The Red Lights Gang "Songs About Sin"

(Crazy Love Records 2019)

She Put A Spell On Me (My Baby)

Trail Of A Broken Heart

Mark

I Ain't Playing God

Sin Is My Good Brother

I Am The Rat

Brazil. Not a country that immediately springs to mind when you think of a honky-tonkin' rockabilly good time! Unless of course you happened across The Red Lights Gang playing a show in their home country. The boys have been treading the boards since 2009 and this, to the best of my knowledge, is only their second release. At least it's the second album by them to enter my bulging collection of bop-tinged beauties. If you haven't checked out their first release, 2013's 13 then do so. You're missing out. You're equally missing out if you don't snap up this 12 incher of black throbbing gristle (PC disclaimer: other colours are available). Rootsy twang sits astride some finely slapped rockabilly bass. Add to this Américo's drawling vocals and you have an outfit that mix the darker side of roots music with the knee-slapping beat of rockabilly but don't do so in a throwback way. No siree! The quintet make these classic influences sound current. Maybe it's the lyrical content, maybe it's the chord structures. Whatever it is, I like it! Crazy Love Records have gone ballistic again and released this album, as alluded to earlier, on a multitude of colours on big ol' heavy slabs of vinyl. Fans of roots music in all its guises will lap this up; but The Red Lights Gang play in such a way that those dwelling in the underworld of rockabilly, neo rockabilly and psychobilly (at least those who appreciate where the latter stems from) will also have erect nipples poking through their shirts!

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The Minestompers "Porno Mags & Body Bags"

(Crazy Love Records 2019)

Shellac Smile

Bone Breaking Beat

Vinyl Wonderland

Whirlwind

Attack Of The Space Sluts From Planet C.U.N.T. 6

Porno Mags

Pogo The Clown

Unleashed

Cop Killer

Demon Up My Arse

Suburban Savages

For A Fistful Of Shlonz

One Last Record

The Minestompers. One of the very few bands in psychobilly that don't rely on a slapped upright bass to sound...psychobilly. It's actually quite refreshing to hear a bass guitar for a change. It suits their sound much better anyway. Once again, vocalist Dave is in full-on hiccup mode and how these lads are not on some kind of register for sexual deviants is beyond me. It's all fairly mid-tempo by psychobilly's standards too which also works for the band. The album basically takes up from where their first self-titled release ended. The trademark Minestompers sound is stamped all over it. I can certainly detect an Ein Bier Bitte-era Coffin Nails influence but with the vocal stylings of '83 Guana Batz only harder. And yes, that is a cover of Body Count's Cop Killer! Sometimes second albums can sound the death knell for a band as they "progress" from their initial sound. This isn't the case here. The quartet of quasi-sex offenders have quite simply continued along the same path, but having garnered more studio experience, this album sounds better than the first....which I loved.

The album has been released on a multitude of colours on vinyl and good auld CD. Now for the big pain in the arse of linking everything up for all you lazy shites so all you have to do is click and spend. The things I do for you, and I get no thanks for it. Tut.

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The Devil 'n' Us "Still Devil's Music"

(Wolverine Records 2019)

Graveyard Of My Dreams

Burning Holes

Wolfhowl

The Shovel

Shake Some Dust

Dragged Down To Hell

Get Off The Road

My Little Sister

Man In The Shadow

Sell Your Shit

Puttin' On The Ritz

This Party Sucks

 The Devil 'n' Us are very much a super-group. With members spanning Mad Sin, to Blue Rockin', straight through to Sunny Domestosz, it certainly adds up to an ensemble of the highest calibre. Since their inception in Berlin in 2012 the quartet may have been somewhat sparse in the releases department but sometimes it's quality over quantity. This release marks their third outing after their initial self-titled/self-released EP in 2012 and the 2013 follow-up album The Devil's Music also on Wolverine Records. The lads certainly like to mix things up musically. I suppose that's the way of things when you have such a diverse line up. On this album the boys can go from straight-up psychobilly to neo rockabilly right through to a big dollop of Kings Of Nuthin'-esque rockin' rhythm 'n' blues. Actually on The Shovel you'd be forgiven for thinking it was Torr Skoog and not Hellvis on vocals. But that's where the comparisons end. The Devil 'n' Us are very much their own machine and have carved out a nice little niche within the psychobilly realm with a sound that has a crossover appeal in that it gathers all the sub-genres within it and packs it all nicely into one unit. So if you're not sure what kind of musical mood you're in, listen to this album. It's sure to satiate all tastes. 

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King Moroi "Story Of Dino And Fairy/Me And My Cat"

(Self-released 2019)

Story Of Dino And Fairy

Me And My Cat

I love 7 inches. I keep one at all times in me trousers. Alas it doesn't compare to the 7 inches of black gristle I had in me hands prior to writing this. King Moroi are back with a double A-sider featuring two stylistically different ditties. First up we have the countrified rockin' psycho belter Story Of Dino And Fairy, complete with steel guitar. I love steel guitar me. Lyrically it puts a whole new spin on the tried and tested formula of the tragedies of love you'll find in just about every country song. I love this song. It's right up my street. Speaking of lyrics, there's an insert included with this release with lyrics for both songs...and all the art has once again been masterfully created by Horror Rudey. Flipping her over we have a kick in the bollocks psychobilly song featuring passages that have a cleverly constructed ascending choral cacophony. Having listened to both songs on here a few times, it really cements the fact that I'm glad to belong to this scene. Contrary to what an outsider may think, the music (and in this case, King Moroi), offers variety and my mind boggles as to how those aforementioned outsiders can be drip-fed drivel by "popular artists" with not an inkling of how to play a musical instrument between them...or write their own songs. Thank fuck I discovered psychobilly as an impressionable teen and never grew up. Anyway, it's been three years since the last King Moroi release but the boys haven't been sitting on their arses. They've been busy touring and playing festivals and writing new material for future releases. This release you can buy direct from the band. It's official release date is November 29th and there'll be a brand new video to coincide with it. In the meantime, get those letters to Santa c/o King Moroi. Seemingly he makes an exception for psychobillies who are rarely nice.

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The Raygun Cowboys "Bloodied But Unbroken"

(Stomp Records 2019)

Limbo

Fast Machine

Truth

Jonesin'

YEG

The Only One

Ain't Got Time

Bloodied But Unbroken - Live My Life For Rock'n'Roll

Bring It Home Tonight

Walk Of Life

The Raygun Cowboys are a band that have been around for 19 years yet their recorded output is relatively sparse. It wasn't until 2006 that the boys released their debut album Underground Boogie. Back then they had the traditional rockabilly three-piece line up but by the time the self-titled 2008 release saw the light of day the boys had beefed up their sound with the addition of a horn section. Now then, I do not like horn sections. It's nothing to do with being closed-minded. I just know what I like and don't like. It generally turns a raw rockin' sound into a more saccharin rock'n'roll one. Some exclusions are, of course, King Kurt, Ghoultown and The Highliners. Therefore, I pretty much ignored The Raygun Cowboys without actually ever listening to em. What a gobshite I was. But then in 2017 the lads included a cover of the SNFU song Painful Reminder on their The Cowboy Code album. The video showed up on social media, I clicked on it, and it became an instant all-time favourite of mine. I'm very much a vocals kinda guy. They can either make a band shite, mediocre or in a league of their own. Well when the first few lines of the song emanated from my headphones I immediately sat up and took notice. Jön Christopherson is a vocalist par excellence. Bordering on operatic, he's a big man with a big voice ranging from baritone to tenor. So on the strength of that one song I went and sourced the entire Raygun Cowboys back catalogue and bought the lot. Two years after my epiphany the boys are back with their new album Bloodied But Unbroken. No bollixing around this time. An order was placed straight away. No waiting around for Postman Pat either or release dates as being the special boy that I am, Mike from Stomp Records sent me on the files for this very review. The Raygun Cowboys are the kind of outfit that leave you thinking, well they can't surpass their last record. That's the kind of quality they exude on each release. Yet, on each release, they do just that and this one is no exception. The slap bass and drums rockabilly backbeat is souped-up with a cowpunk guitar and rock'n'roll brass section. Sitting on top of that is Jön Christopherson's vocals which are equal parts velvet and aggression. Half way through listening to this album I thought to myself "I wonder what he'd sound like on a ballad with just an acoustic guitar?"...well lo and behold for the first couple of minutes on Bring It Home Tonight that's exactly what I got. So far this album had everything. But then, the final song awaited. I absolutely can not stand Dire Straits. If they just shortened their name to Dire it would be more apt. Their quasi-rock'n'roll song Walk Of Life is tedious. So, was this last song a cover of that song? Yes. Yes it was. But fuck me the boys breathe new life into it. Maybe it's Knopfler's vocals I find tedious about this song. Christopherson's vocals are the...anti-tedious! I still won't listen to it on repeat though. Sorry lads. You can thank Mark Knopfler for that. I will listen to the other 9 on repeat though until I figure out which is the standout track. As it stands that's a tough task. The album is due for release on October 25th in a whole variety of sexy packages from the boys' bandcamp page. They have a Canadian tour from late October to December to coincide with the release. Linkorama for all the info below. 

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The Lucky Devils "News From Earth"

(Self-released 2019)

Ride For My Life

We're All Gonna Die

Banzai

Greensleeves

Zombie Kids

Cryin' In My Head

Bongos Sound

Grendizer Surf

Welcome To Hell

Psychos

Rasputin

Celebrating their 20th anniversary, the trio of Lille Lotharios bring forth their 11-dittied disc o' delights "News From Earth". The Lucky Devils have always been that band that bridge the gap perfectly between neo rockabilly and old school psychobilly. They've also always been that band that give a two-fingered salute to your common or garden array of cover versions. Actually, when ever they release an album I always perk up with glee when I see what they've chosen to cover. More often than not they're songs I like that don't "belong" in the rockin' rule book. Fuck rule books I say. A couple of years ago they did an astounding version of Matt Bianco's More Than I Can Bear on their Under Cover And Still Alive double album. This time they've taken Boney M.'s Rasputin and turned it into a cossackabilly stomper! There are a couple of other covers here too but they're not just a cover band so enough dwelling on that side of the band. The boys know how to pen a melodic original too. Melody is something that can get left behind in psychobilly when bands try to outdo themselves in the speed department....and those awful fucking shouty sore throat vocals with no air whatsoever. Conversely, Phil Lucky can hold a vocal note and then some. Add some dangerous-sounding, twangy, reverb-drenched guitar, a bass that seems to slap off the four walls, drumming that is for the fit and not the fat and that pretty much sums up News From Earth. All wrapped up in the excellent art of David Vicente, it really is a quality package! (I have one of those, in my trousers). It's available directly from the band on both CD and vinyl.

 

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The Hyperjax "Bringing The Bad Back Home"

(Wolverine Records 2019)

Bringing The Bad Back Home

I Persevere

Roaming The Dead End Streets

Shadow Brawler

Chasing The Night Down (To The Screaming End)

The Blind Leading The Blind

Cannon Fodder Blues

Age Of The Addictive Personality

Wayward Son

The Crowning Of A Fool

Going Down Smilin'

The Hyperjax. They're everything I like about punk and I'm picky as fuck about punk. With that said though, they're no punk band. They're very much the anti-pigeonhole outfit. They just have the elements I like about some punk bands. Catchy melodies and intelligent lyrics dealing with social issues, and observations about our current generation and life in general. Of course they also have the rockin' ingredient of a big ol' slap bass. They are not the much maligned "punk with a slap bass" combo though. They're way beyond that and are very much their own machine. They always have been since their inception in the mid 90s. But years of honing their craft and sound must make the guy down the record shop sigh with dismay as he tries to slot their records into the genre-specific sections of his music emporium. I have a press release here which states "Like The Jam meets Stray Cats meets The Living End". The Jam comparison I can see as Sam Woods' lyrics are comparable to those of Paul Weller. The Stray Cats...not so much and they're everything The Living End are not. That's one band that started out good and became something else altogether. Conversely The Hyperjax started out good and became something great. They didn't "progress" in such a way as to completely alienate their original audience. Sam Woods really has a way with words and together with Dan Clark and Neil Holden the trio have created an album that has none of the grating annoyance of 99% of punk and none of the tired run-of-the-mill blood and gore of 99% of psychobilly. What we have here is simplistic yet cleverly created, finely executed, punk rockin' parables for the denizens of many's the underground scene.  

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Night Nurse "The Antidote"

(Wolverine Records 2019)

Tell Me How

Baby Blue

Lost In Us

Who's The Fool

Ugh

Nurse U2 To Death

Self Esteem

Get Even

Bed Bug

Ding A Ling

First Steps

Finland seems to spit out talent without even trying. Bands from that neck of the woods bring a certain crossover rock appeal to things with the "billy" moniker stuck on the end. Night Nurse are no exception. Their latest offering "The Antidote" is oozing with slap bass driven sounds deserving of a bigger audience than just those of us hidden away yet in-the-know in the undergrowth of psychobilly's netherworld. Fronted by the sultry Nurse Camy, the quintet, as the album title alludes to, at least to my mind, offer up an antidote to the barrage of unimaginative, forgettable three-chord merchants clogging up the arteries of the scene. In their sonic syringe are equal measures of rock, punk'n'roll, indie-pop and an intravenous drip administering a steady flow of rockin' psychobilly. The production is on the money and sounds like it costed a fair bit of money to produce! This is no low budget affair. The mixing really is pristine. I will say however, the final track, First Steps, is quite a departure from the songs on the rest of the album. Stylistically I mean. It has that rock opus thing going on as opposed to the in-your-face onslaught of the others. Anyway, this album is filled with melodic, blood-romantic ditties that sound good on first listen and grow better and better with each subsequent listen. It's available on both LP and CD directly from Wolverine Records. Now I must dash as I have to ogle Nurse Camy once more in the video for Baby Blue...

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Degenerated "Downfall Of Humanity"

(Killjoy Records 2019)

Downfall Of Humanity

I Hate It

 Ah yes, good auld Degenerated. The trio of Berlin-bollixes are back with their second outing on vinyl. The boundary-bending blackguards certainly take no prisoners with what can only be described as a cacophony of chaos. Starting out with some mellow folky acoustic guitar it's not long until the whole thing descends into punked-out rockabilly psychosis of the lo-fi variety. Sonically they certainly capture the bleakness of the lyrics but with a memorable catchy chorus. Madman tells me the 7" was very much a DIY project and the forthcoming album is already mixed and has better production values. But I kinda like the DIY sound of this release so stick that up your f-hole.
Flipping her over, the fuzzabilly sound is replaced by somewhat of a psychotic hoedown ditty that appeals to my cowpunk sensitivities. I like the no-nonsense lyrical content too. Look at me there liking the new Degenerated record when Madman thought I would think it was shite! As is the norm for Killjoy, the little round slab is available in a range of colours...70 blue (band edition), 50 orange (Killjoy edition) and all the rest in black.

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Tasteless "Bad Taste! EP"

(Self-released 2019)

Bad Taste

Panic & Confusion

Imposter

If She's Square

I don't excite easily (ask my ex-girlfriends), but when the star-studded quartet Tasteless started dropping teasers of their upcoming EP, there was a volcanic eruption in me trousers! Back when I first started to move from rockabilly to psychobilly, I always had a preference for the bands that lay somewhere in between. Neo Rockabilly has always been where it's at for me musically. But, the ratio of psychobilly bands to that of neo rockabilly in the new millennium is 100:1. I'm talking the proper stuff. When I envisage in my mind what neo rockabilly sounds like, Tasteless are 100% on the money. The quartet came together in 2018 featuring four stalwarts of all things rockin' and psycho. So who's who then? Kevin Haynes of Torment fame is on sticks duty, dirty slapper Bruno Malo from the Moonshine Stalkers is giving the bass a good rogering, Ray Waters of the boundary-pushing Zipheads is on vocals (and what pipes he has) whilst former Mad Dog Cole/Devils Wrays twangster Loz Hawkins has that neo guitar sound down to a tee. Right from the get-go, the clean-sounding catchytastic guitar intro of Bad Taste sets you up for a riotous trip through neo rockabilly brilliance. The eight-second wait for the bass and drums backbeat to kick in almost psyches you up for what's to come. Perfect track placement for an EP that exudes class. Think Fractured crossed with the all-too-short-lived Cellmates and you're half way there. Holy Jaysus I love this record. I thought I'd never come across another new band who play this particular style of rockin' the right way again. What a welcome addition to the scene they are. Both vocally and musically (that guitar!) the lads are in a league of their own. They look the part, they sound the part, they are the part! The EP will be released at the end of August and you can preorder it now (link below). They're playing the Psychobilly Meeting in July and will have some units for sale there. If, like me, you're averse to sun, do yourself a favour and preorder this slab of neo-finesse without hesitation. 

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The Bloodstrings "Born Sick"

(Wolverine Records 2017)

Intro

Born Sick

Ready For The Storm

Kiss Goodbye

Mondsüchtig (Featuring Kitty Casket)

Cutthroat Love

Damaged

Best Of Me

My Heart Is Like An Engine (Featuring Mo Diggerz)

Last Call

Confession

Tonight We Dine In Hell (Bonus Track)

Hold The Line (Bonus Track)

The Bloodstrings from Aachen first came to my attention back in 2014 when they released their début album Coal-Black Heart. My initial impression of the band was that they were like a kind of psychobilly version of The Spookshow. It's an excellent record. Their new album though takes the sound of the first album and adds a lot more aggression. It's as if the band have carved out their own niche over the past 5 years and put their own stamp on what is loosely termed punkabilly. There's a lot more to The Bloodstrings than can be summed up by using that particular term. The band is a melting pot of influences and it's that diversity which somehow blends perfectly together that make the band stand head and shoulders above their competition. People ask me how can I only listen to one type of music? I don't. Take this album, it's not "one type of music". It's filled with aural delicacies ranging from punked-out new school psychobilly to horror punk and ballads filled with dark romance. The latter of which I absolutely love and really showcases Celina's excellent vocal chords. Speaking of vocalists, there are a couple of guest spots on the album in the guises of Kitty Casket from Kitty In A Casket and Mo Diggerz from The Diggerz. If chanting punk rock backing vocals, finely executed instrumentation, lyrics that deal with societal woes and heartbreak told through the medium of horror topped off with an expertly slapped bass appeal to you then snap this one up before it disappears into the ether like their first album.

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Johnny Rocket "Come A Little Closer"

(Wolverine Records 2019)

Got To Tell You

Beggin' For More

I Like You Baby

A Ride

Yeah Yeah Yeah

Bring It On Home

I Know A Lot Of Dumbs

Come A Little Closer

Anywhere

Sold My Soul

Jesus And The Motherfuckers

Kiss

Boobs 'n' Beer

Equal parts rock and roll, Johnny Rocket have finally released their third album. The boys have been on the go since 2006 and this is only their fourth release. The first being their 2007 EP Who's Your Daddy? Quality not quantity though right? They hail from Germany but their sound is very much in keeping with that Southern rock sub genre from the US of A. Unlike most of the bands from that particular field though, the boys have the added bonus of some finely slapped bass giving them a unique rockabilly back beat. Crunchy rock guitar played with a country twang sits atop a slap bass and drums rhythm section with raucous whiskey-soaked vocals adding the final touch to give Johnny Rocket a sound that transcends the musical boundaries that can pigeonhole many bands. 11 self-penned ditties with a couple of covers of Sam Cooke and Prince songs make up this excellent release from Johnny Rocket. Speaking of the covers, although (thankfully) not the usual choices we've come to expect from bands with an upright bass in their lineup, they fit the album and the style of the band perfectly. I must also mention there are some fine backing vocals/harmonies to be heard here too. I have all of Johnny Rocket's previous material, but I just have such a sizable music collection, that I haven't revisited their stuff for a long time. This album makes me want to do exactly that. It's out now on Wolverine Records on CD and a slab of vinyl that's as thick as any porn star's shlong! ....and all the streaming/download sites of course.

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Stray Cats "40"

(Surfdog/Mascot Records 2019)

Cat Fight (Over A Dog Like Me)

Rock It Off

I've Got Love If You Want It

Cry Danger

I Attract Trouble

Three Time's A Charm

That's Messed Up

When Nothing's Going Right

Desperado

Mean Pickin' Mama

I'll Be Looking Out For You

Devil Train

No need for an introductory paragraph when it comes to arguably thee most famous and influential rockabilly band of the past 40 years. Everyone from within the rockin' scene and most from without knows the Stray Cats. Their initial output and indeed image was fresh, exciting, different. Runaway Boys was unlike any other rockabilly song I'd heard up to that point. Granted, I was only 10, but when I heard it on the radio and then saw them on Top Of The Pops I was immediately taken by the whole package. These boys had everything. Fast forward to 1983 and the Rant n' Rave album. I took the lyrics about not going to school on (She's) Sexy + 17 seriously and subsequently failed most of my subjects that year as I was never there to learn anything. Point being. the Stray Cats played a big part in my life growing up. I wanted to be Slim Jim. That guy was my hero. As the years passed and more albums were released, some were hit and some were miss. By this time though I'd crossed over to the realms of psychobilly and the new breed of neo rockabilly and Cats albums weren't the be-all and end-all for me anymore. So when the trio announced a new album was in the pipeline I was hopeful of something great. I say hopeful and not sure as the Setzer solo stuff did nothing for me. The first two teaser songs the boys released, "Cat Fight (Over A Dog Like Me)" and "Rock It Off" dashed those hopes. Tedious, tired, run-of-the-mill songs. Still, I held out hope for the album. Unfortunately it was just more of the same with maybe a couple of okay-ish songs that might grow on me with further listens but at this point, forcing myself to like something kinda defeats the purpose. Nothing really grabs me on this album. Nothing! They say you can't judge a book by its cover. Well you can definitely judge this album by its cover! Unimaginative, lazy and well, it's all been done before. It's definitely been done by Setzer before as on more than one occasion he's borrowing from past output or in the case of Cry Danger simply adding different lyrics to a song which is a carbon copy of Aztec from his solo outing The Knife Feels Like Justice. The production is muddy with the snare sounding like it's from a demo tape and the slap of the upright bass is barely audible. Seemingly it was recorded live in the studio. But the finished product sounds like...well, it's like when you can hear a band playing in a venue but you're outside on the street a couple of doors away. Maybe if they had hired Dave Edmunds to produce this album it may not have been such a disappointment. But with that said, the song writing is just not that great to begin with so maybe not. I read an article in The Washington Post recently where Lee Rocker is quoted as saying " “We are the best band that has ever played this music.” No Lee. No you are not. Either that statement is completely pompous or the Stray Cats are completely unaware of the plethora of rockabilly and neo rockabilly bands out there that make this album sound pedestrian. Having read some feedback around the net there seems to be two camps when it comes to this release. Those that love it and those that find it mundane. I didn't want to belong to the latter camp but unfortunately I do.

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Pope Paul & The Illegals "When The Stars Come Hurtling Down"

(Dial Back Sound 2019)

Big Bitch Boogie

Beautiful Music

Drug Song

Signs & Wonders

Demon Ate My Dog

Up In The Clouds

I Love The Way

Awkward Dance

Jealousy

Old & Bitter

Goodbye

Eclectabilly outfit Pope Paul & The Illegals are back with another dose of impossible-to-pin down scorchers. This time on a big slab of vinyl and a sexy little download card for your aural ease. Once again, it's like you've attended a festival but as it turns out, only one band was on the bill. The lads transcend all the highways and byways of Americana and roots music in such a way that pigeon holes are well and truly roadkill. The boys rev it up, slow it down and drive sensibly in equal measure. From the manic to the melancholic. It's all here. The mixing and mastering is spot on. Crisp and crunchy, which incidentally is just how I like my women. Or is that cornflakes? I always get the two mixed up. No wonder I can't hold down a relationship. However, if you have one of those days where you can't decide what you want to listen to, then listen to this. It's like a various artists compilation without the various artists. I don't know how the lads pull it off (oooh matron!) but they do. And do so with fine aplomb. Once again, I'll get out my pimp overcoat and shove a load of links on the end of this where you can find out more about the lads and sample their wares for twenty dollah!

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The Eddy Blake Trio "Bucko"

(Sleazy Records 2019)

Terrible Tara Belle

Do A Little Bop

Every Day Of My Life Is A Waste Of Time

Good Old Boys

Play It Up

That's Why I Do What I Do

Stormy

Lost And I'll Never Find My Way

Love Me Baby

My Girl Mini

I'm A Wrecking Ball

Blues Stay Away From Me

You Can't Walk My Walk

Slap bass demigod Eddy Blake and his two cohorts know what rockabilly and roots music is all about. With a fine pedigree behind all three, this is some fine slap bass driven bop with the kind of stripped back appeal that made The Shakin' Pyramids one of my all time favourite bands. The music flows perfectly between rockabilly and honky tonk to some hairy bollocked rock'n'roll. Harmonious, echo-laden, doghouse bass drenched ditties abound but with enough variety in style to keep you going back for more. Now then, let me get this off my chest...the internet is alight recently with chatter about the forthcoming release of the Stray Cats new album. The much vaunted trio should hang their heads in shame. With the financial clout behind them they could have done a far better job on the production and mixing side of their new music. Granted I've only heard one song, but it's enough! Muddy, slapless demo-quality disappointment. Then we have The Eddy Blake Trio. A band with fuck all financial clout in comparison to the New York megabucks ensemble. The Eddy Blake Trio shine where the Cats don't. Now this may sound somewhat pejorative when it comes to the Cats. I don't mean it to. I love em. I don't love the missed opportunity with their new output. Conversely Eddy and the boys have recorded something that really shows how to breathe life into the 65 year old genre and keep it exciting. When I'm not actually listening to music, THIS is what rockabilly sounds like in my head. 

In addition to the CD release and of course the download option, there is also a 45 featuring three tracks taken from the album (Stormy/Wrecking Ball/Terrible Tara Belle) out now on limited edition vinyl on Modern Syndrome Records who have brought us some of the finest and rarest rockin' sounds over the years.   

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The Nevrotix "New Worlds"

(Crazy Love Records 2019)

Ghost

Lost Contact

Eleven

Bad Dream

Hypnosis

Voodoo Blues

 So, with this being the third release from The Nevrotix I think it's safe to say that this band release consistently great material. This release is a six-track mini LP/CD filled to the brim with old school psycho/neo beats and space age sonance.   When it comes to new material and studio recording techniques The Nevrotix are simply streets ahead of a lot of their counterparts. Production and mixing on New Worlds is immaculate. These boys understand what psycho/neo is all about. In a relatively short time they've become one of those newer bands that have surpassed some of the psychobilly old guard in my favourites ranking. I'm not a one for dwelling on past glories and declaring that such-and-such an album from 1985 is thee best thing I ever heard. Certainly that era was fresh and the albums released back then ingrained the whole psychobilly thing into my psyche but it's a new millennium and The Nevrotix keep that torch burning and sound just as fresh to me as the first time I heard Batmobile's first album or Frenzy's Hall Of Mirrors. To sum it up, I fuckin' love The Nevrotix me! The little dulcet delight is out now on limited orange vinyl (99 copies), black vinyl for the colour blind such as myself and sexy CD.

Buy the Orange Vinyl

Buy the Black Vinyl

Buy the CD

The Nevrotix on Facebook

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Crazy Love Records - Vinyl Reissues.

Guido over at Crazy Love Records has gone ballistic in recent times reissuing some psycho and rockin' classics on vinyl. Have a gander below at all the goodies on offer from the prince of pristine and his label of loot!

Originally released back in 2003 as a CD-only album, you can now get your claws on it in both black and orange vinyl. The orange pressing is a hand-numbered limited edition of 108.

Buy the black vinyl here!
Buy the orange vinyl here!!

 This 2005 release from Rockabilly Mafia is also seeing its first outing on vinyl. Again we have two colours to choose from. Hard man black and gigolo red. The red is a hand-numbered limited edition of 110.

Buy the black vinyl here!
Buy the red vinyl here!!

Two tracks from Demented Are Go which were first featured back in 1985 on the Hell's Bent On Rockin' compilation album. Not only have we three colours to choose from (black, red and orange...the red is limited to 54 copies and the orange to 56) but the sound on this release is superior to the original vinyl release.

Buy the black vinyl here!
Buy the red vinyl here!!
Buy the orange vinyl here!!!

Late last year Stomp Records gave us the Gutter Demons 5th studio album. You can read my review of it here if you haven't already. Anyway, our Guido has licensed a vinyl release of the 12 inch throbber on both black and silver vinyl. You guessed it, the silver is a limited edition.

Buy the black vinyl here!
Buy the silver vinyl here!!

Spectre "Spectre"

(Killjoy Records 2018)

Out Of Time

West

I've Been Fine

Spectre

Hailing from East LA this is the début release from Spectre. What grabbed me by the scrote immediately was that bass. Guitar is to metal as slap bass is to psychobilly. And on this record that slap bass sound has been expertly mixed and mastered by Steven Venegas. It ricochets all over every song and you can hear those notes! This is something that more often than not gets lost in the mix. All you'll hear is a series of clicks but not so here. That Weight Watchers dodging big bulbous violin takes centre stage. The guitar has undertones of Latin American styling  in conjunction with a nice clean old school rockin' sound. Vocally, Andres has somewhat of an unusual style. It's like a hybrid of singing and talking. Stalking! Yes. That's it. Initially there were 50 transparent black ones available from the band but I don't know if they're still available and 50 grey ones available from Killjoy (still available I think) and the rest in good auld black. Click the links below to find out more about the boys and of course add this crackin' release to your bulging collection.

Spectre on Facebook

Buy the record from Killjoy

Hellacious Harmonies on Facebook

The Rusty Robots "Sweethearts, Kisses, Bloody Knives"

(Killjoy Records 2018)

Sweethearts, Kisses, Bloody Knives

The Last Man On Earth

Dust To Dust (Demo)

My jockstrap split at the seams when Anna from Killjoy Records sent me a package which contained the latest 7 inch from everyone's favourite no bullshit old school psychobilly trio The Rusty Robots. Kicking things off is a cute child's voice with an equally cute German accent saying "Rusty Robots" before the cuteness abruptly ends and the slaptastic rhythms kick in. There are 3 songs of infectious psychobilly to be had here and each one is a keeper...even the demo...which does NOT sound like a demo. The guitar has a nice blend of reverb, twang and heel damping. Coupled with a nice rich snare drum and echo-laden tom toms and finely slapped bass, it is what it is...the epitome of psychobilly. Melodically the boys are on point with each song title aptly named for the sounds to follow. The Last Man On Earth is case in point. The musical structure oozes 1960s sci-fi. The three-song-slab-of sexiness has a lyrically morbid range of subject matter juxtaposed by music that you can't sit still to. I always wanted to use "juxtaposed" in a review. Life goals complete. 

The Rusty Robots on Facebook

Buy the record from Killjoy

Hellacious Harmonies on Facebook