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*Ancient Reviews* |
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Shane McGowan and the Popes “The Crock of Gold” ZTT Records Review by Nancy Ballast At first, I thought I liked the earlier cd, “The Snake” better, as it has some harder-edged tunes with more rock-sounding songs. But, Shane sounds really fucked up in some of the songs, and the cd’s consistency suffers. Not so with “The Crock of Gold”. “The Crock of Gold” has more of a traditional Irish band sound. The Popes provide a great backdrop for Shane’s voice. The lyrics are still what you’d expect from Shane: gritty, angry, truthful, and hidden behind pretty tunes. The rock feeling here is not missing, it is simply more subdued. “Paddy Public Enemy Number 1” tells one man’s experience with the Irish Republican Army and politics in Northern Ireland. “Back in the County Hell” dreams of what could be"
“With me in charge I’d execute the Artistic Queers There’s even a slow song, “Lonesome Highway,” which is sweet and wistful. Sure, it’d be nice to get another release from Shane with a song like “Waltzing Matilda” on it, but whatchoo gonna do? Fans of The Pogues will not be disappointed.
The Booked
The cover is the first thing that will get noticed about this cd. In a 40’s-era
photo, a young girl holds an American flag, and stands on a Nazi flag.
Apparently, the group/label has had stores refuse to carry the cd because of the
picture. The message sent to wp folks will most likely make them hate this band
before they listen to the cd. In case anyone should get confused by the
picture, the band explains on the back of the cd "...standing on a flag is a
sign of discrespect...duh." A lot of oi bands can be accused of avoiding
politics, and writing songs about boots beer and birds (not that I mind all
those bands, some of them I listen to all the time). The Booked aren’t afraid to
embrace a political, anti-white power, pro-working class stance and their music
comes through without preaching the message so loud you can’t enjoy the tunes.
Al Foul and the Shakes Do you like slick, refined, Gene Vincent wannabe rockabilly? If so, you’ll hate these guys. This is trashy, drunken, no frills and no rules rockabilly, and I like it that way. They cover greats such as Ronnie Dawson and Hasil Adkins, as well as whip out their own original slabs of debauchery like rain-coated perverts in the City Park. The music remains rudimentary yet unabashed, the way rock-n-roll should be. The dirty guitar sound is peppered by the plunking bass slaps and you can almost smell the liquor on the singer's low voice. All in all, this CD reminds me of a moonshine party by an oil pump, making love in a corn field while drenched in PBR, or pretty girls shootin' guns. At any rate, this is a great CD and these songs put me in a helluva good mood, and I’ll venture it might do the same for you. -BL
Ghoultown Me, a loner…trotting over the sun-baked earth, saddled on my Palomino at dusk, as the sun falls below the earth and the sky is drenched in twilight redness. A fatal gunshot wound to my gut, I ride towards the horizon as my eyesight blurs and my aching tendons soften from death’s slow massage. I come to a small Mexican village where Consuela will try to save my life, but instead I fall into a long black sleep and awake alone, naked, and thirsty for blood. The first track on this disc is the instrumental “La Noche Diablo,” a mariachi-flavored soundtrack to my slow demise into the realm of the undead. Ghoultown’s music is gothic south-western rock doused with Count Lyle’s passionately haunting vocals. “Killer in Texas” is my favorite tune on here, filling my mind with visions that can only be described as morbidly beautiful. Track 4 offers an eerie interpretation of “Ghost Riders in the Sky” and “Death of Jonah Hex” is a great adaptation of “Death of Cuchulainn.” Track 5 is the only song on here I could do with out, it drones on and in comparison to the rest of the CD is lackluster. I really like the rhythmic drumming and the trumpet really adds to the sound. All in all, a very enjoyable and different recording. -LM
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“Swivlin Wahine” Two discs, 35 tracks of every variety of surf you can ask for. There is the traditional beach party variety, then there is sci-fi surf, then some surf exotica, followed perhaps by some raging staccato surf insanity, or maybe an almost jazzy type of movie soundtrack surf. It is all here, bands such as Urban Surf Kings, The Del-Vamps, The Aquamen, The Deadcats, Johnny and the Shamen, Splashback, Las Patatas Bravas, Swamp Donkeys, Lonely Nights, and many more. The Swamis deliver a mixture of surf and ska that is really damn cool, and Slacktone do a song that reminds me of riding a mule into town on a beautiful sunny day to pick up some chicken feed. The Balboas crank out a nice tune that would go well with genetic experimentation, and The Exotics’ song is like cruising through the Alps on a flying camel. You see, that’s what is great about surf instros, you get all these crazy visuals without the aid of hallucinogenic drugs. Austin Transit Authority plays the sonic equivalent of driving a big rig to Roswell and being abducted by the same group who took Elvis and Jimmy Hoffa. The Bone Sharks tune could underscore your next bull fight, and The Waistcoats might go well with time travel to ancient Arabia where you’d cruise the landscape on trans-dimensional rocket with a busty belly-dancer clinging to your back. This CD is very recommended, even if it is hard to describe. -BL
The Rotters These guys are total bastards! With songs like “Sink the Whales Buy Japanese Goods,” “I Wanna be the Feuhrer” and “Sit on My Face Stevie Nicks” these fellas are early ass punk rock. Very snotty and decadent, the Rotters started in 1978 because they were sick and tired of lame bands like Fleetwood Mac and Peter Frampton, and wanted to do something about it. Musically, they play a very classic early punk rock like the Sex Pistols but with funnier lyrics. The single that got them banned in Los Angeles and a threatened lawsuit was “Sit on my Face Stevie Nicks.” I think the songwriter/guitarist Phester Swollen said it best when he said “Who the hell bought TUSK anyway? It sucked the turds out of a dead bloated water buffalo’s anus.” And that, my readers, is reason enough to like this band. -LM
The Controllers When the Controllers started in 1977, they were playing nothing like what you heard on the radio. An early punk band with a guitarist who can play more than just power chords, they only lasted until 1979. This disc has 14 songs and some of my favorites are "Hot Stumps, "the cover of “Jezebel,” the song “Slow Boy,” and the country-style “Tail-lights To Texas.” There is also a funny country-punk song titled “White Trash Christ” that may be where Mojo Nixon got some inspiration. - LM
Lucky 13 When I heard the first song called “Bad Reputation,” a nice rockabilly cut, I was really getting into this disc. The second song I had to skip because it almost put me to sleep, but I felt that perhaps something would change for the 3rd song, which started out like an old doo-wop tune. I was wrong; the singing drones on and makes me want to skip to the next track. This band switches from guitarist Eddie M’s vocals to electric bassist Anita R’s singing throughout this 6-song EP, but something just doesn’t work for me on several of these tracks. The fourth song, “Maniac Babe” does pick up and get me moving again when the guitar kicks in. All in all, I’d say this is a mediocre disc. -LM
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“Swing This, Baby III”
You can’t help but want to swing dance when you pop this disc on. It starts off with my favorite “Oooh Wow!” by The Uptown Rhythm Kings and then kicks into another great swing number, “Sherry Wine,” by Hipster Daddy-O and the Handgrenades. Some of my other favorites are “Just Swing” by City Rhythm Orchestra (musically and vocally they rock!), The Rhythm Rockers (crazy instrumental), “The Mice, The Demons, The Piggies” by Wolfgang Parker, and neat Christmas carol sounding song by Linda and the Big King Jive Daddies. While there are a handful tunes on here that don’t compare with the few already mentioned, it’s still a pretty solid CD. I didn’t really get into Dr. Zoot, The New Morty Show, Bellevue Cadillac and Dem Brooklyn Bums. Most of what is presented on this comp is traditional sounding swing bands that are right on with the brass and have great vocalists. It really chaps my ass when swing bands are low on the horns and/or have boring singers. Other musically delightful bands included are Vargas Swing (female vocalist who sounds like Katherine Whalen of Squirrel Nut Zippers), Big Tubba Mista, Big Time Operator, and The Flying Neutrinos (another Whalen-ish female vocalist). -LM Not being familiar with The Caravans’ previous work (I first heard them in October at the Psychobilly Rumble), I cannot compare this to their other albums. However, I can tell you that this is one of my favorites reviewed in this issue. As the title indicates, this is all acoustic, but not your typical lame acoustic ballads intent on boring you to suicide, but instead this disc rocks out with upbeat tunes delivered with a straightforward and stripped-down sound. There are three covers, including the Violent Femmes’ “Kiss Off,” and the 12 remaining tracks are excellent originals noteworthy for the abundance of talented musicianship and song-writing. The sound is a robust mixture of rockabilly, blues, and country folk – all delivered with a decidedly British flavor. I can see them playing in a pub with dart boards, carved woodwork, and several older men sitting at the bar draining several pints of lager and swapping stories. I should also note that this doesn’t just consist of a great guitarist singing without accompaniment, but there is a drummer and a damn fine upright bass player on this recording as well. A worthy investment. -BL
The Dogs Lay down your soul to the Dogs rock ‘n’ roll ! The Dogs are a 70’s punk band from Michigan that started playing gritty rock-n-roll tunes as far back as ’69. This disc begins with a scorching song called “John Rock & Roll Sinclair,” which features an infectious guitar rhythm as well as a wailing solo. They were influenced by bands such as the Stooges and MC5, and it definitely shows. The second song, “Slither,” is actually a slower, less energized tune that reminds me of early Alice Cooper. The bulk of this CD, however, is a live show from ’77 that is very lo-fi due to being taken from a cassette copy, as the original masters were lost. Nonetheless, what shows through is a band that captures a different sort of punk energy from that era than the usual canonized Sex Pistols/Ramones archetypes. Choice cuts are “Black Tea” and “Slash Your Face.” I’d recommend this to fans of 70’s punk and garage music, as well as people with shaggy hair. -BL
Filthy Thieving Bastards I love this CD. My only complaint is that it is too short, having only 9 songs. This is Jonny Bonnel and Darius Koski of the Swingin’ Utters’ side project of barroom folk tunes reminiscent of the Pogues, especially vocally, but are not really all that Irish. Actually, this is a hybrid of folk styles ranging all the way to a touch of bluegrass. Instruments featured in addition to the standard rock band’s arsenal are the accordion, piano, mandolin, and banjo. There are two pretty good rock songs with electric guitars, but the rest of the tracks drop the loud guitars to deliver really well-constructed and original folk tunes played with emotion and drunken gusto. What’s great is that the lyrics are actually well-written also, and do not fall into dead clichés and heartless platitudes. Songs deal with alcoholism, right wing extremism, love, sadness, and life in general. Unless you are terminal idiot with the musical taste of a tone-deaf donkey, you ought to at least dig some of these songs. -BL
Grave Danger This disc has 11 tracks and 6 of them are instrumentals. Damn good instros, I should add. “Running Strong” has a western feel, while “Drop Dead” is a mesmerizing surf tune with bluesy digressions, and is probably my favorite cut – just beautifully played and composed. What is really interesting is the blues riffs and solos that appear throughout this disc. Imagine Link Wray genetically spliced with Stevie Ray and you get an idea of the sound, although those are a bit too lofty of comparisons. Unfortunately, I don’t care for the vocals on this CD very much at all,. “Gone” is a sweet blues tune, and most songs are good musically. Instrumentally , this CD is top notch, the vocals just need a little work. -BL
The Curse of the Pink Hearse This disc belongs in a Mexican asylum, as it is a soundtrack to dementia. The patients there mill about with powdered sugar around their mouths and sleep in their eyes, all the while cursing to themselves about the general disposition of tree frogs. After the mid-day medication, Spivey, the one who thinks he is a knit-cap goes into a spastic fit, frothing at the mouth and the other inmates go wild like a pack of love-crazed hamsters. Dancing madly as the Curse of the Pink Hearses’ melodies infect their brain, one patient loses an eye and another contracts syphilis. But seriously folks, this CD has a kinda mariachi, southwestern sound flavored with trumpets. Some of the slower songs seem to really trail on and on, but the better tracks put me in a daze - a good one where my thoughts roam free like the wild buffalo. -LM
Empress of Fur Remember the Big Red commercials from the ‘80’s? The whole gimmick was that you could kiss longer with Big Red? This is a 3 song EP that is like Big Red - you get a lot of flavor that lasts in this small package. The first track is “We like Weird” with Venus RayGun on vocals and uses a sitar and a theremin to accent the droning weirdness. Empress of Fur is a somewhat creepy, surf band that is oddly captivating. The next two tracks are well-composed eerie instrumentals perfect for a beer bash orgy at the Addams Family mansion. Don’t get me wrong, they are not playing downtrodden dirges, but there is a sort of cool burlesque voodoo vibe in here that makes your flesh tingle. -LM
The Stingrays Woah, I really like this surf CD. Real surf, by surfers (not hydrophobic pop stars) who are only teenagers! Musically, these boys have it down, 13 exceptional tracks of music to play while hanging ten, wiping out into a coral reef, and battling with electric eels. This album has more sting than a saltwater enema. The first track “Don’t Fear the Reverb” is a pun on the horrible, terrible song by B.O.C. (don’t fear the reaper…I have to write this small for the mere fact I am mentioning this wretched tune). They incorporate the guitar tune into the song and also a little bit of the Eagles “Hotel California.” It is strange how surf bands are similar to jazz bands in that they appropriate different pop melodies and arrangements into their songs to create something new. These fellows also have a range of surf styles, which keeps the recording from becoming dull. They go from traditional surf sounds, even covering “Pipeline,” to a beautiful Hispanic-sounding composition complete with trumpet. Impressive. This is a strictly instrumental band and they really have finessed their instruments to make some of the best new surf I have heard. So, the next time you hear some old bat say “Argh, kids these days!” you beat them, pummel them without mercy and force them to listen to the Stingrays. So now you HAVE to buy a copy so you have an excuse to beat down an old crone. -LM
The Rocket 88’s This 8 song CD is good traditional-sounding rockabilly. It even has a 50’s really lo-fi kind of production. “My Baby Rocks” features piano and has a bluesy feel, while “Indian Summer” is a laid-back minimal instrumental that gets a bit hypnotic. There are also covers, including Link Wray's "Rawhide." Many of these songs are very nostalgic of drive-ins, car hops, and street racin’ for pink slips, while others are more truckin’ tunes. Although it’s not a must-have, this is a decent album. Plus, apparently all profits made from this band go charities to fight hunger and poverty, so go ahead and pick it up. -BL
Southern Culture On The Skids The first song on here is the title track and sounds almost to have a ska rhythm. Actually, much of this disc is a bizarre assimilation of styles into an overall hillbilly format that gives this band their special powers to captivate. Songs like “Drunk and Lonesome (Again)” and “Just how Lonely,” (which features Mary Huff on vocals), are both very country, and done with a lot of feeling. On this release they also re-recorded “King of the Mountain” from the For Lovers Only Album. This album is a bit different from their earlier stuff because of a larger presence of Chris “Crispy” Bess on the Keyboards, the use of some trumpet and sax on a few tunes, and its general thrustig into different directions. Unfortunately, however, there are no surf instros on this one though. “I Learned to Dance in Mississippi” is a tune that reminisces of hangin’ out at blues legend Junior Kimbrough’s place, while “Haw River Stomp” has a laid back countrified rock-n-roll feel to it complete with an excellent droning guitar solo. All in all, this CD shows the band to continue to expand their sound and abilities, without totally refuting their Southern backwoods disposition or appearing washed up. Just more great music from a fantastic band.
The Kings of Nuthin’ This is an EP from a killer band I first saw at the Big Rumble and was so blown away, picked up this disc right there. The Kings Of Nuthin’ are a 7 piece psycho-swing band that includes a piano player, an upright bass, a washboard, a sax player, drummer, guitarist and singer. There are 8 songs here and they are highly flammable and may singe your eyebrows. They sizzle! Among my favorite tunes are “King for a Day” and “Miss April.” They remind a little of the Intoxicats. Quality stuff.
The Cowslingers Yeee-haw! This CD starts off with a song called “Waffle House Blues” that captures the feelings and emotion so often associated with waffle houses. Ha ha, really this disc is great. It has a lot of punch and goofiness that I adore in my music. Like, a song called “Johnny’s Head” a ballad about finding a severed head out in the woods. Also, songs called “Gas Station Food,” which deals with the joys of service station cuisine, “Dead Man’s Clothes” about reading the obituaries to scheme on the wing tips and slacks of the recently deceased, plus my personal fave, an instrumental titled “Cleveland Steamer.” Lyrically, it keeps you giggling and musically keeps you rockin’. They mix elements of country, Americana, surf, and a just a slight hint of punk rock irreverence to really create something that stands apart from the crowd. A great cow-punk disc to own.
The Wack Trucks How do you write a review for a CD you really don’t get into? Point out what you don’t like? Mention the things you do like? These guys put a lot of effort into this, and the bass lines are good, as well as some creative guitar riffs. The disc comes off as kind of a soft punk, pop rock band with a cool pirate song. Not my thing though, but on the right track. The aspect that detracts from it, I believe, is the vocal melodies, which sound a bit off and tend to hinder the movement of the songs.
Flogging Molly A very cool Irish drinking CD is what we have here folks. But I would narrowly pigeonhole this as simply drinking music. They have a talent for writing interesting and meaningful lyrics, as well as composing gripping songs. Flogging Molly has it all: fiddle, tin whistle, accordion, banjo, mandolin, bass, drums, guitar and a singer that lends an aspect of sincerity to the words. You could compare them to the Pogues, but they are different in many ways. Although both seem to punk-up traditional Irish music and pen well-crafted lyrics, Flogging Molly will often use distortion in their guitars and their style and song structures do not strike me as being a mimicry of one of my all-time favorite bands. A choice song of mine is “The Worst Day Since Yesterday” a heartfelt ballad in the traditional Irish way. Another great song is “The Likes of You Again,” a song that starts off slow and then kicks in to a heavier refrain. This CD is certainly worth getting.
The Templars This is a collection of some of the harder to find and unreleased Templars stuff. Side one has them covering the West Side Boys of France and Nabat from Italy, as well as a couple originals, one being in French. This is excellent Oi!, but some pedants might not appreciate the rougher sound quality. Side two has all the Templars songs from the nearly impossible to find “Oi! This is Dynamite” compilation on Bronco Bullfrog Records. All five of the songs on this side are originals and really damn good.
Bonecrusher This a really good CD of street punk with low rough vocals, but also a slight melodic element that keeps it from becoming too overbearing or dull. These guys have achieved a relatively unique sound without doing anything out of the ordinary that I can point to. A lot of the songs are midtempo, but once you become acclimated to the driving beat, they really grow on you. Other songs like “I Can’t Get Ahead” and “The Struggle” have an instant energy that almost anyone would appreciate. Despite a handful of tunes that really don’t standout, this is a fine release by a band that is definitely becoming a force to be reckoned with.
Rocket 350 This CD begins with a surfy instrumental that has a sort of eerie and exotic feel to it that is hard to pinpoint – perhaps the sound of the deepest, shadiest areas of the jungle as the title suggests. In fact, the entire disc breathes with a sort of refined savagery and the unique ability to rock without seeming impatient or formulaic. When you hear “Dark Highway” you immediately think of driving through a strange landscape of tail lights and guardrails that never ends, with the world existing only in the arc of you halogen eyesight. But then there are more traditional rockabilly tunes like “Baby Stop” and “Cigarette Girl” that just cruise along with excellent bass slappin’ and pluckin’ and Phil Stair’s dynamic voice that flows smooth or cracks and wails as he finesses the guitar. “Monster Swing” or “Burn Out,” on the other hand, returns to a sort of villainous guitar sound and wicked riffing that makes it almost psychobilly. Then there’s “La Musica De La Playa” has a Latin American very reminiscent of Bo Diddley’s Aztec in parts. I should also mention the very bluesy influence on this disc with songs like “Bad Baby.” Perhaps the strangest moment is at the CD’s concluding track, when a driving, captivating surf/blues tune, after exploding with the force of Vesuvius, digresses into a bagpipe exit played by the bassist, Brandon Davis. This release is a much-recommended selection.
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“Gothabilly: Rockin’ Necropolis” Skully has done it again, twenty-one tracks that give me chills, but not your ordinary chills. Instead, these chills are like seeing your parents get nasty together, only they are corpses. Creepy yet alluring this CD has what it takes to make any Gothabilly fan run through the graveyard at night wearing only a necklace made from the innards of large livestock and select political candidates. Bands like The Ghastly Ones, Dante and the Infernos, The Dragstrip Demons, Eight Ball Grifter, Cult of the Psychic Fetus, and Psycho Charger, make this a killer (no pun intended) CD. My most favorite track is from Ghoultown, “Killer in Texas” is a beautiful song in a musically morbid way. Literally, it chokes me up when I hear it. It has a very western feel to it and I can’t help seeing blood soaked tumbleweeds painting the dry, desert earth. The tunes range from accordion-swing lounge (maybe a classy dungeon master would have this in his player?) to brain-bleeding pure psychobilly gore. A must have for Zombies, She-Devils, Vampires, and Creatures of the Night.
Saint Bushmill’s Choir All songs on this 5 song EP are re-arrangements of traditional tunes such as The Foggy Dew, The Wild Rover, and John Hardy. I am not really familiar with those songs but they certainly do sound Irish in nature. There is an instrumental medley on here that is just fantastic, one that is sure to get you moving. In addition to the excellent boisterous drinking and dancing tunes there are couple slower numbers that aren’t too bad at all. All the necessary instruments are featured too, the pennywhistle, accordion, banjo, and violin. If Irish music is your thing, you might want to look into getting a copy of this. You could do much worse.
The Templars This 7” continues the long tradition of supreme releases by this infamous NY Oi! band. Side one features the raw pummeling of Violence, with their trademark rough production and that strange way they can make a clean guitar sound brutal. Side two has a mid-tempo number called Carry On, which has a great guitar arrangement and lyrics about being trapped in your daily routine and wondering what the point is. Good stuff.
Blind Society While a lot of the hardcore punk out there lacks kick and can get quite monotonous, these guys certainly don’t fit that description. This is one of the most energized recordings I’ve heard in a long time. It just gets your juices boiling and body ready to explode into a catastrophic frenzy. Perfect listening for a kamikaze pilot gripping the controls with white knuckles on his way to a fiery doom. The disc starts off with a song called “Bulldoze” which is about destroying the environment for the sake of corporate profit. One of these days the world will be a huge parking lot for a giant mall. Anyway, other songs deal with issues like China’s subjugation of Tibet, senseless violence, suburban boredom, soldiers exposed to nerve gases and the official denials, serial killers (Henry), and of course nuclear warfare. There are two vocalists and lots of change-ups that keep the album from getting stale. Definitely worth getting if you like hardcore or punk, and there is even a tinge of old metal thrown in. Kicks much ass.
V/A “Punch Drunk II” Twenty-Five different bands each doing the very best in Punk and Oi! all on one CD, it can’t be beat! This disc has many tried and true bands on it like Cock Sparrer, The Templars, Runnin’Riot, The Bruisers, and more. The Dropkick Murphy’s have a song on here that blew me away. I am a fan of the old DKM, but the boys won me back with their song “Soundtrack to a Killing Spree,” which is a crusher of a tune with a really raw edge. There is an all girl kick-ass punk band called Thug Murder and their song “Double Fist” is excellent. Other notable bands on here include Antiseen, delivering a brutal stab to the gut, Filthy Thieving Bastards, who remind of the Pogues at their best, as well as the Randumbs, Niblick Henbane, the Vigilantes, the Bodies, Sixer, and the Beltones. And the award for best song title goes to The Righteous for “Give Peace a Kick in the Face,” man, this CD keeps getting better the more I listen to it. I recommend, no…I INSIST that fans of punk get this. That is unless you think Green Day is punk. Then I curse you and all your teeth will fall out and rot and you will look like Billy Joe.
Deke Dickerson and the Ecco-Fonics So, you have never heard Deke Dickerson and the Ecco-Fonics? I understand, I myself used to be a heathen and know your sad, sorrowful state. But, have no fear! As the mighty oak grew from a single acorn, I have grown from an ignorant cuss to the enlightened being that I am now and I owe it all to Deke. Within the shimmering, multi-colored spectrum of his newest disc there are 15 songs that lift my soul and cause my heart to take flight. A mix of rockabilly, country western and hillbilly boogie, Deke and the Ecco-Fonics sing the old spiritual “(If I go to Heaven) Give Me a Brunette” and do an inspirational cover of “Beat Out My Love.” This CD fills my whole being and I wish to pass it on to others, I even suggested to Father McKayhe we sing “Wang Dang Dula” (a VERY cool doo whop tune) at the annual church bazaar. But he suggested we pick up our tambourines and try to do the instrumental “Speedin’ On Keystone” a fast, bluegrass sounding tune. My favorite song of all is the last track, a western ballad that really kicks in during the chorus “Where Am I Goin’” Where are YOU going? SAVE YOURSELF SINNER!!!!! The only way to get to Heaven is to obtain a copy of the soul purifying sounds of “Rhythm, Rhyme and Truth.”
V/A Revel Without a Cause Goddamn! These two discs blaze with menacing cuts of ferocious psychobilly that drives coffin nails into the foreheads of the meek. The bands on here are from all over the world, including ruthless representation from Brazil, Hungary, UK, United States, Austria, Germany, Finland, Holland, Sweden, Belgium, Spain, Russia, Australia, and France. While most are psychobilly, Danny B. Harvey has a couple nice tracks on here of swing and bluegrass, and there are a couple bands who have less of the metal and hardcore punk influence. Most, however, are some of the most intense tracks of psycho I’ve heard. Notable bands such as Os Catalepticos, Deadcats, The Grisly Ghosts of Guy, Kaes Vadius, Calavera, Hellsuckers, Slapping Suspenders, Howlin’ Moondoggies, The Maniacs, P.O.X., The Flatliners, The Cenobytes, and too many more to mention make this collection a must for you frothing fanatics. Only a handful of tracks fail to make the grade, and with 44 songs packed onto this sampler, you really can’t complain -one of the best comps to float my way in a long time.
PsychoCharger What comes of an experiment that splices Ministry DNA with Carl Perkins? I’ll tell you what, some heavy industrial music to drink PBR and shoot guns to. This is definitely the strangest incarnation of the rockabilly demon yet. The tracks on here pulse and grind while the hillbilly guitar throbs in the mix, especially jamming on cuts like “Unforgiven” or “Ride”. The vocals are harsh and chew their way through your soul as the driving rhythm lures you into a dark trance. You’ll want to go on a crime spree or have rough sex with a hooker covered in whiskey. Whatever its side effects, this is good stuff that you won’t hear in church or in the trendy nightclubs. Wickedly unique and for those of you who need sinister inspiration.
Patriot Wow. I’ve heard lots of Oi! and street-punk, but somehow I never heard much Patriot before. Perhaps, that’s why this disc caught me with a hard right hook and made feel like a moron for not knowing this excellent band before now. The opening track, “Novus Ordo Seclorum,” deals with the encroaching New World Order and our steady reduction of rights, and it floored me straight off. Each musician is exceptional and the vocals are rough, yet resist falling into a barking monotony. There is no down time on this disc crammed full with infectious choruses and rhythms, and threaded together with great melodies and amazing guitar riffs. Although it gets a little more melodic than I am used to in places, it is put together so well and just has an uplifting quality to it that I like a lot. “Ales of Glory” is one of the best tracks, a pub singalong but with a raging sound. I especially like the lyric: “I’m not looking for anything more than a ten dollar bottle and two dollar whore” on “Red Light Nights.” Words to live by, I reckon. The hidden track is a great cover of Black Flag’s “Nervous Breakdown,” and I’d certainly recommend this CD to anyone into Oi! or rock-n-roll at all.
Adolph and the Piss Artists A listen to this will leave you bruised and battered and itchin’ for more. These guys look like a combination of skins and punks, and have a sound that reminds of the more aggressive early 80’s stuff. The sound quality on this is much better than their first 7” and shows a faster side to the band that I like a lot. They even do a cover of “Suffragette City” by David Bowie, and the hidden track at the end is their theme song, which I’ve loved ever since I first heard it. From the breakneck rhythm of “Who’s Got the Bombs” or the barrage of dueling vocals and ferocious guitar on “Death of Honor Pt. 2” you’ll be sure to get hooked. Throughout the entire disc, the singer has a low and abrasive growl that I like very much, and there is some decent lead guitar to add flavor. They just have an energized brand of merciless punk rock that’ll get your boots a-kickin’, and is the perfect sonic compliment to veins coursing with alcohol and adrenaline.
Callaghan This disc is primal punk rock - a wound rubbed raw then doused with urine. It has a real decadent, snotty quality, with the singer’s searing voice cutting into your throat. He sounds as though he’s draining his body of a life of frustrations, and you can almost see his lips snarling. This is definitely not for fans of melodic cheese punk, but rather for those of you who dig the more discordant stuff. Something about their sound reminds me of a more aggressive, less poppy, version of 70’s punk rock, like you can imagine them playing in some abandoned building in Chicago (where they are from). There is a nice cover of Sloop John B by the Beach Boys, with the lyrics altered to fit their diabolical needs. Other notable tracks are Paddy Polski, the raucous Tear Up the Bar, and Rats and Thieves. Some tracks on here are better than others, but all said, this CD is worth checking out. You can listen to MP3s on their web-site and get info on ordering.
Hipster Daddy O and the Hand Grenades This is the second release from this neo-swing band and their sound has really matured. Twelve tracks on this disc including a cover of the Misfits “Astro Zombies” done in a swing-lounge style. I’ll tell you, I couldn’t help but laugh when I heard it, being a Misfits fan. But it is done very well and I dig it. Most of the other songs are all originals and I am glad that the brass is pumped up a bit in this release and they all jam out more. I really get into the guitar in “Saturday Night” and the song “Dirt” is down and gritty and the lyrics are creepy, and that is good. An overall decent release plus bonus points for the Misfits cover.
The New Morty Show What can you say about a 10 piece swing band that covers Poison’s “Unskinny Bop?” Musically, this band is pretty tight, led by bandleader Morty Okin. “Take me Tonite” is a song that has a metalish guitar solo in the middle of it – very strange. Both lead vocals, Cynthia Lewis and Jeff Whipp do a good job on all tracks especially “Just One of Those Things” where they duet in a very ‘40’s black-and-white movie style. Morty not only is the bandleader he also plays trumpet and fluegehorn (I am trying to picture what a fluegehorn looks like) and the band also has a skillful upright bassist. I just can’t get over the metal guitar. In some parts it’s very subtle but then in other places its like, “Woah, that was a metal solo in the middle of a swing song.” Definitely an unusual sound and worth picking up.
The Spectres Once you hear the opening title track of this CD you’ll go cross-eyed and start licking the stains outta your carpet – its just crazy psychobilly with a vintage rockabilly sound. Actually, they are not as psychotic or deranged as a few bands out there, but they make up for that fact with excellent songwriting. Throughout the recording the guitar incites your outlaw reflexes as the drummer delivers a ruthless browbeating and the bass thumps like the tell-tale heart of a madman. A lot of the songs actually have a villainous western feel to them that makes me feel like stealing horses and spitting a lot. There is an excellent cover of the traditional Jesse James while songs like Tombstone Boogie and Hot Rod to Hell just cut loose the rockin’ demons. Comin’ Home shows the bands ability to pull of an impressive roots rock number, and the hidden track is perhaps the most deranged of all the songs. It is an old-sounding country tune about love gone bad – very bad – and the song erupts in a wall of noise reminiscent of the Cramps’ bizarre cacophonous digressions. To put it bluntly, this disc is better than twisting your handlebar mustache and tying and busty damsel to the railroad tracks, and it just might put a dent in your mental health.
Catch 22 “Alone in a Crowd” is the newest album from this pop ska band from Jersey and it is a Caesar salad. What I mean is it has nice, crisp, iceberg lettuce, crunchy cucumbers and juicy tomatoes but is also has that gross Caesar dressing on it. I am a fan of salads, as I am a fan of Ska and over all this CD is edible. What I really like is the beginning of “What Goes Around Comes Around” there is a Spanish guitar piece, but that’s all they play of it and it’s that kind of thing that makes this a Caesar. It would have been really tasty if they would have kept the Spanish flavor all throughout the song. It’s like that on several of the tracks, it starts out unique sounding then after a few bars it kicks into the standard pop-ska sounding tune. “Bloomfield Ave.” is another example. There is a classical violin piece at the beginning of the song that really gets me interested, like “wow this band is really blending genres and creating something new” and then wham- pop-ska. They cover the Beach Boys “Wreck of the Sloop John B.” which I can credit them doing much better than the original formula. The Beach Boys are like that fuzzy, pulsating thing in the back of your ‘fridge (you want to get rid of it but are afraid to touch it…and afraid you should be!). Musically, Catch 22 have it down, they are all culinary chefs and if you like their brand definitely pick this one up.
TR6 By Ben Lybarger This CD ain’t for the faint of heart, but rather for those deviants into sleaze, sex, sin, and psychobilly. Everything about this disc reeks of pure lowdown rock-n-roll bent on destruction and frothing with a rabid fervor. “Fuck Machine” is a dirty ditty being rode by a female moaning and writhing from its aural pleasure, while “Surfin’ in a Hurricane” sweeps you into a cyclone of sinister guitar licks and upright rage. This recording manages to avoid becoming monotonous by shuffling tempos and trying different sounds. Much of it is their own brand of raw, unrepentant psychobilly, but in addition “19 Sisco Place” has a much more clean rockabilly feel to it, “Going to the Nudie Bar” borrows Rev. Lord Skoochie from Inspector 7 on sax, and “Nuthin’ But Time” is a longer instrumental track of some bluesy delectation. All three musicians blaze on this infernal recording, with Frank’s bass-slappin’ being especially impressive throughout. A couple other notable cuts are “Bo Diddley on the Planet of the Apes,” which is insane, and “I Want My Guns Back,” showing their die-hard support of the 2nd Amendment. All in all, this release rocks - perfect for any activity that results in a headache, strange rash, and tetanus shot the next day.
The Satellites Warning: Saddle shoes are required for the ultimate listening experience and a dance partner is highly recommended. This is one fine example of what a classic rockabilly band should sound like. This four-piece hails from Adelaide-Australia and they really get me going! Belinda Hartman and Steve Mitchell share the vocals while Jad Green tears up the skins and Paul Abram shreds his 6 string. Hartman, who also plays rhythm, sings in a very traditional style, yet has variance. In a song like “Come On Home” she sounds like a knee-slappin’, crocodile wrestling, outback kinda gal. And then on songs like “Guess I’ve Fallen in Love” her voice takes on a delicate, sweet sound, the kind of voice that makes you yearn for high school proms and drive-in movies. A most favorite of mine on here is with Belinda singing “Twice the Lovin” a very old school country song, reminiscent of Loretta Lynn. Mitchell goes all out on the upright in songs like “Mercy” and he really displays his unique vocal style on “Hit. Git & Split” and the gut-busting funny “Don’t Hand Me That Jive.” I have been hooked on the Satellites since their Bop Tonight album and the more I listen to them the more I love them. A little secret about me: there was a time, not so long ago, when all I would listen to was that album…and now I think I have a new CD to wear out.
V/A - Psychobilly Freakout Raucous sure knows how to put together a Psychobilly compilation disc and here’s the proof. There are 20 tracks on here that range from balls-out psychobilly like “Rock on the Moon” by Thee Waltons or “Zombie Mutant Aliens” by Bad Luck Streak to acoustic psycho-madness like “Psycho” by the Mysterious Men in Black. (Note: this song “Psycho” is an acoustic ‘billy song that jerks at your heart strings. A ballad about a boy singin’ to his mama to let them put him away, in a rubber room to save himself and others from his murderous impulses.) The Tripdaddys start the disc with a churning guitar rhythm, followed by sin-sational tracks from the Photon Torpedoes, Speed Crazy, and the Meantraitors from Russia. What’s really cool, is there are bands from all over the globe. Grandpa Candys are from Yugoslavia, Rockland Ladies are from Ukraine and SGT Fury is from the Isle. Of Wight (where is that?). I know you want to hear what Yugoslavian psychobilly sounds like, and you might as well pick up this disc to find out - you will not be disappointed. There are other well known, tried and true bands on here for those of you who are scared of new things…Frantic Flintstones, , Hangmen and Deadcats just to name a few. The Frantic Flintstones song “Speed Kills” has one of the fastest rockabilly guitar solos I ever heard. The Australian band Howlin’ Moondoggies put out a cover of “Switchblade 317” that puts me in the mood to journey to the outback and get friendly with a duckbilled platypus. The best tune on here is “Hell Train” by the Deadcats. I close my eyes and I am on the Hell Train, beads of sweat form on my brow and I can feel the force of inertia as the train races down the tracks. Get this one or be damned -- damned to a life of Blue Oyster Cult’s “Don’t Fear the Reaper”…forever. What could be a worse fate!
Frenzy This is a live CD from a show that took place in 1986 at the legendary 100 Club in London and it makes me want to get a British accent and throw punches. This band is excellent, and for it being live, really shows the talent. It starts off with a killer song “I See Red” and then crashes into “Misdemeanor.” This is my favorite track on the disc because of the righteous upright solos and the sing along quality of the chorus. I was so excited to hear “Love is the Drug” a Ska-ish sounding song featuring a saxophone. There are 11 tracks total and each song keeps you up and moving. The bass player slaps away all night and the singer has a very smooth yet rockin’ voice that goes along great with the rough guitar with a flanger effect. I would call this band a mix between psycho and ‘80’s punk rock. Very, very cool especially if you like the “roots” of psycho, like Demented Are Go and Meteors. I believe God placed this disc on the Earth as a gift to us, like he did Guinness, flowers and boneless chicken breasts. A definite must have for any fan of this genre.
The Meteors Goddamn this CD rocks! Even if you aren’t a big fan of the Meteors, get this and you’ll change your mind. The guitar playing is just plain sweet-as-hell, the songs rock with enthusiasm and energy, and the production is raw and dirty without being muddled or incoherent. These psychobilly libertines fuse the Sun Studios era with a criminal pathology that robs you of decency and inhibition. What struck me most listening to this was the seamless complexity of their arrangements as they pluck their wicked brand of rock-n-roll on your distended frontal lobe. Songs like Bertha Lou, Maniac, Lonesome Train, I’m Just a Dog, and others will leave you a jibbering wreck – a victim of an aural onslaught that further empasizes the importance of this classic psycho band.
The Raymen This CD is my first taste of this band, and one that leaves a strange impression on the palette. Some of the songs, such as Touch of Black Magic, remind of early Cramps decadence and psychosis – and are done well. The production on some of these tunes dips pretty low, and the arrangements are pretty stark, but at times that seems to add some sort of charm to the recordings. There are also a lot of songs that are slower and more eerie, with the singer’s deep voice seeming like a mephistophelean vampire playing a honky-tonk dive bar. The music actually has haunting quality that sticks with you. They also do covers such as Just Dropped In, Jezebel, and Goo Goo Muck, and originals like Highway to Your Soul and Cold Blue Flame of Love are great for a drive through the desert at night with a body in the trunk or a funeral on a rainy day.
The Lonesome Kings Imagine walking through a sandstorm to a brothel, coughing up a wad of dirt, spitting it onto the floor, and grabbing the nearest strumpet for a tender moment - and you’ll get the feel of this CD. There is nothing subtle about this crude psychobilly band led by King Sleaze on vocals and Doc Holiday on Guitar. Aside from some misogynistic lyrics about ownership, murder, and objectification, this CD rocks pretty well. There is a western feel to the disc, hyped up with some punk rock speed and harshness. All in all, not a bad release.
The Hives This sounds somewhat like garage punk a la the 1960’s. For the most part, songs are quick and the guitars are played frantically without distortion, while the vocals are screeched with a slight distortion. Songs like “Die, All Right!” and “Outsmarted” are probably the best tracks – reminding me a little of the New Bomb Turks. “Hate to say I told you so” is a little slower, but has an driving rhythm and introduces some distortion on guitar, as well as some strange digital noise effects, buried for the most part in the background. The only song I would say is absolutely terrible is “Find another Girl,” which could gag a maggot, as the saying goes. All in all, not a bad release.
The Refused There are four songs on this EP that mix hardcore with techno dance music. The combination itself is not really that strange, since metal bands have long been doing this, but usually not so well. The idea behind it seems to be a sort of avante-pop subversion that tries to resist nostalgia and homogeneity. To defy the rules of production, erode the paradigms and create something new becomes the goal. They say this resistant force is disguised in the guise of popular culture, and really reflects their efforts to weed their own desires from those implicitly instilled within capitalist culture. Instead of maintaining static traditionalism that focuses on the mythologies and forms retrospectively applied other epochs, they propose to engage in a dialectic relationship with modern culture. The noise theology is the celebration of incongruence and the spirit of revolution in the struggle for creativity. I think the concept is interesting, as far as I can make it out, but this isn't realy my style of music.
Big Sandy and His Fly-Rite Boys Would you call this CD rockabilly, western-swing, or country? How about we just call it excellent! Big Sandy’s words roll of his tongue like honey off this 14-track disc. The combination of Sandy’s sweet, smooth voice and the steel guitar give my mind a mental massage, so relaxing. This CD makes me feel like I am on vacation, “In the Steel of the Night” puts me right here: a deserted beach at night…wet sand between my toes, cool salty air, not a care in the world. But then the carefree sound is thrust against the dark lyrical content. Songs like “When Sleep Won’t Come (Blues for Spade)”, a true story about Spade Cooley, a well-known bandleader from the ‘40’s who killed his wife. Spade can hear the cries of his wife at night and it tortures him and keeps him from sleep. Or how about “Tequila Calling” where the seductive curves of the tequila bottle beckon you closer to one drink, the drink that will send you back into your alcoholic misery. And “Nothing To Lose” a song whose lyrics are enough to make any wife beater think twice about raising his fist. ‘Blood on his pillow/ a hole in his head/ the man she once loved now lying there dead.’ Anyone who passes this up should be hog tied and set afire in the streets as an example.
V/A - “Gothabilly: Waking the Dead” So, you like B-movie horror flicks, like to wear velvet and are obsessed with the taste of flesh? Then you have found the soundtrack to your life, er, uh existence. The disc starts out with my personal favorite Gothabilly band, Cult of the Psychic Fetus. You actually get 2 of their songs on this 21 track CD, “Dead Bride” and the eerie “You can Make it if you Run.” Also, bands like Psycho Charger (formerly Psychonauts), Dead Bolt, 8 Ball Grifter, Mr. Badwrench and the Phantom Cowboys sneak out from amongst the shadows and pull you down, down into the underbelly of the cloven-hoofed Beast. I was quite impressed with the Phantom Cowboys who have a real tight sound and a killer upright player, you get to hear 2 of their songs as well, “Devil Girl” and also “Voodoo Bunnies,” a tune reminiscent of the lonesome trail. Something odd is the artist Empress of Fur, with her song “Johnny Voodoo.” She would be a female Dead Bolt (only I am sure more attractive) in the way she sing-song narrates her way through the ballad. A neat little bonus comes with this disc as well. If you play it during the 6th hour of the 6th day of the 6th month during a blue moon you will be victim of a hex placed upon you from an agent of Baphomet. You will have only 6 days to live, and those will not be 6 pleasant days. To date there has only been once incident of someone foolish enough to test the curse. We’ll call him Patient X, he was from Baltimore and tried his luck. At first he thought it was just jock itch. But when Gold Bond couldn’t contain the fiery itch of his genitals and the doctor was afraid of air born contamination he was forced to spend the remainder of his few days undergoing “Ball Bleaching” as those in the medical field like to call it. I’ll just leave it at that.
The Deadcats A fast train ride through the blazin’ depths of hell, the conductor is crazed and taking the curves a little too fast. This is “Night of the Helltrain” the first of 13 extreme songs on this Deadcats release. Next, the train speeds past this surf-ish cover of the Cramps “Naked Girl Falling Down the Stairs” and then slows down a bit for you to catch your breath. You are lulled into a false sense of security, a cruise to the tune of “Cerveza” a surf instrumental. The train picks up momentum once more and whizzes by "Ballad of Johnny Rebel” and a honky tonk cover of Social D’s “King Of Fools.” Your knuckles are white, sweat gushes from every pore, are you hallucinating or are you really hearing “Get Outta My Crease” an obvious parody of the Rolling Stones? ‘Stop! Let me off this train ride through Hell’ you yell at the conductor, but the only reply you hear is a mad cackle as you feel the train car yank forward as you increase in speed. Delirious and praying for your life, the sights and sounds blur together as “I’m A Mess” blares over the speakers. All of a sudden your prayers are answered, or so you thought, as you look around you now you realize you are riding in the passenger seat of a “Brand New Cadillac, “ but who is this driving? A naked girl wearing only a cowboy hat, boots and a holster! ‘What’s going on, where am I?’ you ask her, but her answer is ‘Shut up asshole’ as she leans over you, opens your door and pushes you out. You lay along side the road, bloody and near unconscious as “Rip it up Tonight” echoes through your mind. A light, a bright white light calls you to the realm of the after life as you drift towards heaven on a fluffy cloud. You see angels doing the twist to “Half Pipe Swing” and then you realize these aren’t angels… and you aren’t in heaven.
Bonecrusher This CD is the soundtrack to beating up rich people. Pure street punk by a band known to incite riots when they play out, making it hard for them to get gigs. The sound is raw, and the singer’s voice alternates between Mike McColgan on steroids and a revolutionary thug growl-screaming in the frenzy of battle. The first track, “Hell, I’ve already been there,” instantly grabs and shakes you by the collar, and the chorus on “Problems in the Nation” is sure to get your fists in the air. My favorite track, “Sometimes,” has a rock-n-roll feel to it, and bands with a pirate song, such as “Walk the Plank” get high marks in my book. Most songs are mid-tempo, but have power and that classic punk rock decadence, which makes them sure to get in your bones.
Rancid – s/t I hadn’t really paid much attention to what Rancid had been doing for the last few years, though I still like their older stuff very much. This release mixes the snotty decadence of those recordings with songs that push into faster, more hardcore punk territory, which nicely balances out the CD to make it listenable all the way through. The vocal duties are more divided up than what they used to be, with Matt Freeman and Lars Frederikson both singing several songs. Matt also shows why he is probably the best bass player in punk music on songs like “Axiom” where his fingers move faster than Charlie Manson’s parole hearings. I’ve heard others say that the band is trying to claim validity to those who feel they are about as punk as Blink 182. I am inclined to disagree. Instead the songs are all tinged with Rancid’s own style and voice that makes it hard to believe that they are just trying to prove something. Many of the lyrics are interesting too – it is nice to know some punks can read, and can write something other than the usual cliché rhetoric. For example, there are references to the militant abolitionist John Brown and to Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. I’d say this is definitely worth checking out. I’ve listened to it many times since it was sent to me, and nearly all the 22 songs are far above average.
Hepcat This CD smells of saltwater, white sand, and pale ale. These songs ebb and flow naturally with tradtional rocksteady ska and hints of jazzy swing and soul. “Prisoner of Love” features Karine Denike on vocals with an elegant voice that erupts from a time-hole into the 30’s. The smooth, casual, and subtle arrangements on this disc just makes it easier to breathe in a world of stress and tension. Great stuff.
River City Rebels This is a punk rock band with a brass section, but that manages not to be ska. On most songs the horns almost seem a natural compliment to power chord progressions, and add something that sets them above some of their contemporaries. The lyrics, on the other hand, are pretty typical, with a lot of fuck this and fuck that. They do stand against racism, religion etc, but it comes off as a little cliché, without any deeper thought or observations on race relations or life in general. However, given that this band’s average age is 18, there is definitely potential in what they are doing. In fact, the vocals on this album are actually able to make the words seem more genuine than they appear when you read them – an enthusiastic expression of youthful iconoclasm. The last song, “Stars and Stripes,” is acoustic with a droning organ creating an interesting texture, and faster songs like “Here Or to Go” can stir up a little of your latent energy.
Voodoo Glow Skulls The first track, “We’re Back,” features Mark from Guttermouth rambling on the way he’s known for, and then progresses into the band’s announcement of their importance. Don’t get me wrong, I like this band okay, especially the more upbeat songs on here. Apparently, though, “metalliska” is the preferred nomenclature to use when describing them, not “ska-core.” Whatever this music is, it does have some interesting moments. The Reverend Horton Heat appears on the song “El Mas Chingon,” one of the two cuts sung in Spanish, and delivers what he is known for: some wicked guitar pickin’. The music on this disc ranges from metalliska metal, to metalliska hip hop, and the lyrics talk about things like being a suburban pothead thief or about police violence and murder. All in all, this release is much better than smacking yourself with heroin and listening to Ricky Martin – not that I know for certain, mind you.
Union 13 The title of this CD pretty much says where they are coming from lyrically. In the pursuit of truth, there are more confounds than insights, whether they come from people you’ve known, the government, or the media. It’s all lies, LIES, LIES I tell you!!! LIES!!! Ahem… ummm… well anyway… the music is pretty straightforward punk, not really driven by pop melodies and hooks as a lot of other Epitaph bands are known for. Many of these songs are in Spanish, which is cool, and all are sung with shouted vocals going back and forth between all three band members. Somehow, these guys just don’t appeal to me much, yet at times I almost dig them. At times they come close to giving me that adrenaline kick, but something always undermines it, and I feel like it is a bunch of tuneless shouting.
Hayride to Hell By Ben Lybarger Here is a cut of dark, sinister psychobilly to scare old people with. Songs are extremely catchy, like the Asian flu. I woke up in a cold sweat one night singing “Serial Killer” and suddenly felt compelled to sacrifice a chipmunk to Baphomet and bathe in its rodent blood. Actually, these guys have a sense of humor with their songs like “Werewolves on Wheels,” and “Evil Kneivel.“ They even cover the Munsters theme as well as Johnny Cash’s “Don’t Take Your Guns to Town.” The bass player dominates the recording, and is one mad slappin’ fiend. I do wish the guitar was a bit less muted – these guys have a mighty clean sound for a psychobilly band. But I reckon that makes them unique. All in all, I have to say this is one devilish release.
By Ben Lybarger Every now and again you hear an album that unloads both barrels in your face. An album that delivers songs with intensity, integrity, and intelligence. An album that smacks the smirk of the face of Satan as he paves the way for industry to exploit cheaper labor markets. This CD takes a political stand with a working-class, Marxist sensibility and an obvious sincerity. These guys are not preaching. They do not have any gimmicks or fashionable attire… they just speak their minds and deliver pure punk rock that is personal, alive, and can shake a person out of their Korn-fed catatonia into a state of mind that seeks to go beyond the media filters and marketplace identity. “One for Eugene” goes out to Eugene Debs who was a political activist, union organizer, the Socialist Party's presidential candidate several times, and for many years a political prisoner in the U.S. for speaking out against WWI. Frustration and outrage due to corporate globalism appears on “Currency,” and “In the End” observes who will pay the price for the actions of the elite. Song arrangements and some lyrical inflections have an Irish feel, such as “Bars to Me,” which likely carries over from their love for the Pogues (Doug sings in a cover band called Boys from the County Hell also). Every song is put together solidly, and with subtle yet confident musicianship. Having been described as being a rare sort of “leftist Oi!,” their style of punk is neither crusty nor monotonous - influenced stylistically in some respects by Stiff Little Fingers, Cocksparrer, and others. All 14 songs are originals, and with the aforementioned tracks and tunes like “Not the Only One,” “White Flag,” and “Enjoy the View,” these guys are not just sure to send ripples through the punk rock scene – they are gonna cause a tidal wave.
Review by Ben Lybarger These West Virginian profligates have got the devil of the the crossroads under their wheels, squealin' like a pig in the burnin' rubber heat. The singer croons and howls like a hellhound with a voice that is poison to yuppified zombies, while the guitar churns and hisses with a fiend's southern drawl. It is like drivin' 110 mph down a winding country road with flames shooting from yer nostrils and rocket fuel on yer breath. From the opening title track, the CD careens through rock-n-roll masterpieces like Orgasomatic, Devilmeister, Sexy Crazy Baby (From Outer Space), and Unspecified Personality Disorder. There is even a sinful country cover of Hank Williams' Your Cheatin' Heart. The sound is pure rock-n-roll decadence melded with rockabilly refinement to yeild something reminiscent of Eddie Cochran arm-wrestling with the Reverend Horton Heat in Elvis' basement while doing double shots of Wild Turkey. Fine, fine stuff.
This CD commences with Sguiggy delivering a steel-toe kick to the media’s groin with “Journalistic Truth.” From there 27 more tracks follow of hardcore punk, Oi, and rockabilly. Slap N The Cats from Australia deliver their best song to date, “Hot Rod Baby,” which features crooning vocals and some great guitar work. Another great rockabilly tune is “Cramp My Style,” by Wrecking Ball, and also a strange one by the Skyrockets, who I've never heard before. Finland’s Ghost Train also donates an excellent song, “My Mama Told Me,” and Luck of the Draw continues to belt out lowdown drinkin’ tunes that are just straight-up rock-n-roll. As far as the punk and Oi, well, don’t expect any weak-ass poppy shit on this sampler. The only song I really can't stand is by Jinx - but bands like 3 Against 1, Blind Society, Insubordinates, The Oi! Scouts, Survivors, Wretched Ones, Jacks, Staggers, Hudson Falcons, and Disorderly Conduct all chew their way through the speakers and keep the music street-level and worthwhile. Notably, Youngang has the only female vocalist on here, who also happens to also sing in Spanish. This compilation is definitely worth getting.
When you get a band that mixes punk rock with roots rock this well, it is hard not to like them. The Staggers were formerly known as Riot Squad (not the 80’s British punk band), and this is their first full-length recording. “What are you so afraid of?” is rockabilly-sounding tune, while “Last Great Western” is an instrumental reminiscent of a spaghetti western anthem. Lyrically, they remain subtly shaded within a twilight zone of sci fi and horror, but songs such as “Man with a Voice” show the band is also concerned with the state of a country that does not respond to the needs of its people. I particularly like the lyrics on “Legacy of Hate,” which talks about growing out off mindless violence into a person who has more to offer than hatred and animosity. The acoustic barroom folk song “Have a Drink,” is also an excellent track, as well as the cover of “Stagger Lee.” And if that weren’t enough, there are some older Riot Squad songs tacked onto the end, making this an overall remarkable release.
These Kansas City soccer hooligans and upstart skins have delivered a rough, intense, and gratifying release that is upbeat and contagious. From the instrumental intro cut that contorts into “When the Saints Come Marching In,” it is clear this isn’t gonna be quite your typical Oi album. While several songs are about drinking and fighting (blah, blah, blah), the music has a slight a folk sound that mixes well with the raw punishing vocals. There is a cover of “16 Tons” by Merle Travis, a "Pirate Song" singalong, and “Sylvest” is an Irish-tempered bruiser of a song. Many songs, of course, have excellent beer raisin' choruses, such as “Bar Song” or the awesome cover of Cocksparrer’s “England Belongs to Me,” with England replaced by Kansas City. My favorite song, and the biggest surprise, is the last hidden track, which is an acoustic slide guitar blues tune in the style of Mississippi Fred McDowell. His guttoral vocals sound perfect in that musical setting. Great damn song. Overall, a pretty good release.
By Ben Lybarger The opening track stomps into being with the force of a pitbull who has it balls in a mouse trap. It is called “Big Cornbred Sonovabitch,” and it destroys all in its path. Unfortunately, I do not think any of the other songs match up with that monster of a tune. However, there are several good tracks on here, like “Crop Rotation/Rules,” “Cowtippin’” or the cover of the flower-child, “Crimson and Clover.” Some of the songs really lean toward poppy stuff, but not in the usual lame Green Day way. I’d describe this as garage punk with a mid-west temperance. Though at times a little too sterile and lacking in punch, this is still a good rockin’ release.
This long-awaited follow-up to their self-titled debut shows that despite major line-up changes and litigation that resulted in them having to drop the “Royal” from their full and proper name (The Amazing Royal Crowns), they have come back swingin’. The CD erupts with the punkabilly fury of “Still Royal to the Loyal” and progresses through a well-balanced meal of slow and fast tunes to avoid ever becoming monotonous. “Flipping Coins” is probably the best cut – an old-style country song in which singer Jason Kendall croons with a smooth and sincere voice, adding a new dimension to what I’ve come to love about this band. They move from the more traditional rollin’ rockabilly style on “Hat Size” to the hormonally-driven “Mr. Fix-it,” in which a piano accents the thrusting guitar, to the screaming demon-speed of “Chop Shop.” I defy you to find a bad cut on here… all in all, and excellent release.
This is a damn fine CD. Not entirely what I had expected, though. I am accustomed to the older Reverend releases that had the hyper-speed Texas psychobilly sting, whereas this release is of a much smoother fabric. Tunes like the title track and King are sewn from pieces of clean rockabilly satin and swaggerin' swing/jump suede. The Bedroom Again stitches in some ole-fashioned country, while The Millionaire stylish instrumental patch. Sue Jack Daniels weaves in a little of that full-throttle psycho-sound, complete with a frantic guitar motif and drunken pinache. The guitarwork on this album is incredible, as is the talent on bass and drums. This band is definitely still advancing as musicians and song-writers, despite already being of the finest grade, and thankfully the Rev's wry humor is still present. Although I wish there was a little more of the havok and dirty sound they revelled in on their early albums, this CD is still a very solid release by a band in top form. Enjoy.
This is a killer, live Crowns cd. I can close my eyes, listen to this cd and I am there...back at the show. This disk captures the essence of the Crowns perfectly with songs like "Baby's out on Bail", and "Scene of the Crime." What was cool was the cover of the Misfits "American Nightmare" and even cooler was the Agent Orange cover "Bloodstains." There are 13 songs here and all are sweet, plus I got Jason and Jack to sign the cover.
Don't buy "Risin' Outlaw" Hank's country cd...DON"T! Instead, spend some dough, go see Hank III and buy this sweet 'lil bootleg number. There are no words, no song list, no distro info, no nothing. Just the words "fuck you". There are a few metal-slayerish sounding songs which are really cool and then this one kick ass tune...I don't know the name of it....it's all honky tonkish, but heavier. Just take my word on it, go see Hank III and buy this bootleg...do it, or else!
By Ben Lybarger I expected just straight-up greasy punkabilly, and got that, but with so much more. I have seen these guys twice, and they put on a helluva show, but on here they have guest musicians on brass, piano/organ, and mandolin in addition to their own talents on guitar, drums, and upright bass. The CD moves in and out of rockabilly bars that require a shot of penicillin upon entry, 40’s Harlem swing clubs, western frontier movies, southern juke-joints, punk rock decadence, and even manages to do lounge in a way that isn’t too cheesy. I definitely would get this if you are a fan of any of the aforementioned styles. It’s just plain fun to listen to.
By Ben Lybarger Find this if you can. This is a stunning, mostly instrumental, surf album. It’s like Dick Dale doing the soundtrack to a B-movie horror flick. You can almost smell the fog machines. If you happen to see this on the shelf in a store and don’t purchase it, I understand there is an evil curse that will follow you for the rest of your days. Pigeons will attack you on the streets. Hippies will suddenly find you irresistibly attractive. Limp Biscuit will ring forever in your ears. And then one fateful night a horrible man will enter your house to bludgeon you with a frozen trout and make a hammock of your entrails. I’m serious about this, the curse is real I tell you! A kid in Omaha didn’t believe me once and now hair only grows from his ears. And that’s not all. A woman in Tulsa had her nipples suddenly inverted. A couple in Boston compulsively buys Perry Como albums only to experience intimacy problems. Just look at what happened to Shane MacGowan’s teeth. (Sorry Shane, just kidding.) Heed these words. Avoid the suffering my friend.
By Ben Lybarger This CD is the next best thing to a good spanking. Good ole psychobilly mayhem to beat your children to. Well maybe not, but it is damn good. This is their singles collection, so you get a taste of the different stages they’ve gone through. Most of the 22 songs on here are pretty good, with one of my favorites being the live Elvis movie medley at the end, which is fierce, crude and takes care of business in a brutal fashion. Sounds kinda like the king with his hips on fire having Iggy and the Stooges stomp it out. They also do “Trouble” from King Creole, but his voice just doesn’t compare to his Elvisness on that one. In addition they play Fear’s “Livin in the City,” T.S.O.L.’s “Code Blue,” and the respectable but incomparable version of The Cramps’ “Mad Daddy.” I think they exude their best odors on original songs like “If Looks Could Kill,” “She’s Lookin’ Better Every Minute,” “It’s Alive,” and “Hellbilly Boogie.” Their earlier stuff has a cleaner rockabilly quality, then they went towards a Demented Are Go-type sound on songs like “Bucket of Blood.” Later stuff shows them developing a heavier hybrid of derangement and supreme villainy. This is a sublime release for sexual perverts and outlaw scoundrel rogues alike. I know I often hunger after it’s nasty tang.
By Ben Lybarger These masked marauders have wrestled against evil fiends and dark forces to at last produce a masterpiece that even the late, great Santo would be proud of. This album shows progression not only as musicians, but as songwriters as well. “Sing Sing Sing” is a Prima cut, while the mood, tempo, and sound is perpetually jogged throughout the 11 other meaty tracks. “Tabouli” sounds like the Ventures playing a barmitzvah, complete with clarinet & sax adding that eastern European aura. There are also keyboards on several songs, and trumpet on “Tijuana Boots,” which has a mariachi/Ring of Fire feel to it. “Sterno” threatens with no-holds-barred rockabilly madness, while “My Heart Will Go On,” a cartoonish rendition of the love theme from Titanic, will drown you in tears as you grin your way down into Davie Jones’ locker. If you like instrumental surf even a little, you need to own this. By Ben Lybarger This seven should be in every whiskey drinker’s collection. This is what Nashville Pussy wish they could be. The songs on here are the bastard children of a shotgun marriage between old-style country and early punk rock. For anyone that has a farmer’s tan, tattoos, and sweats pure liquor.
By Ben Lybarger If some day in the future ghastly maggots bent on world domination arrive from space to put out a surf album with Sonic Youth, this is what it might sound like. It’s alien signals jam all other communication channels in order to desynchronize the listener’s brain waves and eventually make him or her succumb to their sick alien fetishes. This record disintegrates the human psyche into auditory components, and runs your personality through a terminal playback loop to ensure madness and depravity. At the height of delusion you will think you are a star pilot on a stealth mission to infiltrate the enemy’s god-womb and terminate their will to propagate by melting cheese to the fetal mutant messiah, thereby assuring the disillusionment of the hellish creature masses. Then next thing you know, there is a large slimy tentacle thrust into your ear, secreting dopamine ejaculate all over the cortical membrane, and you are strapped to a porcelain slab and subjected to elaborately gratuitous inspections. Eventually your DNA is transmogrified to match theirs, and you find yourself beginning to relish the erotic lining of an ear canal with your hard animal appendage. This stuff is a trip.
By Ben Lybarger The CD continues in the Mojo tradition of excellent rockin’ country tunes peppered with the heat of some sharp, socially aware, and hilarious lyrics. What do you expect from a man who did a CD with Jello Biafra, was titled the honorary 1998 U.S. Olympic Luge Team Captain, appeared on Politically Incorrect, debated Pat Buchanan on Crossfire, received death threats for his song “Don Henley Must Die,” had the song “Bring me the Head of David Geffen” yanked from an album for threat of lawsuits, had MTV refuse to play his “Debbie Gibson is Pregnant with My Two-Headed Lovechild,” and continues to make no apologies for his purity? Perhaps he is the Son of God among us. I doubt it though, he looks nothing like Elvis. Among the host of new songs that froth from the man’s sinister mouth into the invective grooves of one mean recording, “Drunk Divorced Floozie (The Ballad of Diana Spencer)” finally says what so desperately needed to be said. It may not be sweet, tragic, and unoriginal like Elton’s, which certainly blows, and not like a candle in the wind, but at least Mojo’s was composed especially for her dead highness. “Disney is the Enemy,” another great song, gives a good strong brow beatin’ to the alien corporations who conspire with Mormon missionaries to control our consumerist minds. “Redneck Rampage” is reminiscent of times past when a man could have skid marks in his sticky drawers and still get the fine trailer park honeys. [Sorry about that image. Really.] I highly recommend this to anyone into country, blues, rockabilly, whiskey, under-age wimmen, or biting social commentary. Let the effervescence of Mojo Nixon fizzle in your heart; feel him heal that which the dark smog of pop culture has infected. Then and only then, thou shall truly know grace.
By Ben Lybarger This is a live CD, and this guy is impressive on guitar. I would call it sort of roots rock that weighs heavy on the blues. The only problem with the band, at least on this release, is the vocals. I’ve conditioned myself to be able to tolerate his voice by focusing on the guitar work. Songs like “Keep Lovin’ Me” and “Kiddeo” are filled with savory licks and piquant jams. It’s like a T-bone marinated in Tabasco sauce. The last song, “One Step,” breaks away into an incredible solo that lasts for around eight glorious minutes before careening into a wall of applause. Even the CD begins to sweat. On the other hand, songs like “Everytime I See Her” are vomitous like a bad clam, and his voice holds this release back from reaching excellence. I wonder if the studio stuff sounds any better.
By Ben Lybarger I got this on transparent red vinyl, so if nothing else, it is pretty to look at. Fortunately, though, this grooved disc is crammed full of distinct and engaging tremolo melodies, mostly drenched in heavy reverb. The songs are well-crafted surf that achieve intricately composed, visceral atmospheres without self-indulgent showmanship. From 50’s rock-n-roll on “Beach Binge” to the exotic “Hungarian Dance No. 5” to the chunky bullfighting rhythm of “Frankenstomp,” these guys bob and weave their way through the ranks while maintaining stylistic continuity. Some cuts are reminiscent of Bo Diddley’s “Aztec,” while others have a more 60’s garage feel. “Step It Up” flows out with an organ rollicking beneath a clean hillbilly guitar sound, while the rolling rhythm of the “Theme From The Arturan” strikes that primal nerve to play air guitar. This is good, real good.
By Ben Lybarger If there’s one CD that I’d recommend to just about anyone, it’s this one. It literally chokes me up, it’s so good. There are nine amazing tunes here, including a strange version of Wayne Newton’s hit “Bei Mir Bist Du Schon” that will floor you. The vocals are smooth as velvet and lull you into a bizarre German cabaret/Johnny Cash aria. The rest of the album doesn’t necessarily sound odd, but I don’t know how to describe it. There is a mellow western feel throughout, but with a refined sort of darkness, perfect for a nighttime road trip from New Orleans to Memphis. That doesn’t do it justice either. The guitar work is skilled and fluid, not flashy, but rather has an emotional quality the way Buddy Guy’s does, though with a completely different style. The songs are stretched out, developing into deep moods rather than just rocking out of control. You just have to trust me. Put your faith in me and I will lead you to where music becomes real again. Find this. Love it and cherish it always.
Speed Devils By Ben Lybarger As your musical advisor, your trusted sage guiding you towards the most sinful sonic selections, I feel it is my duty to steer you like a drunken chauffeur through the flames and wonders of Hell in all its hazy glory of tattoos and booze. And so I give you The Speed Devils, a band that has captured the grisly charm of Beelzebub himself, and spurred the beast straight through a set of pure rockabilly delectation. They lasso onto western-feeling tunes, are pulled into reverberating surf territories, and ride just as flawlessly through swingin’ singalongs. This disc is like a belt of whiskey that warms your insides and sends a surge of energy through your slumbering body. If you prefer your rockabilly tinged with raw power and smooth Mephistophelean refinement, you’ll like this.
By Ben Lybarger Yes, more sci-fi surf cadences, thick with reverb and reeking of melted picks. At first I thought of David Copperfield shootin’ the tube, hypno-crazed eyes wide, his stance low to the board as he tries not to soak his black turtleneck. He disappears only to emerge on the other side unscathed by the awesome power of the oceans undulating surface. Then I thought, “that’s ridiculous.” What I really see is the aftermath of a robot siege on the set of Laugh In, where Goldie was vaporized and the whole place turned to ash and rubble. The surviving Smothers Brother trapped, is forced to eat the flesh of his kin, thereby infecting his own brain with a rare virus. He then comments on how humans taste like Spam, just before becoming completely delusional. Believing himself to be Patrick Swayze, he begins to rob banks along the western seaboard, while maintaining a deviant lifestyle of surf and sin. Meanwhile, his estranged zombie sibling seeks revenge, stalking his renegade brother in an angry stupor of uncoordinated bloodlust. The scene fades out as the yo-yo man finally meets his killer at Venice Beach and tenderizes his body with a vintage guitar before devouring him along with a home-made gravy concocted from seaweed and goat’s milk.
Twistin’ Tarantulas By Ben Lybarger The singer for this band reminds me a lot of Lee Ving from Fear, whose voice doesn’t rank among my favorites. Despite that fact, this rockabilly album is not too bad. His (“Pistol” Pete’s) voice works better on the faster tunes which number very few on this release. Two songs on here feature Johnny Rebel (ex-Flyin’ Saucers guitarist) on vocals, and it becomes painfully obvious that he should be their primary singer. His crooning vocals are a perfect compliment to their smooth style and solid musicianship. The other songs do grow on me a bit with each listen, though.
Eighteen tracks of superb rockabilly here, and I mean all sorts: psychobilly, punkabilly – whatever you wanna call it. I love this stuff. Just about every band here has extremely talented musicianship, and many have decent, if not outstanding, vocals. The most traditional Southern-sounding song, oddly enough is by The Coronets from Japan, whose singer croons his way through “Wash Machine Boogie.” The Falsies have the only female vocalist on here, but it definitely is a good representative. The Satellites from the UK, The Deadcats from Canada, The Megatones from Finland, Partia from Poland, as well as bands like The Spinouts, Hillbilly Hellcats, TR6, The Cyclones, Slick Pelt, and the Starlight Drifters from the USA contribute their greasy slabs of precious rockin’ sustenance. Anyone who likes rockabilly needs to taste at least some of the bands off this sampler platter.
V/A “Kings of Rockabilly Guitar” The Di Maggio Brothers start of this comp with a staggering instrumental tune that sets the tone for the rest of the disc. Despite styles ranging from swing to country to bluegrass to straight-up old-style rockabilly, all songs have a similar stripped-down, genuine quality. Most tracks have vocals and excellent guitar work, including contributions from Restless, Killer Brew, Darrel Higham, Cliff Edmonds & The Virginians, Wild Bob Burgos, Leroy Davis, Juke, and The Pawnbrokers. This isn’t a trendy nostalgic collection, but rather contains people with a true passion for the music. Not for avante garde snobs, but for people who can appreciate a good rockin’ tune for what it is, not what it means.
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