Press:

About "All Things To You"

“...whip-smart songwriting...with "Musicians I Know" the Cucumbers have written one of the great day-job songs." Ben Sisario, The New York Times

"The Cucumbers have been a beloved secret to underground pop fans for over 20 years, and I think really effected a lot of female-led punk-inspired post-grunge pop bands in the 90s… this new 14-song indie gem..It's not the addition of a new rhythm section that makes the vocals and guitars of Deena Shoshkes as enjoyable as ever, it's the fact that the casually inventive accessible art of songs like "Whiskey" can hold their own in any era.”
Chris Estey, BANDOPPLER Magazine

“All Things to You is, confident, accomplished, diverse….listen to the gorgeous "Bend Me Like a Willow." Ira Robbins, Trouser Press

"Bend Me Like a Willow" sounds like a long lost classic folk-rock tune. I think the first half of this disc is particularly strong, but there's nary a naff track to be found. The Cucumbers may take their own sweet time making their albums (this only their fifth), yet the quality makes the wait quite worthwhile.” Mike Bennett, Fufkin.com

“Shoshkes's refreshing charm ranks right up there with the best female alt-rockers.”
Dave Madden, Splendid Magazine

“Sparkling indie pop…great songs,” AMP Magazine

"All Things To You is just that.... a CD that should attract and capture just about everyone who listens to it. It’s a romantic gift of music that serves as many purposes as possible." Gary Vollono, Independisc.com

“....All Things to You is a terrific album but it should come with a warning label. No, not a parental advisory. It should read something like the following. “WARNING: This CD contains very infectious songs. You may find yourself humming or singing any number of the songs on this album.” Gary Schwind, Rocknworld.com

“...The Bridge of Love, in particular, is lovely. In fact, there’s a number of tracks that I could describe this way. Warm Sound of Your Voice has a lovely aching quality - imagine the wonderful Low going in a more country-ish direction. Warm Sound… also features a great, almost Eastern sounding instrumental break, and along with The Bridge of Love is probably the highlight of the album for me..... Deena Shoshkes has an almost pleading quality to her voice....Keith Astbury, Head Heritage, UK

“ …memorable pop music that lingers in the listener's head long after the last Next Big Thing has hit the clearance bin. …The Cucumbers seem to delight in throwing just a kick of despair and strangeness into their songs…. (&) …are at their peak when they are both unafraid to be quirky and uninterested in being shocking and original. “ Hunter Felt, Pop Matters

“What’s clear from All Things to You is that the Cukes are having a grand time peddling their effervescent tunes to whoever will listen. Good natured, sunny melodies abound, sung by husband-and-wife team Deena Shoshkes and Jon Fried with a wide enough vein of seriousness to fend off charges of frivolity….With a two-decade stretch behind them, their polite insistence on positivism carries weight. Memorable hooks aren’t really a problem for the Cucumbers… All Things to You sounds like a labor of love from people who must actually have a lot of other shit to do… they’ve managed to write and record an album that betrays the joy they feel in being a part of the pop process. Their biggest success is that a considerable portion of that joy is bestowed upon the listener as well.” Chuck Zak, Delusions of Adequacy

Most recent review of a live show…

“The Cucumbers have this complex simplicity to their music that just totally blows me away. I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true….The Cucumbers are very hip and very oh-so-now. This is one hot little band with mucho grande talent. I Love This Band! And so will you!” - October 31, 2003 The Two River Times, Redbank, NJ

Some very kind words….

“They project innocence without sinking into naiveté, preciousness or camp. And what they sing can be simultaneously clear-headed and quizzical direct and artful…” – The New York Times (Jon Pareles).

“The more I hear of her vivid sweetness, the more sexy and unprecedented it seems” – The Village Voice (Robert Christgau).

“Cool as you-know-what; sexy and bittersweet” – People Magazine.

“…budding with talent” - Rolling Stone.

“What makes the band major (besides Deena Shoshkes’ incredible voice: kidstuff and wisdom merged) is the songwriting” – The Village Voice (RJ Smith).

From reviews of 1999’s “Total Vegetility”…

“Power pop with a light touch and endearing quirks
survives in The Cucumbers.” - Jon Pareles in The New York Times (May 1999)

“Total Vegetility is a fertile garden of smart psych-pop.” - The Village VOICE (Gehr, May 1999)

“Veteran Hoboken indie-rockers return with a terrifically tuneful collection ... Sounding a bit like B-52s without the camp (and Fred Schneider's adenoidal vocals), tunes like "Indivisible," "Charlie," "Neighbors" and "8500 Million Miles" have an infectious charm that will brighten your day without insulting your intelligence. Devotees of smart pop should flock to this like chickens to corn.” - Jim Santo in his Demo Universe

“Fun, fast rockin' quartet serves up 13 original, complex, spacey songs with some nice B-52s-style vocals. This CD would be great in a multi-disk party mix, sure to have guests asking "Who is that?" - The Midwest Music Review, July 1999