The Cramps - Bad Music for Bad People

I wouldn't think for a minute that anyone who would stumble upon my blog wouldn't know about that Cramps and know that their stuff - especially the early work - is all completely essential. This compilation was released by IRS after the band left the label, as a way to cash in and re-format some of their more obscure tunes, compiling a number of their single releases that even at this time (1984) were getting harder to find.

Of course, there's a few songs that even any casual fan would have owned - "Garbage Man", "Goo Goo Muck", "TV Set", "Human Fly" - but it also has some true classics that were only released on 7", 10" or 12" singles. "New Kind of Kick" is one such example and one of their all-time best numbers - simple, demented, and covered in fuzz and tremelo! They take the Phantom's frantic rockabilly number, "Love Me" and twist it into truly psychotic-abilly. Charlie Feathers' hiccuped delivery on "I Can't Hardly Stand It" is taken way past 11 and way past normal credibility, in the way that only Lux could do, as he does for Hasil Adkins already looney-tunes "She Said", where, so the story goes, Lux chewed up a styrofoam cup in order to get the "proper" vocal tone!

Mel Robbins' "Save It" was originally a ravin' rockabilly swinger, albeit with a somewhat lewd lyrical content and delivery, but in the Cramps hands it became a dirge-y, lascivious number, with Lux's unique delivery and a couple of twisted guitar solos. Their original "Drug Train" went through various previous incarnations before becoming this intoxicating, rockabillying, mix of metaphors where Lux sounds somewhat trashed and the combined "whoo-whoo's" are a wonderful sing-along touch. Finally, Warren Smith's positively happy-go-lucky "Uranium Rock" is slowed down and made into something far more radioactively menacing, as these mutants were wont to do.

While this is a fabulous comp, if you already owned Off the Bone (release the previous year), you probably wouldn't need this one, as that one has everything except "Uranium Rock" (a good one, to be sure) plus several more songs, and had a 3D cover! But, this one was pretty widely available and you can't argue with the music here!

recommended gigs

Thursday Feb 28 - Atomic Video Jukebox with James Q Mayhem at the Double Down

Friday Mar 1 - The Psyatics with Stagnetti's Cock, Not a Robot, and Stereo Assault at the Double Down

Saturday Mar 2 - the Scoundrels and Pet Tigers at the Dive Bar
Saturday Mar 2 - No Que No and the Hideaway at the Huntridge Tavern
Saturday Mar 2 - Franks'n'Deans at GOAT

Sunday Mar 3 - Thee Hypnotiques at the Golden Tiki
Sunday Mar 3 - Burly Q Revue with Johnny Zig and the Force at the Double Down

Monday Mar 4 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Monday Mar 4 - Jeffrey Koenig and Friends at the Summit at Sun City Summerlin

Wednesday Mar 6 - Franks'n'Deans with Shamehole and Critical Miss at the Double Down
Wednesday Mar 6 - Jinxy Bear at 172

Thursday Mar 7 - Powersolo (insane Danish combo!) at the Bunkhouse

Friday Mar 8 - Thee Swank Bastards at Tiki di Amore

Saturday Mar 9 - The Peculiar Pretzelmen with the Implosions at the Huntridge Tavern
Saturday Mar 9 - The Unwieldies at the Dillinger
Saturday Mar 9 - the New Waves at the Boulder Dam Brewing Co

Sunday Mar 10 - the Reeves Brothers at Saddle'n'Spurs

Monday Mar 11 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Thursday Mar 14 - The Real McKenzies, the Sheiks of Neptune, Lean 13 and Pinata Protest at the Dive Bar
Thursday Mar 14 - TV Party showing Leprechaun with live music by the Pluralses
Thursday Mar 14 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Cornish Pasty

Friday Mar 15 - Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers with the All Togethers at Brooklyn Bowl
Friday Mar 15 - Acid Sisters and the Quacks at the Beauty Bar

Saturday Mar 16 - The Swamp Gospel with the Psyatics and Fur Dixon (ex-Cramps / Hollywood Hilbillys) at the Double Down

Sunday Mar 17 - Trevor and the Swinging Johnsons at Saddle'n'Spurs hosting the LV Blues Society Jam

Monday Mar 18 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Wednesday Mar 20 - The Psyatics, Franks'n'Deans, Johnny Zig and Goldtop Bob and  at the Double Down

Friday Mar 22 - Spindrift, Van der Rohe, Timothy Eerie, Dream Phases at the Bunkhouse for Brian Moy's birthday
Friday Mar 22 - Thee Swank Bastards, Anubis, Better Broken, Eric Travis Wilson, Pyrite Sidewald at the Double Down

Saturday Mar 23 - Roselit Bone, Mooncult, Danny Dodge, Hypnotiques at Velveteen Rabbit for Dirty Rock'n'Roll Dance Party
Saturday Mar 23 - No Que No, Yellow Vertigo, the Dobermen, the Sonz at Ocha Bar

Monday Mar 25 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Wednesday Mar 27 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Double Down

Friday Mar 29 - the Implosions with Get Married, Three Rounds and Jerk at Evel Pie

Saturday Mar 30 - Copycat Delux night, a tribute to the Cramps. hosted by DJ Xerox with the Swamp Gospel, the Psyatics, and Mizz Absurd at the Golden Tiki

Monday April 1 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday April 5 - the New Waves at the Golden Tiki

Saturday April 6 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Hideaway

Monday April 8 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday April 12 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Monday April 15 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Tues April 16 - Dirty R'n'R Dance Party presents Peter Egri (from Hungary), Eddie Clendening, Johnny 7 and more at 172

Saturday April 27 - The Psyatics with 16 Again (70's punk covers from Orange County) at the Double Down

Sunday April 28 - Thor (70's rock god!) with Sheiks of Neptune at Evel Pie

Wednesday May 1 - Extra Gold (country from Denver, CO) at 172 inside the Rio

Friday May 3 - The Psyatics with the Implosions and the Sheiks of Neptune at the Huntridge Tavern

Sunday May 5 - Pound with the Bitters and Life's Torment at the Bunkhouse

Saturday May 11 - The Swamp Gospel with the Sin Eaters and the Rhyolite Sound at the Double Down

May 23-27 - Punk Rock Bowling festival - lots of cool shows on the festival stage and in the clubs - check out their listing!

Monday May 27 - Save Ferris, Monkey, Franks'n'Deans at Backstage Bar and Billiards

Sunday June 9 - Kid Congo and the Pink Money Birds, Slim Cessna's Auto Club and The Psyatics and Ted Rader's Magic Family at Backstage Bar and Billiards

Saturday June 22 - Bob Log III with the Swamp Gospel at the Bunkhouse

Sunday August 18 - George Clinton and Parliment Funkadelic at the Brooklyn Bowl

What have I forgotten? Lemme know

Pine Hill Haints - To Win or To Lose

And yes, I'm also still on a PHHs kick after seeing them a few weeks ago and I finally got around to finding this 2009 release (on Olympia's K Records - hadn't seen that hip label in a while). The Gentlemen of Four Outs cover "Never Gonna Die" from this record so I have been searching for it for a while to hear the original, especially since they did a terrific version of it at their last show. Again, the entire album is filled with their unique "Ghost Music" - a combination of zydeco, folk, blues, bluegrass and much more. Jamie leads the pack on guitar and fiddle with multi instrumentalist Katie (expert on the singin' saw), Matt on bucket bass and banjo (either he goes under various names or I have identified him incorrectly in other reviews - my apologies!), Ben on snare and here Mike Posey plays accordion and Joey Barrier also adds some banjo.

On the appropriately titled "Intro", the band revs up like a train pulling out of the station before moving into "Not So Lucky and the Invisible Kid", a short, galloping piece that then leads into "Charley Horse", a similar bit of bluegrass/punk (maybe, sorta?). Is "Bordello Blackwidow" banjo calypso? In a way, I guess! They take it a bit slower for "Scar" - Americana/folk/blues? - and "Halloween-time All the Time" is almost a waltz, done in their own peculiar way and with some singin' saw and mandolin-like guitar licks for atmosphere. "Never Cry" is upbeat'n'bouncy, almost pop (in a good way!) with a bit of spaghetti western (again, sorta/kinda - these cats are hard to describe!), and the wonderfully titled "Revenge of the Spider-Web Boy" is a bit like a jazzy Tom Waits number but with fiddle thrown in, just to throw ya off!

The traditional "Je Passe Devant ta Porte" is a fiddle-led waltz, followed by the afore-mentioned "Never Gonna Die", a fantastic FU to the grim reaper that is a sparse banjo piece sung and played by bassist Matt with a bit of saw in the background for coloring. I love the different arrangements that I have heard of this one - live they add some extra vocal chants - always a good one! Matt continues on the banjo for the animated "My Bones Are Gonna Rise Again" (apt tune to succeed "Never Gonna Die") and then Jamie is back on vocals for the folk-y, fiddlin' "How Much Poison Does It Take" and a traditional, waltzing, war tale, "The Ranger's Command". "Screaming Jenny" is another one of Matt's and stands out a bit with its reggae-ish vocals and echo'd guitar chords, Jamie's back for "Doublehead", a bluesy/garagey tune and they close out with the Bob Dylan-esque "You Are My Thief".

As I've said, my descriptions are all approximations as these cats really don't sound like much of anyone else, but I totally dig their mix of influences and terrific songwriting and interpretations! Great record!

Nashville Pussy - Say Something Nasty

Yeah, I'm still on a Nashville Pussy kick after seeing them the other week and again I realized that this 2002 release had not received the rant'n'rave review.

Opening with some appropriate "Words of Wisdom" they move right into the high-energy boogie-rock of the title track - songs like this you would think would have crossed-over to the AC/DC metal heads, but I guess that there's too much white-trash-punk-rock in this metal! They kick up the speed and the white-trashiness in "Gonna Hitchhike Down to Cincinnati and Kick the Shit Outta Your Drunk Daddy" as well as "You Give Drugs a Bad Name", where they go for the Southern Rock/Boogie/riffin' groove as they berate those who can't handle their illicit substances. It's a bit more straight forward punk rock (as much as they ever are) in "The Bitch Just Kicked Me Out" but back to almost a "Slow Ride" head-banger for "Keep on Fuckin'", where Ruyter wails on some wicked licks and the ladies (Katie Lynn on bass on this record) do hip call'n'answer vocals before returning to the locomotive speed for "Jack Shack".

Cool double leads highlight the head-banging "Keep Them Things Away From Me" then they channel their inner Lynyrd Skynyrd for "Here's To Your Destruction" with its high energy honky tonkin'. Ruyter'n'Blaine trade off fast'n'furious riffs on "Let's Get the Hell Outta Here", the guitars are especially heavy'n'dynamic and almost bluesy (for them) in "Slow Movin' Train", there's a hint of the 70's-era Faces in "Beat Me Senseless" (never a bad thing!), back to the lick-laden boogie rock for "Can't Get Rid Of It" and they do a pretty darn spot-on cover of "Rock'n'Roll Hoochie Coo" with Ruyter holding her own in the solo spot that both Johnny Winter and Rick Derringer played previously before the "Outro", which is obviously the end jam of one of the other songs that was cut short, with more Ruyter wailin'!

This is another solid white trash, boogie-fueled, punk'n'roll monster from the Pussy! It's a goodie!

TV Party Tonight at the Double Down with Life of Brian, Scott Giliam, Water Landing, the Psyatics, Saturday Feb 23, 2019

Haanson Myer's TV Party Tonight events at the Double Down are always a good time with VJ Atomic (Haanson) playing the coolest music videos throughout the night with the addition of a full length movie and a live band. For this special Saturday night edition, we got Monty Python's LIfe of Brian movie, trivia and a Q and A with Terry Gilliam's brother Scott (an old friend of Haanson's), live music from Water Landing and a set from the Psyatics with me (self promoter that I am) debuting on second guitar!

Life of Brian is, of course, a classic Python movie and is always a pleasure to watch, even in a booze-ridden dive bar with several dozen of your closest friends. Scott Gilliam told some tales of this movie along with the Holy Grail, answered some audience questions and gave out special Monty Python memorabilia as prizes for correct trivia answers!

The Water Landing folks all were under the weather (not surprising, considering how crazy the Las Vegas weather has been lately!) and keyboardist/vocalist/stewardess Jules could not make it to the show at all, but the other three put on a strong showing with a hard-edged set of their quirky, new-wave-y songs from their two CD's. Good energy and stage presence despite their illnesses!

Of course, I can't say much about the Psyatics set as I was playing with them this eve, but these cats were always one of my fave bands in town and I've always dug their no-wave/noize-punk sounds and I can only hope that I added some fullness and coherence to the mania! We debuted a couple of new tunes with more on the way, and lot of shows, including some super special guests coming up in March and further on, so be on the lookout! Naturally, I couldn't take any photos - if I come across any, I will add them to this post!

Thank you to Haanson, the DD, Scott Gilliam and Water Landing (and the rest of the Psyatics, of course!) for a fun-filled evening!

Nashville Pussy - High As Hell

I realize that there are several NP releases that I never ranted about since they came out before I started this blog and just never got around to them. This 2000 record stars the original line-up - fire breathing Corey Parks on bass and Jeremy on drums - and is another wild ride through a southern boogie version of high octane punk'n'roll!

Jeremy sets the rockin' pace for the opening "Struttin' Cock" that jumps out like a punk rock AC/DC with cool call'n'answer shout-outs to'n'from Corey and guitarist Ruyter from Blaine and Ruyter wails majestically, as she is wont to do. If anything, they get even wilder for "Shoot First and Run Like Hell" and then slow down ever-so-slightly for the head-bangin', groovin' ode to illicit materials in "She's Got the Drugs". They get as close as they ever will to Southern boogie in "Wrong Side of the Gun" (complete with cowbell!), then go for wildly fast-paced punk in the spellathon "Piece of Ass" and back to AC/DC-ness for the riffin' title cut.

"You Ain't Right" is another outta control raver that is somewhat reminiscent of their older "Go Motherfucker Go", "Go To Hell" goes back to the slowly stompin' boogie-riff-rock before it ends with a double time ending for Ruyter to wail over. Instead of the more obvious AC/DC, they go for Rose Tattoo's "Rock'n'Roll Outlaw" for a stomp-yer-hands-clap-your-feet cover, then push the pedal-to-the-metal for the whoo-whoo'in' "Let's Ride" (that kinda references Ted Nugent's "Stormtrooper" and also has some hep slide work), and give up another frantic riff-rocker in "Blowjob From a Rattlesnake" before closing out with a feedback-drenched pounder, "Drive" where they let Ruyter loose again at the end for some amazing guitar antics.

Guess I hadn't really thought about it this way before, but this really is their southern-boogie album - not that their other records don't reference it, as well, but this one is drenched in it! Pretty damn great record, really - Pussy in their prime!

recommended gigs

Friday Feb 22 - the Unwieldies and the Wayside at the Huntridge Tavern

Saturday Feb 23 - the Psyatics with Water Landing for a special TV Party Tonight showing Life of Brian with Scott Gilliam (Terry's brother) doing a Q and A at the Double Down
Saturday Feb 23 - Derv Gordon from the Equals at the Fremont Country Club

Monday Feb 25 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Tuesday Feb 26 - Brandon/Whiskey Breath with Sissy Brown at the Pioneer Saloon

Wednesday Feb 27- Thee Swank Bastards at the Double Down

Thursday Feb 28 - Atomic Video Jukebox with James Q Mayhem at the Double Down

Friday Mar 1 - The Psyatics with Stagnetti's Cock, Not a Robot, and Stereo Assault at the Double Down

Saturday Mar 2 - the Scoundrels and Pet Tigers at the Dive Bar
Saturday Mar 2 - No Que No and the Hideaway at the Huntridge Tavern
Saturday Mar 2 - Franks'n'Deans at GOAT

Sunday Mar 3 - Thee Hypnotiques at the Golden Tiki

Monday Mar 4 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Monday Mar 4 - Jeffrey Koenig and Friends at the Summit at Sun City Summerlin

Wednesday Mar 6 - Franks'n'Deans with Shamehole and Critical Miss at the Double Down
Wednesday Mar 6 - Jinxy Bear at 172

Thursday Mar 7 - Powersolo (insane Danish combo!) at the Bunkhouse

Saturday Mar 9 - The Peculiar Pretzelmen with the Implosions at the Huntridge Tavern
Saturday Mar 9 - The Unwieldies at the Dillinger

Sunday Mar 10 - the Reeves Brothers at Saddle'n'Spurs

Monday Mar 11 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Thursday Mar 14 - The Real McKenzies, the Sheiks of Neptune, Lean 13 and Pinata Protest at the Dive Bar

Friday Mar 15 - Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers with the All Togethers at Brooklyn Bowl
Friday Mar 15 - Acid Sisters and the Quacks at the Beauty Bar

Saturday Mar 16 - The Swamp Gospel with the Psyatics and Fur Dixon (ex-Cramps / Hollywood Hilbillys) at the Double Down

Monday Mar 18 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday Mar 22 - Spindrift, Van der Rohe, Timothy Eerie, Dream Phases at the Bunkhouse for Brian Moy's birthday
Friday Mar 22 - Thee Swank Bastards, Anubis, Better Broken, Eric Travis Wilson, Pyrite Sidewald at the Double Down

Saturday Mar 23 - Roselit Bone, Mooncult, Danny Dodge, Hypnotiques at Velveteen Rabbit for Dirty Rock'n'Roll Dance Party

Monday Mar 25 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Wednesday Mar 27 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Double Down

Friday Mar 29 - the Implosions with Get Married, Three Rounds and Jerk at Evel Pue

Saturday Mar 30 - Copycat Delux night, a tribute to the Cramps. hosted by DJ Xerox with the Swamp Gospel, the Psyatics, and Mizz Absurd at the Golden Tiki

Friday April 5 - the New Waves at the Golden Tiki

Tues April 16 - Dirty R'n'R Dance Party presents Peter Egri (from Hungary), Eddie Clendening, Johnny 7 and more at 172

Saturday April 27 - The Psyatics with 16 Again (70's punk covers from Orange County) at the Double Down

Friday May 3 - The Psyatics with the Implosions and the Sheiks of Neptune at the Huntridge Tavern

Saturday May 11 - The Swamp Gospel with the Sin Eaters and the Rhyolite Sound at the Double Down

May 23-27 - Punk Rock Bowling festival - lots of cool shows on the festival stage and in the clubs - check out their listing!

Monday May 27 - Save Ferris, Monkey, Franks'n'Deans at Backstage Bar and Billiards

Sunday June 9 - Kid Congo and the Pink Money Birds, Slim Cessna's Auto Club and The Psyatics and Ted Rader's Magic Family at Backstage Bar and Billiards

Saturday June 22 - Bob Log III with the Swamp Gospel at the Bunkhouse

Sunday August 18 - George Clinton and Parliment Funkadelic at the Brooklyn Bowl

What have I forgotten? Lemme know

RIP Peter Tork

Monkees singer Peter Tork dies at 77 after being diagnosed with rare tongue cancer 10 years ago 
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So sad to hear! The Monkees were a big part of my youth and Peter was a very underrated musician who had been playing around the folk scene well before the TV show.

Nashville Pussy - Let Them Eat Pussy

By the time NP released this major label debut (on Mercury Records), their live show was a super tight, super-sexy, super-white-trashy, sideshow circus of fire breathin', lesbian kisses, booze drinkin', clothes-strippin', pile-drivin' rhythms and wild guitar antics. Fronted by ex-9 Pound Hammer Blaine on lead vocals and guitar, the band consisted of his wife, Ruyter, on stunnin' lead guitar (like a female, punk'n'roll Angus Young), fire-ball-slingin' giantess Corey Parks on bass and powerhouse Jeremy never lettin' up on the drums. They went from small club dates to headliners in no time and this record was even nominated for a Grammy (!!!) for "Fried Chicken and Coffee"! This is sleazee, greasy punk'n'roll with amazing production by Kurt Bloch (Young Fresh Fellows) and sounds as great now as it did then!

Layers of feedback open "Snake Eyes" which blurs into a wild ride of fast paced punk'n'metal'n'roll - short, simple but filled with crazed guitar work! If anything, they're even more frantic in "You're Goin' Down" and continue on for the sing-along "Go Motherfucker Go", where Blaine's whiskey voice is shouted raw and they even give us a fake ending. The riff-laden screechin' boast of "I'm the Man", no relation to any of the similarly named songs, gives us lyrical gems like "wake up with my balls on fire, sweat gasoline when I perspire" while Ruyter riffs away maniacally which is followed by more lyrical beauty in the start'n'stop dynamics of "All Fucked Up". There's an actual story line to one of their best, the blastin' punk'n'roll ode to dirt track derby, "Johnny Hotrod", with singalong lines like "no you stupid boy you just fucked up again!"

Flip over the vinyl and they speed up even more for "5 Minutes to Live" and they don't let up for "Somebody Shoot Me" and barely even take a breath before "Blowin' Smoke". Smokey Robinson's (by way of the Contours and most likely learned from the J. Geils Band) "First I Look At the Purse" is given the Pussy treatment - sped up with Thunders-ish guitar leads added - and leads into the feedback'n'female groanin' intro to "Eat My Dust" - again, so damn fast it's hard to keep up with - before the grand finale of "Fried Chicken and Coffee" that is actually just moderately fast, with a cool groove, tons of guitars and Blaine's poetic one-liners like "it's time for all of you to line up, get on your knees and kiss my butt" and "wash the sperm outta your ears and put your goddamn heads right in the speakers and listen to the shit I'm about to put down"! What follows is a count down into their longest song and a frenetic freakout for their dual lead guitars (Blaine's simple solo first, with Ruyter tearin' it up at the end), which was once their show stopper where Ruyter would literally tear the strings of of her guitar while climbing up on whatever was available and making a ferocious racket.

The songs are all simple, short, and yes, a bit repetitive, but, combined with the crazed stage show, they filled out the sleeze-punk image that garnered them a huge group of converts.

With the success of the initial release, there was a second pressing that included a bonus CD/EP of cover songs called Eat More Pussy, so, of course fans had to buy that, as well (along with the vinyl, naturally!) This was a compilation of cuts from previous 7" releases where they let their influences run the gamut. Opening with AC/DC's "Kicked in the Teeth", they strip it of the original band's groove, but add their own mania to it, naturally, and practically create a whole new song! They logically follow this with Australia's similarly styled heavy band, Rose Tattoo's "Nice Boys Don't Play Rock'n'Roll", which is much closer to the original. There's a high speed take on the traditional "Milk Cow Blues", a frantic "Headin' For the Texas Border" (Flamin' Groovies, natch), an insane "Sock It To Me Baby" (Mitch Ryder) and a bit more appropriately paced (cuz it was punk rock to start with) "(I'm) Misunderstood" (the Saints - more Aussies!).

Like I said, not a lot of variation, but it's a good, powerful concept, like the Ramones had, so they could run with it and they did vary things a little bit as time went on. In any case, this release is a power house and still a blast to listen to (and see live!).

recommended gigs

Thursday Feb 14 - TV Party Tonight showing My Bloody Valentine with live music by Stagnetti's Cock at the Double Down
Thursday Feb 14 - Shanda and the Howlers at Artifice

Friday Feb 15 - the New Waves at the Golden Tiki
Friday Feb 15 - Sheiks of Neptune, Jerk, the Pluralses, the Deveros at the Double Down
Friday Feb 15 - the Unwieldies, the Red Seduction, Lulu and the Black Sheep at Rebar

Saturday Feb 16 - Monk and the Po Boys at the Goldmine Tavern
Saturday Feb 16 - No Que No, the Sonz at Ocha Bar

Sunday Feb 17 - LV Blues Society Blues Jam at Saddle'n'Spurs

Monday Feb 18 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Tuesday Feb 19 - the Hypnotiques at the Golden Tiki

Friday Feb 22 - the Unwieldies and the Wayside at the Huntridge Tavern

Saturday Feb 23 - the Psyatics at the Double Down
Saturday Feb 23 - Derv Gordon from the Equals at the Fremont Country Club

Monday Feb 25 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Tuesday Feb 26 - Brandon/Whiskey Breath with Sissy Brown at the Pioneer Saloon

Wednesday Feb 27- Thee Swank Bastards at the Double Down

Friday Mar 1 - The Psyatics with Stagnetti's Cock, Not a Robot, and Stereo Assault at the Double Down

Saturday Mar 2 - Bootleg (all female band featuring Andi from the Creamers/Snap-Her) with the Scoundrels and Pet Tigers at the Dive Bar
Saturday Mar 2 - No Que No and the Hideaway at the Huntridge Tavern

Sunday Mar 3 - Thee Hypnotiques at the Golden Tiki

Monday Mar 4 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Wednesday Mar 6 - Franks'n'Deans with Shamehole and Critical Miss at the Double Down
Wednesday Mar 6 - Jinxy Bear at 172

Thursday Mar 7 - Powersolo (insane Danish combo!) at the Bunkhouse

Saturday Mar 9 - The Peculiar Pretzelmen with the Implosions at the Huntridge Tavern

Sunday Mar 10 - the Reeves Brothers at Saddle'n'Spurs

Monday Mar 11 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Saturday Mar 16 - The Swamp Gospel with the Psyatics and Fur Dixon (ex-Cramps / Hollywood Hilbillys) at the Double Down

Monday Mar 18 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday Mar 22 - Spindrift, Van der Rohe, Timothy Eerie, Dream Phases at the Bunkhouse for Brian Moy's birthday

Saturday Mar 23 - Bluegrass Festival at

Monday Mar 25 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Wednesday Mar 27 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Double Down

Friday Mar 29 - the Implosions with Get Married, Three Rounds and Jerk at Evel Pue

Saturday Mar 30 - Copycat Delux night, a tribute to the Cramps. hosted by DJ Xerox with the Swamp Gospel, the Psyatics, and Mizz Absurd at the Golden Tiki

Tues April 16 - Dirty R'n'R Dance Party presents Peter Egri (from Hungary), Eddie Clendening, Johnny 7 and more at 172

Saturday April 27 - The Psyatics with 16 Again (70's punk covers from Orange County) at the Double Down

Friday May 3 - The Psyatics with the Implosions and the Sheiks of Neptune at the Huntridge Tavern

Saturday May 11 - The Swamp Gospel with the Sin Eaters and the Rhyolite Sound at the Double Down

Monday May 27 - Save Ferris, Monkey, Franks'n'Deans at Backstage Bar and Billiards

Sunday June 9 - The Psyatics at Backstage Bar and Billiards

Saturday June 22 - Bob Log III with the Swamp Gospel at the Bunkhouse

Sunday August 18 - George Clinton and Parliment Funkadelic at the Brooklyn Bowl

What have I forgotten? Lemme know

The Pine Hill Haints - Smoke

I truly dig the Pine Hill Haints sound, although they can be truly difficult to describe - which is certainly not necessarily a bad thing! They call themselves purveyors of "Ghost Music" - sounds that they feel are generally dead in the modern world. I have said that they mix old-world folk, zydeco, Irish jigs, bluegrass, blues, rockabilly and more and that's about the best that I can do! Lead singer/guitarist Jamie continues to be joined by mandolinist/washboardist/singing saw mistress Katie, along with Steve on washtub bass and banjo, JR Collins on snare drum, Justin Ward squeezing the accordion and stretchin' out the trombone and JD Wilkes from Th' Legendary Shack Shakers playing some wild harmonica on this record and on their most recent tour.

Jamie's distorted modern/old-sounding guitar takes front'n'center on the appropriately spooky "Blue Halloween", but Katie's singin' saw gives it the proper ambiance. They get positively punk-rock-frantic but remain melodic for "Death of the Buffalo Girl" and come across like a high speed Carter Family or Pete Seeger for "I'll Ramble", which uses the accordion for terrific flavoring. "The Col's Last Mardi Gras" fittingly sounds like a heavy New Orleans funeral march, complete with trombone, and then Jamie pulls out his fiddle for some fine playing on the bluegrass dance of "The Full Moon Waltz". "Pea Ridge Blues" is a bouncy combination of blues/folk and rockabilly and they take the traditional "When the Cowboys Roamed the Western Range", which they learned from Leadbelly, and make it their own.

I'll be damned if "The Girl From Shiloh" isn't practically a power-pop song (in their own unique manner, of course), and then "The Cold Blue Hours of Night" sounds like a hip campfire song, with its acoustic guitar and acoustic harmonica (JD can play nice'n'purty when he wants to, as well as dirty'n'bluesy), "Buffalo Girl" is the traditional square dance number with Jamie providing some cool fiddle again, "The Mystic Order of Bones" is their version of New Orleans Dixieland (sorta kinda?!), again highlighted by wavy trombone, "Witching Hour Blues" is a hep jump-blues where JD excels and trades licks with Jamie (who kinda borrows the vocal melody of Chuck Berry's "Downbound Train") and they stay in a somewhat bluesy/folk vein with more superior saw playing for the closure, "Rusty Vans Move West" that has some (probably unintentional) hints of "Deja Vu All Over Again", oddly enough.

Jamie has a great voice that is really evocative and works exceedingly well with this material and I dig the imagery of his lyrics, as well. Heck, I kinda dig most everything about this band! The more I hear, the more I like 'em. See their live shows for sure, but these CD's are fine souvenirs of the experience, as well.

Nashville Pussy with the Quacks and First Sun at Backstage Bar and Billiards, Tuesday Feb 12, 2019

I guess it's been around 20 years or so since I first was knocked out by Nashville Pussy's insane southern rock'n'punk'n'roll show and, while I haven't followed everything that they've done, I have tried to see them whenever they come through town. Their early shows in LA with Cory Parks were completely nutz with fire, lesbian kisses and Ruyter's wild guitar antics. Although they never had another fire breather, Ruyter continues to be a wild rock'n'roll animal and the band continues to be a ferociously rockin' combo.

I think that I might have missed an opening act, but I got there is time to catch the Quacks, a band of young, slightly dorky kids performing a kinda nondescript, alt-rock/new wave music. Not bad, really, just not terribly interesting and an odd choice for an opener for Nashville Pussy.

First Sun followed, an acoustic guitar/drum duo with some fine vocals that ranged from falsetto harmonies to screams and pretty compelling songs that were very different and original, in an unusual, more rockin' singer/songwriter style. The drummer did a damn good job of making us forget that there wasn't a bassist as he handled the harmony vocals. The guitarist picked up an electric for a few numbers that were a bit more 50's-styled and they also had pre-recorded snippets in between songs, including some Cheech and Chong skits. So, they were a bit all over the place, but not in a bad way - I think they just need to pin down exactly what they are going for. Another somewhat peculiar choice to open for NP, but then I can't say what Vegas band would have been appropriate.

Walking on stage to the strains of Ted Nugent's "Stranglehold" (there were named after one of his introductions on his live album) the Pussy blasted through a number of their most potent tunes, with "Say Something Nasty", "Pussy Time" and "Piece of Ass" showing how tight this latest line up is. Guitarist/lead shouter Blaine and lead shredder Ruyter are joined by now-long-time bassist Bonnie and great, new drummer, Ben, who propelled them through a wild, rockin' set. There were new numbers like "Go Home and Die" from their latest album, Pleased to Eat You, mixed in with their greatest "hits" like "Wrong Side of the Gun', "Go To Hell", "Struttin' Cock" and "Go Motherfucker Go". The pacing was good, with the drummer filling in during tuning breaks as well as giving a full-fledged, 70's-styled drum solo, Blaine and Ruyter tearin' out dual leads on their new Destroyer and SG, respectively, and performance pieces like Blaine drinking out of his cowboy hat and Ruyter posing and shreddin' like the rock goddess she is while flailin' about the stage. She does keep her clothes on now (such as they are) and she does not tear apart her guitar at the end of the night, but she is still sexy as hell and a terrific show-person. The night ended with them asking for requests and rejecting most of them saying that this line-up didn't know them before they ended with a long, rockin'ly terrific jam that had them all pulling from a Jack Daniels bottle and Ruyter spittin' booze into the audience.

As I said on Facebook, they might not rock with the wild abandon of youth, but they are still an excellent punk/rock'n'roll show and one of the best live bands out there. Still a highly recommended and entertaining combo.

Thank you to Backstage Bar and Billiards for yet another amazing rock'n'roll show! I hope that they keep up with the stellar bookings that they've had lately!