Nausea Bomb "Bonechestra"

(Crazy Love Records/Zombies Union Records 2016)

Oschestra

Death Floor

Dick Cut Drinker

Blood Fall

Pussycat Vampire

Wake Up Your Madness

More French nastiness to be had, this time coming from Nausea Bomb, a female-fronted punkabilly outfit with their new mini album out on a Crazy Love/Zombies Union Records collaboration. I say female-fronted which is true but vocals are shared with the male contingent in the band. Also, when I say punkabilly, I don't mean that annoying as fuck hardcore punk with a double bass; this is more of a 1970s anthemic-punk sound...with a double bass. For a quartet the sound is very full, with a lot going on rhythmically in the background. I only like a handful of punk bands as I'm very picky when it comes to that genre, but Nausea Bomb seem to be influenced by the same handful of punk bands that I like. In fairness I can't understand a word they're singing as it's in French but then I can barely understand most psychobilly lyrics sung in English anyway. The production is flawless which gives a kind of "live in the studio" feel where all the raw energy has been captured. Those choruses though are what makes Nausea Bomb stand out from the rest of their punkabilly cohorts. As I alluded to earlier, anthemic! A crackin' little release from Nausea Bomb with some crackin' little ditties to be heard. The album is available on CD and limited edition vinyl. Links below...

The O'Prez

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Lucianos "Think Twice Before Cheating"

(Killjoy Records 2016)

Think Twice Before Cheating

Dark Angelo

Germany's Killjoy Records have unleashed upon us their new Buzzkill 45 series which gives a big nod in the direction of 1960's surf 45s. But this is no museum piece. Fresh out on the label is the new single from French powersurf trio the Lucianos. Featuring members of psychobilly demi-gods the Astro Zombies and Demented Are Go you just know this is going to be quality stuff before the needle hits the groove. The A side explains in no uncertain terms why this is referred to as powersurf. It's a surf instrumental with balls. Guitarist Gino Luciano must have forearms like Popeye the dextrous-fingered-freak of nature. There's a hint of Spaghetti Western going on too. The B side kicks off with a more subdued feeling. Perfect for sipping cocktails on the beach whilst being fanned by a palm leaf-holding native. However, as the song progresses you can forget all the sun and fun you normally equate with the original surf movement of the 1960s. There's an appealing dark vibe to this one (the clue was in the song title) which makes you think peril is just around the corner.

You can pick up the single from the band or from Killjoy Records (links below). It's a limited pressing of 500 copies: 400 black, 50 clear/white both of which are only available from the band or there's 50 blue which you can buy from Killjoy. Killjoy have also released a full length album from the boys on cassette Yes, cassette!

The O'Prez

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The Spastiks "Cannibal Clan"

(Crazy Love Records 2016)

Cannibal Clan (From Bambooland)

Wolfman Crawl

Upskirt Blues

Dynamite

Leaping testicles of steel! Guido Neumann's big package gave me much pleasure this morning; for inside there were not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4....ok there were 4...4 7 inch discs of delight. My ocular deficiency in the colour department was put to the challenge, but I'm reliably informed that this 45 of frolics comes in black (I knew that one) and in very limited numbers of green, yellow and magenta. Now then, what does it sound like? Who cares?? Check out that erect-nipple-inducing artwork! Fuck me pink who ever did this is the king of art. Everything from the front cover, the rear, the labels...this monarch of mastur...I mean mastery should be seated on a throne immediately. Oh, hang on, it was me. I did it. Me. Johnny O'Prez.... www.the-oprez.com and ww.facebook.com/TheArtOfTheOPrez

Johnny O'Prez. The King Of Art

But that's enough subtle hints about the artist (me...I did the art)...onwards to the sounds. Myself and guitarist Tim Gagné are bffs and he's been pleasuring me for years with his various musical output.  I've always been an admirer of his guitar style which has a lot of rockabilly twang. Therefore I was gagging to get me claws on this release from his band The Spastiks. The trio of Nu Yoik ne're-do-wells have been tirelessly honing their craft for ages now and it's evident upon listening to this EP that that work has paid off. It's real underground psychobilly the way it's meant to sound. Lashings of psycho perfectly infused with that rockabilly twang I mentioned earlier. Couple that with B movie lyrics and a twist of the perverse and that sums up The Spastiks. Sonically, the mixing is pristine. The slap bass and drums compliment each other perfectly and the guitar almost adds an air of menace. It transports me back to a time when I was hanging around street corners in me 14-hole Dr Martens. I love this release. If this doesn't see The Spastiks rise through the ranks of the psychobilly scene then the denizens must all be tone deaf. 

The O'Prez

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The Test Pilots "Parachute Party"

(Street13 2016)

The Blob

Thin Blue Line

Flipped Out, Twisted n' Trashed

Deadly Rhythms

Test Pilot Beat

What Have I Become?

The Doom

Case Closed

Jumble Stomp

Can't You See?

Holy fucking shit...what did I just listen to?...I'm off to listen to it again....*returns after multiple orgas..I mean...listens*. Gothenburg's Test Pilots have landed with a début album that is like a slap across the chops with a wet flannel. If you've been lulling around in the land of run-of-the-mill psychobilly and suffering from sonic erectile dysfunction then this is both the wake-up call you've been waiting for and the viagra for your ears. Mine perked up immediately and haven't gone flaccid since. If you bought their EP you know what to expect. But that teasing entrée wasn't quite satiating enough. We all wanted more. Well here's the main course and I've drooled all down the crease of me moobs. Straddling the line once more between psychobilly and neo rockabilly but doing so in a way that really makes you sit up and take notice. I love the production on this album....especially the sound of the snare drum. When coupled with the slap bass it gives the sound a great big pair of hairy bollocks. Then of course add Tony's distinctive, incomparable guitar playing and Matt's sore throat vocals and suddenly an enormous phallus sprouts from betwixt those aforementioned testes. This is hands down my favourite release of the year thus far. You can purchase the CD or vinyl from Street13 or give Martin's Garage a shout. Go on. You know you want it, you dirty fecker!

The O'Prez

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Blue Rockin' "Back To Blue"

(Crazy Love Records 2016)

Deep Red Wine

Evil Eyes

I Hope You Die

Insane Thoughts

Gone Daddy Gone

Keep On Walking

Part Of The Game

One Night One Day

Wasting My Time

Serial Killer Dance

Last Goodbye

Loaded Gun

Blue Rockin', a band whose moniker (and album title) might lead one to believe that the ditties within are of the rhythm 'n' blues variety....WROOOOONG! Well, there might be a slight hint of blues here and there but anyone familiar with the band will be expecting some rough diamond neo rockabilly/psychobilly of the rockin' variety. Expectations met! 11 self-penned pounding, raw, raucous gems and a testicle-tightening cover of the Violent Femmes Gone Daddy Gone.There's a bit of a garage/trash element to their sound too which keeps the whole thing fresh instead of getting bogged down in predictability. There's a lot more to this album than the 3 main ingredients of guitar, slap bass and drums. There are some appetising side-orders thrown in to the mix to make your ears salivate. It's a veritable cornucopia of sounds of the underground sex-fest. Ich fuckin' liebe Blue Rockin', me. 
 The O'Prez

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Véloniños "Véloniños"

(Rue End Records 2016)

Alabamaman

Red Diesel Medicine

Helenstown

Hey Véloniño!

Levengrove Park

Mad Cat Dynamo

Preacherman

Bully For You!

These Quiet Lands

Hillbilly Girl

Not since Cadbury reinstated the Wispa have I been this satiated. I didn't realise how much I missed the velvety tones of Davie Duncan's voice. Since the Shakin' Pyramids headed off in to the land of legendary status with their farewell gift of Celts And Cobras, I thought that was it. We'll never hear from the boys again. But, here they are, well two of em, in a new incarnation with an album that takes up where Celts And Cobras left off. Davie and Ken are back with their new outfit Véloniños with Laurie Cuffe and Shug Jamieson completing the ensemble. I bought their digital download EP a while back and was immediately enamoured with their sound. It was almost like coming home. Fast forward a few months and Véloniños announced their first full length was available for pre-order. Pre-order it I did and have been listening to it almost all the time since its arrival. It's an eclectic mix of up-tempo well produced rockabilly and roots infused sonic delights. But, there are a couple of ballads on here that for me are thee standout tracks. Delivered with a heartfelt sincerity that can sometimes be lost in a studio setting. Véloniños are a class act. The album is written and produced entirely by the band themselves and they've also opted for some atypical sleeve artwork. I love a band that doesn't conform to the usual formulaic rockabilly conventions. The lyrical content in some cases seems to be stories from the their own lives put to song, and done so adroitly. I love a good thought provoking story as much as I love a good song. This is what the boys bring to the table on this album. It's not all serious though. There's plenty of manic rockabilly here too. As I said earlier...it's an eclectic mix. Excellent musicianship and that voice! The album is available directly from the band and a plethora of other outlets in both physical and digital formats....now for the daunting task of adding those links....

The O'Prez

ps....my booklet is better than your booklet.......

Véloniños on Facebook
Véloniños Official
Véloniños Store
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The Lab Ratz "Terror Is Loose!"

(Crazy Love Records 2016)

Sailing Ratz

My Psychobillity

Trop Tard

Uptown Mouse

Revenge

Duct Tape Boogie

Terror Is Loose

Be My Baby Tonight

Channel Real TV

Riding

Where The Demons Go

Fukushima Surf

Wild Cavemen

Another début album has landed at Chez O'Prez causing a domino effect in that my nipples became so erect upon listening to it that they knocked over a line of cynical auld cunts claiming that psychobilly is dead in the water. My arse it is! We're only a few weeks in to 2016 and already the gauntlet has been thrown down by Canada's Lab Ratz. This thing will be a tough act to follow by their psychobilly cohorts. In days of yore when psychobilly was first adopted and adapted by our cousins across the pond it didn't really sound right. With the exception of The Quakes, it all sounded like tough rockabilly as opposed to having that very European twist which to my ears is the essence of psychobilly. After all, though a direct offshoot of rockabilly, it is not rockabilly, so fast rockabilly, psychobilly does not make. It needs that big dollop of European flavouring to make it pleasing to my ears. It needs aggression. It needs a mental rockabilly beat that does not sound like it's from the 1950s. It needs musicians that are beyond expert at their craft and a vocal styling that says "look at me again and I'll fuckin' kill ya". The Lab Ratz check all these boxes and then some. I'd heard of the band before in passing (possibly through my love of the Gutter Demons...Johnny Toxik plays guitar in this band too), but as with the complete and utter overkill of social media, my mental note to check them out kept going out of my head. So I didn't really know what to expect when I got this album. Psychobilly bands are either excellent or shite. There's no in between. The boys are the former. Even after I take me headphones off I can still hear em reverberating through me skull; a bit like after having the head blown off ya at a live show. This is straight-up 100% psychobilly of the highest order. 

The O'Prez

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