter moments include the English language version of "Je T'aime (Moi Non Plus)" and the 16-second interlude "Doubt and Pain." While tracks like "Boy, " "Om Shanti Om" (enjoyable in both its mixes presented here) and "Sex Is Back" (delivered almost in a Madonna-becomes-newscaster style by Abbe Kanter) get you up and dancing. Titles like "In The Shadow Of Hitler" and "Yer No Jack Kennedy" might leave listeners thinking that Tyrants In Therapy are a novelty band - and while they do enjoy moments of levity, they mean business. Meet The Tyrants In Therapy proved to be a more pleasant introduction to this group than I had expected - and now I'm glad to say I know the band and their music. Chances are this disc will thrill you as well.

From Endless Tyrants In Therapy @ Lumpy Gravy Tonight, a review about a duo that call themselves Tyrants In Therapy, an act that was described by a particularly vitriolic person I met recently as "a really cheezy new wave Sonny and Cher who sing to a DAT." I think this is a bit harsh. These two late thirty-some-things who call themselves the Tyrants are cabaret to the core. They try to amuse with their comedic shtick just as much as with their music. In this department the Sonny and Cher reference does seem apt. Lots of French language banter in one number, the blond male Tyrant abruptly turns from his Jewish Princess cohort to ask the audience "Why am I speaking FRENCH?" Herky jerky, they goof off each other during the songs. It's not exactly live but it's certainly not karaoke. Our eclectic TITs broaden their already versatile repertoire with some New York reggae rock. (A lot of their stuff has a definite New York pop influence.) Salty, savvy, but always good natured entertainment like Kid Creole, David Johansen, Debbie Harry and the like. Rendered with heavy irony and a glass of white wine for courage. Their centerpiece seems to be this morality play set to music called Don't Say Words Like That, an arrangement so deep and complex that they have to read it from a sheet of paper to prompt them for the overlapping lyrical duel: "Pot smoker... Karaoke Don't say words like that. Hot pink slurpies... herpes... Don't say those words Name droppers, Cherry poppers...Don't say words like that to me Baby boomers... Brain tumors. Withdrawal. Move your bowels" Greil Marcus gets the careers of Presley, Dylan and Johnny Rotten as his foils I get Tyrants In Therapy. According to Hindu precepts, I must have been reincarnated from someone especially wicked to have been dealt this lot in life maybe next time I'll come back as someone really lucky JFK, Jr.

Immedia Wire Service CD Reviews by Scott G Combining pop music with surrealism can be instantly appealing but it's a fine line between "trippy fun" and "comedy album." Fortunately, the Tyrants in Therapy (or TIT, as they often refer to themselves) never cross that line. The musical content remains high even as things go completely loopy on about a quarter of the tracks. Comprised of an ever-changing number of musicians, but centered around Michael Jaye and Abbe Kanter, TIT is thoroughly delightful. Sex is Back, Om Shanti Om and Down in Flames Together are the immediate standouts on a quirky, peppy album.

Billboard Magazine Om Shanti Om JDC maxi single L.A.-based duo fires up the sequencers for this song, from the "Meet The Tyrants in Therapy" set. Together since 1984, beatsmith Tyrant Michael J and vocalist Abbe "Abbe/Abbe" Kanter put together a deep house cut with the real, almost-trancey synths, Kanter's vocals and lyrics with religious and pagan imagery, while the DJ Genius mix drops in a cool piano sample from a 60s jazz-sounding track. The NYC mix adds some extra percussion to the mix. It comes with an a cappella too a rare find on a dance record so you can become a Tyrant yourself and create your own track. Depending on your crowd, that might be the right answer.

Pirate Jenny's Review
London, UK
Featured CD Meet the Tyrants in Therapy An intriguing album that cuts up sound effects and some great songs like the faux-naive "Shadow of Hitler" and the striking "Down in Flames" as well as more disco/pop efforts. The Tyrants' sense of humour and satire is to the fore on their hilarious gourmand's re-working of Serge Gainsbourg's "Je T'aime" and the dig at New-Agers in "Om Shantih Om." An unusual and successful fusion of the flavour of Euro-cabaret and the more interesting side of Anglophone pop music hails from across the Atlantic. Tyrants in Therapy are a Los Angeles-based duo perfecting their own notion of 'punk cabaret' which evokes both the arty pop of bands like Devo and the B-52s and a quirky vision of 'the old country' at a distance. Detroit born and LA-raised former journalist Michael J and actor-singer Abbe Kanter met in Hollywood, moving from local rock clubs to the dance scene with disco pastiche "Too Tuff to Cry." Their current work combines cabaret-esque style and wordplay with rock and a surrealism inspired by Federico Fellini. They are currently gigging regularly on the West Coast, playing songs from their long-awaited debut album "Meet the Tyrants in Therapy," which among other contributions features the bass work of former Bay City Roller Stuart 'Woody' Wood. A maxi single of the New Agey mantra "Om Shanti Om, " with remixes by the co-writer Pascal Languirand (of Trans-X fame), local house DJ Miguel Plascencia, and new-to-the-scene ("there is no avant-garde in Los Angeles") German remixer/performance artist Frank Rothkamm, was released by Los Angeles-based indie, JDC Records in Summer 2000.

Los Angeles Times "Artfully Bellying Up to the Bar Scene" by Dianne Bates
Like a twisted Steve and Edie, the Tyrants can be engaging and controversial. Michael J and AbbeAbbe have been performing in L.A. for more than 10 years at clubs like Genghis Cohen, Canter's Kibitz Room and The Garage. Unlike most other performance artists, the Tyrants have made many records and CDs and found commercial success on the dance club circuit. This is a group born on the club circuit that is riding the tide

DJ Times Magazine "Boy" Tyrants in Therapy Sheik Records (CD5) Delivered in a similar flood-of-consciousness style most recently explored in Ajax's "Ex-Junkie," except the Tyrants here employ drum programming and basslines that sound as if they could have easily appeared on an 80s Arthur Baker 12". Through Chicago-styled papery snares, Abbe Kanter rapidly delivers an East-coast accented, no-nonsense rap for the "Boy" to wake up and grow up, while sinking her teeth into delicious lines along the way like talking in my face, but staring at my chest. A bonus track, the eerily atmospheric "In the Shadow of Hitler" fits a stylized vocal by The Tyrant Michael around a calliope/ soundtrack melody. 122 BPM ***John Hrabar

Music Connection Tyrants In Therapy Canter's Kibitz Room / West Hollywood by Dianne Bates
The Players: Abbe Kanter, vocals; Michael Jaye, vocals Material: Tyrants in Therapy is a husband/wife duo who sing to DAT recorded backing tracks. Mike and Abbe present an entertaining, intelligent, cabaret-style act that is as theatrical as it is musical. The 13-song set ran the gamut from the danceable "Boy" to the decadent waltz "In the Shadow of Hitler," to the silly faux-country tune "Honky Tonk Train Blues." The Tyrants' songs are smartly humorous and often cynical. "Don't Say Words Like That," starts off as a list of off-color words which eventually morphs into rhymes like "Disneyland," and "in my pants," "George Bush," and "kiss my tush." Musicianship: Tyrants use competent guest musicians such as Bobby Robles of Thee Midniters to pre-record their musical accompaniment. Needless to say, their sets are very tightly paced. Abbe has a strong, more polished voice. Michael talk/sings in a style reminiscent of Lou Reed. Their voices harmonize well. Performance: All things French are explored during the Tyrants' brisk set. The couple are both playful and antagonistic toward each other and they engage in live and recorded bantering. Many of their tunes are prefaced by weird interstitial bits and commentary which slyly mock such questionable icons as Barbara Streisand and Barry White. Abbe wears dark clothes and little make-up. Michael wears color and lipstick. Abbe's slow, moody rendering of Arthur Alexander's "Anna" (from the Beatles' first album) is haunting and both the duo and their audience have fun with their playful version of the erotic, breast-heaving 1969 hit, "Je T'aime." "Why are we speaking French?" Michael innocently asks Abbe. Duh, it's a French song. The audience cracks up. Summary: While it is unlikely that Tyrants in Therapy will ever play stadiums, their material is appealing to those weary of formula hits. With comedy films dominating the market right now, directors would be well advised to place Tyrants in Therapy tunes, just as they would Randy Newman's or Jonathan Richman's work, into the sort of projects that are in need of this type of material.