Organ (Single of the week)
http://www.organart.demon.co.uk/neworgan.htm
Kiss that big cuddly shark, no scratch that, we can’t get away with saying that! This is shark kissing good though – Bowl Of Cherries is a rush of alt.poppy post-punk aggression, they talk of being “Dischord-inspired”, whatever it is that inspired them, they’re full of wired up musical goodness. Raucous – a sonic fit of standing on your toes and singing right in to your face is what Bowl Of Cherries is. Woody Woodpecker meanwhile is fifteen seconds short of two minutes, Woody Woodpecker is alt/rock wrong pop shouty angular goodness coming in to the room and peck peck peck pecking at you – like those people who peck at your head and never let up – this is good pecking though, peck peck peck. They’ve got all kinds of hints of Shellac and Fugazi and Ween and Husker Du and all without really being obvious about any of those influences – healthy influences and a clear love, no copy cats, no aping their record collection – mean bass line, standing in the kitchen going peck peck peck peck peck peck, screaming out in constant pain, another bombshell coming your way. Cuddly Shark are from Glasgow, they’re a whole brew of healthy arguments and “idiosyncratic lyrics” and falling up stairs and Things To Say. We like this. And there’s a great third unlisted song with mouth organs and picking neat holes in Weezer’s sweater and some torn up artwork – excellent third song, ripped bit by bit. Cuddly Shark are right there on your toes, in your face, right between the eyes, and it all happened so fast and you’ll want all their songs and to see then a hundred times…

Subba-Cultcha (Single of the month)
http://www.subba-cultcha.com/singles.php
Another fine slice of art-pop from the Glasweigan Art School punks CS, with the disjointed guitar of Pavement played with the violent pomp of Minutemen via the off the wall riffing of Blonde Redhead…

New Noise
http://www.new-noise.net/singles/singles-23-december-2008_5414.html
Despite the name sounding like something you’d step over at Hamleys, this is proper Glaswegian art school hillbilly punk with a razor edge that does everyone with short attention a favour by being one of the shortest singles ever released. Excellent with a Pixies like donkey kick.

MUSIC NEWS
http://www.music-news.com/ShowReview.asp?H=Cuddly-Shark-Woody-Woodpecker-/-Bowl-of-Cherries-single-review&nReviewID=4041&nType=2&
After sticking this CD on for the first time I thought,Wow! this is the best American punk band I’ve heard for ages after glancing at the press release I find that this exhilaratingly aggressive trio hail from Glasgow no less.
This double A side comprises firstly of ‘Woody Woodpecker’, an angry dig at those people (we all know a few) who just won’t shut the fuck up and just “peck peck peck peck” on and drive you mad. The resulting 1 minute and 44 seconds sounds like early manic Pavement spliced together with a couple of riffs the Presidents of the USA wish they’d come up with, and is such an addictive listen I didn’t get past track 1 of this single until 10 or so listens.
Track 2 ‘Bowl of Cherries’ doesn’t disappoint. The Lyric “Screaming out in Constant Pain,another bombshell comes my way” kind of sums up the feel and pace of the song which rockets along like the Stooges on a good day, with Colin Reid’s Shouty vocals dragging you headfirst through the song.
I thought that was it,but there’s a third track on here too, called “A Nod to =W=” and it does exactly what it says on the tin, It’s a full on Weezer rip off in the best way possible,not so much a nod,more of a violent headbang to Weezer ! They’ve not only got the Weezer sound down to a tee,but the song structure and the riffs too.This could have been lifted straight off a Weezer album (lyrics aside!). Reid confirms his love for the band in the last line “Well I’ve got all their songs, and I’ve seen them a hundred times, It’s because……..I LOVE WEEZER !”
Theres more hooks than a tackle box in these 3 songs. Buy it!! I’m off out to get the album now.
* * * * *

Daily Record
WE are only 16 days into 2009 and it’s going to take a huge tune to topple Woody Woodpecker as my favourite track. At only 1 minute 44 seconds it doesn’t stay around for an encore but it’s post punk grit and humour is outstanding. Trio Colin, Ruth and Jason create a snarling break-up tune to top them all as the Cuddly Sharks show they’ve got some bite. Sounding a bit Talking Heads, a bit B-52s and a bit Fugazi Woody Woodpecker throws alot into the pot for it’s short running time. And it ends with the brilliant lyric: “Woody woodpecker pecking on a tree/standing in the kitchen going peck, peck, peck, peck, peck, peck, peck, peck, peck….” you get the idea. Once you hear it the song will never leave you.
Rick Fulton

Is This Music?
http://www.loudhorizonmusic.com/lhm/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=205&Itemid=71

“There, there, my little scuba-diving friend – everything’s going to be alri……”
CHOMP! There goes the left leg!
It doesn’t take Sir David Attenborough to suggest that accepting a compassionate cuddle from a shark is probably not going to be your smartest move of the day! (Deceitful wee bastards those cuddly sharks.)
You CAN take it from me, however, that based on the evidence of this second single release, you will whole-heartedly embrace the music of Glasgow-based three piece, CUDDLY SHARK.
‘Woody Woodpecker,’ only lasts a little over a minute and a half, but how long does it take to effectively tell an arse-hole to shut their face and leave you alone? A dry sense of humour underpins a deep sounding, bass-driven, and yet bouncy track that really just indifferently says, “Yeah….. whatever…! Now bog off!”
I’m not quite sure what ‘Bowl Of Cherries,’ is all about but to be honest, vocalist Colin sounds rather pissed off so now is probably not the best time to interrupt him for clarification! A furious, loud, rocking-punk based song with brash shouted vocals, this guitar-led song with a pounding, hyperactive rhythm will induce all sorts of compulsive body movements on the dance-floor. It’s just too good for mere words!
This ‘double-A-sided,’ single also has the backing of ‘A Nod to =W=’ which is a ‘tribute,’ to Weezer. It’s a really clever track combining the whimsical sounds of the American pop-punks with the spiteful energy and venom of CUDDLY SHARK.
CUDDLY SHARK have been on my list of ‘must see,’ bands for months and months, but for whatever reason, it just hasn’t happened. It will now – I will make it so.
2009 – The Year Of The Shark!
(… and it wont cost either an arm or a leg!)
5/5
Colin Jackson

Tasty Fanzine
http://www.tastyfanzine.org.uk/singles82jan09.htm#CuddlyShark
This is what is needed to perk up all those people whinging on about the January blues. Far from being the cutesy tale you might expect with a title like ‘Woody Woodpecker’, instead it is an off-kilter rant about people who can’t help but prattle on (guilty as charged). A near choral entree gives away to an expletive filled pre-chorus before the rockabilly bass animates the crunching guitar power chords to the outro. Phew! There’s more going on in the 1.47 minutes here than in the whole of Oasis’ back catalogue. ‘Bowl of Cherries’ is unapologetically fast and furious, like a Captain era Idlewild – brimming with punk attitude and occasionally spilling over into sections of melodic brilliance. First single review of the week and I think I’ve nearly wet myself.
SB

The Beat Surrender
http://www.thebeatsurrender.co.uk/daily/recordbox/woody-woodpecker-bowl-of-cherries-cuddly-shark/
I wasn’t overly kind when I reviewed the last three track CD promo from Scottish band Cuddly Shark, although I do stand by my review, it’s pleasing to see that the band have come back for more again and this time have delivered a much better three songs on this double a-side release.
Woody Woodpecker opens brilliantly with the bass and then descends into a brilliantly farcical track that is pure art school post punk madness. Buoyed by this track I persevere and that is rewarded with the excellent Bowl Of Cherries, before we get onto the b-side, a track this actually my favourite of the three.
A Nod To =W= is similar in style to something you’d expect from Art Brut (always good) and has a succession of brilliant lyrics, the best of which has our singer proclaiming how he never forgave the girl that tore up his artwork. Its another clear indication that the band are growing and are in fine shape to push on and make a dent in the underground scene.
4/5

Bluesbunny
http://www.bluesbunny.com/tabid/122/xmmid/474/xmid/1475/xmview/2/default.aspx
Better be quick with this review as “Woody Woodpecker” from Scottish band Cuddly Shark doesn’t even make the two minute mark. There’s not much to this song barring attitude and volume. Oh yes, certainly not song for those quiet nights in with a nice bottle of Chardonnay. Despite the lack of running time, the song manages a fairly extended intro before starting a fight with a perfect stranger in the street. That’s those alcopops for you…
“Bowl of Cherries” keeps up the pace with a more conventionally punk powered jump up and down whilst drunk and you think no ones looking or you actually don’t care as all the fit birds have long since left the room kind of way. Another invigorating triumph of volume over substance.
The neighbours are getting annoyed – better turn the volume down
4 Carrots

The List
http://www.list.co.uk/article/15203-singles-downloads/
Equally fun is Cuddly Sharks’ ‘Woody Woodpecker’ (Armellodie Records), which begins like an electro-orchestra then transmogrifies into a stroppy rockabilly thing before going all metal, all in under two minutes.
3/5

Comfort Comes
http://www.comfortcomes.com/2009/01/08/cuddly-shark-woody-woodpecker/

Some time ago I used to love the Woody Woodpecker character. Naturally, I was excited because I thought maybe just maybe this would be a Woody tribute song. This blistering 1:42 minute track is not a full on tribute but they did not disappoint. The last twenty seconds is where the track really shines. The yells of peck peck and the attempt to create the pecking sound maybe me have flash backs to McLusky days. It feels like something they would pull off. “Woody Woodpecker” is a quirky and loud track that is good to throw on every so often as it will give you a nice laugh.
John Siwicki 

Die Shellsuit Die
http://www.dieshellsuit.co.uk/article_detail.asp?rID=3278 
More potentially enormous stuff from Glasgow. Cuddly Shark brew Pixies darkness with the best riffs this side of Mclusky, together with Ballboy wit and the voice of a Scottish Albini. If that all sounds too good to be true, well, it is – at the moment. But the three tracks on offer here show a bit of gold, I tell ‘ee. Gold! Woody Woodpecker’s all-too-brief life begins by falling out of Black Francis’ jeans as he bends over to contemplate yet another void, before trotting smartly through Victor Meldrew bellowing “Donald! Where’s you’re FUCKING troosers now, eh??” whilst dancing off his face to Duane Eddy on New Year’s Eve, and ends up with a riff other bands would suck their own managers dry for.
Its companion is, perhaps, the most pedestrian effort here but still manages to sound like E from the Eels on a this-is-not-a-carrier-bagful of bad speed. We’re in shouty punkametal territory but don’t forget – recycling is good. To end we have a good, old, big, stompy Caledonian riff-out, complete with gurny guitar solo. But do not say Big Country. Oh, no. Say Weezer – in an affectionate, ironic way, though, obviously.
I’m off to my Urusei Yatsura records and will emerge when and if the ‘Shark scale Hadrian’s Wall. 
Palmer Eldritch

Manchester Music
http://www.music-dash.co.uk/releases/release.asp?item=5912
Glasgow’s Cuddly Shark tell us all about “Woody Woodpecker” in well under two shouty rock and roll minutes. Big, incisive chunks of guitar riffing lead us to the climatic “Peck Peck Peck !”, before the rousing, fuzzcore of “Bowl Of Cherries” punks out a howl of nascent , spiked up twisted rock. There’s a jangle to Cuddly Shark’s scuttled rattle, which means that they can fit in great, simple middle eight segments before storming into another chewed up dose of pleasant snarling. Great stuff from north of the border rounded off by the city block sized ballad of “A Nod To =W=”.
MMM ½  
Manuel Ecostos