Pat Todd and the RankOutsiders - ...There's Pretty Things in Pallokaville...

 

So, I've known Pat Todd for decades now - met him shortly after he and the Lazy Cowgirls moved from Indiana to LA - and we have done countless shows together, starting with my Thee Fourgiven days right through to our move to Vegas. In an odd way, the Lazy Cowgirls might even be partially responsible for Melanie and I getting together as she always said that she wanted a nice, old-fashioned guy who knew who the Cowgirls were! 

But here we are in the 21st Century, gawd help us all, and the Cowgirls are no more (RIP) but Pat Todd continues to shake the underground rock'n'roll world with his RankOutsiders. This combo has been rantin'n'ravin' for a number of years now (I honestly can't keep track - I have a hard enough time keeping my own bands straight!) and just keep getting better'n'better, with innumerable shows under the belts, including a recent European tour and even a stop in Las Vegas!

While the RankOutsiders are generally not as manic as the Cowgirls, and are somewhat more country influenced (not that there wasn't that bent in the LC's, as well, hence their name) and Pat even occasionally pulls out an acoustic guitar to sing a ballad or two, they still know how to put the roll in rock ala the likes of the Stones, Dave Edmunds and the Flamin' Groovies, while also giving the audience a lesson in blues'n'soul.

Here ya get a full 16 tunes, starting with the somewhat Cowgirls-esque "All the Years #1", although a bit more polished and with an insistent, 2-note riff that carries the song, while "Cheap Nostalgia" has a 50's feel, thanks to the two chord "Tobacco Road"/"Jailhouse Rock" riff and some bluesy harmonica, and "The World Don't Care and Neither Does She" is basically a Pat Todd cow-punk number, but with his unique interpretations. They go full-on country for the heartfelt acoustic ballad "Read 'em and Weep" and the upbeat "To Get The Monkey Off My Back" - some great rockabilly riffs on this one - and then they do a radical change (or is it?!) and do a Stones-y cover of the Motown classic, "If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time" - these cats are nothing if not versatile!

Nice crunchy mid-tempo rocker in "Money", then a blast of frantic 50's-ish rock'n'roll in "Little Jael", another that kinda reminds me of the later Cowgirls - certainly mining the same r'n'r veins - as does "True Romance", in a high energy way, with a classic, melodic guitar lick and catchy vocals, including a nice call'n'answer towards the end. Solidly rockin' minor chords propel "I Will Lie To You" while "Theda #2" has a slower swagger with a hip hook, there's some chicken-pickin'/honky-tonkin' in "Nothing But Excuses", guitarist Nick sings "Hello To Mystery", probably the most straight-ahead punk rocker here, in the mold of the Ramones mixed with the Heartbreakers, then they downshift again for another pure ballad in "Get Up On It" before going back to a high-energy, group call'n'answer song that Pat perfected in the Cowgirls for "Way Deep Down In Your Heart" and then closing with "They're Wrong/Dead Wrong", another pure rock'n'roller.

Anyone who has followed Pat's career know that he's anything but one-dimensional and this record shows off his - and the Outsiders - many influences. They band is all top-notch rockers - solid, catchy, tight and all that you want in a real r'n'r outfit. Live they're even better, as the best bands are, but this is an excellent capture of one of the remaining rock'n'roll outfits out there!