The Implosions (self-titled CD)

Still a relatively new band, the Implosions are basically a Vegas super-group made up of members of the Mapes, the Loud Pipes, Alan Six, the Gentlemen of Four Outs, the Swank Bastards, Melanie and the Midnite Marauders and many other combos! The two dynamics duos - Denise and Clay Heximer on bass'n'drums and Adrienne and Dave Post on vocals and guitar - are also among our favorite people in this town and combined they have created one of our fave new groups!

This Vegas-themed combo (their name taken from the demolitions of the city's classic landmarks) write songs with truly clever lyrics (with a lyric sheet included for us hearing impaired!) detailing the history of Las Vegas throughout the years. Musically, they vary from garagey, poppy punk to Crampsian rock'n'roll - sometimes within the same song!

Opening with an ode to the atomic bomb watching parties, "Atomic" is a high-energy riffer with a countdown to blast off, "Too Hot" refers to both the temp and the ladies of the evening, the swingin' groove of "Moulin Rouge" tells the tale of the first integrated casino (with a terrifically noisy git-solo from Dave), "Keep 'Em Comin'" is a fun punk rocker with Adrienne croonin'n'screamin' about the free drinks you get if you stay glued to a slot machine all day, there's another fast riff-rocker in "Stardust Lovers" (about all of the imploded classic casinos that are sorely missed) and they get slow'n'sultry with the tremelo'd homage to the classic photo op "Million Dollar Photo" - one of my faves of theirs.

Hard'n'heavy 60's garage rock dominates "Flight 848" cautioning incoming tourists to "wait for the Strip" and "don't go crazy" on the flight, then the group actually give us a sweet, poppy love song in the melodic "Summer Nights", followed by more coolly tremelo'd guitar for the paean to another one of the city's most quintessential icons in "Blue Angel", and, of course, they had to give a punk rock tribute to "Elvis" before transitioning somewhat appropriately to "Block 16" where brothels'n'saloons were the order of business back in the day and where the Imps combine the Cramps'n'The Misfits (sorta/kinda) and for the finale they had to rant'n'rave about the animatronic game that they frequent, "The Ponies" - a rollicin' ending with Adrienne screechin' her heart out!

Super fun stuff here from folks who love the city that they live in - or, at least, what it once stood for - and wanna tell you all about it in short blasts of rock'n'roll! History class was never this enjoyable!

(And thanks to Dave for wearing a Swamp Gospel t-shirt!)