Posts Tagged ‘psychobilly’

‘Billy Monday: Rhythm Dragons

Posted: May 20, 2013 in new music
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Pick up Rhythm Dragons albums on CD Baby

Pick up Rhythm Dragons albums on CD Baby

They say that if you do something like music or writing, you have to catch the attention of your audience immediately. Rhythm Dragons do that for sure. The first song I heard from Rhythm Dragons is “Flat Top Billy,” which begins with a deep voice shouting “Hey greaser!” The song is pretty much what you’d expect from something that begins that way. It is a swinging song that talks about a guy who looks like he’s from 1959 and his car. And it ends with “Let’s have a PBR!”

On ReverbNation, that song is followed by “I Can’t Swing or Dance.” This is a song with the classic theme of being mismatched with your girl. She likes to wine and dine, he likes drinking. She likes dancing, he doesn’t. The irony in this song is that it has a pretty swingin’ melody. Well, after all, the narrator doesn’t say he can’t play swing: merely that he can’t swing dance.

Now, one thing that makes a good band is if it can take a classic theme and make it seem fresh. In “Booze and the Hugs,” the narrator sings about a relationship that has gone south. In this case, the narrator says he’s not going to open the door for his girl who’s been coming home late from boozing. It’s pretty cool to hear a guy sing a song like this because usually the guy is the one who’s misbehavior is described.

This is pretty straightforward. If you like Reverend Horton Heat, Chances are pretty good you’ll like this band too. Even if you don’t like Reverend Horton Heat, you’ll like this band if you like songs about cars, drinkin’, and chicks that are trouble.

‘Billy Monday: The Brains

Posted: April 1, 2013 in new music
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The Monster Within (digital) will be available on 16 April.

The Monster Within (digital) will be available on 16 April.

The upcoming album The Monster Within (Sailor’s Grave Records, 2013) from The Brains that made its way into my inbox and piqued my interest. How could I refuse, loyal reader, when the band is described to me this way:

a three-piece horror punk/psychobilly punk band from Canada who fuse elements of rockabilly and punk rock with outlandish style and fast-paced rhythm.  If you’re looking for something completely different than the norm, check these guys out.

I probably don’t have to catalog what caught my attention, but I will: outlandish style, fast-paced rhythm, and different from the norm. Those are all qualities that are almost certain to draw me in. I will say this: the bit about the fast-paced rhythms is not hyperbole. Pick any song at random from this band and just try to keep up with the rhythm section. If you want a specific example, check out the song “Cucaracha in Leather.” This song sounds like the guys had a cab waiting when they were recording this one in the studio. That seems to be the approach the band took to the entire album, considering the longest song (“Lies”) is 2:55.

If you’re looking for the rockabilly elements mentioned in the promo materials, check out “Misery.” I won’t say the guitar takes a backseat in any of the songs, but it certainly comes to the forefront in this song with a sound that may be a little too fuzzy to be considered classic rockabilly, but to quote Kinky Friedman, “It’s close enough for country dancin’.”

This is great psychobilly stuff. Granted, there are some dark themes, but these 14 songs are incredibly well done. If you like the doghouse bass at all, you’ll want to add this album to your collection because Colin the Dead is a wizard. The digital version of The Monster Within will be available on 16 April.

‘Billy Monday: Rumblejetts

Posted: March 18, 2013 in new music
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Loud rock and roll with a kick

Loud rock and roll with a kick

When you visit the Rumblejetts Twitter page, you see the band described as “loud rock and roll music with a kick.” I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: it’s like some bands were made for Incognito. It didn’t take long to realize that the band isn’t lying in its tagline.

The first song I heard from this band is “Truckstop Waitress.” This song proves that some bands just know how to write a love song. This Kansas City rockabilly band not only knows how to get listeners swinging to its rockabilly sound, but just dig these lyrics. “I love a truckstop waitress whose daddy owns a liquor store.” Really, do you need a better example of how great a love song this is? Oh, and the truckstop waitress in question is a redhead (surprise, surprise).

If you want a real good example of the kick in this band’s music, just listen to “Trucker Krank.” Now, this isn’t the first time anyone has written a song about a trucker who needs help staying awake on those long hauls, but it’s a pretty good one. The tempo of this song definitely gives the sense of a trucker sweating and gripping the wheel with his hammer down to the floor. I’d say this one leans more toward psychobilly than rockabilly, but no matter how you label it, this song will get some part of you moving.

Speaking of moving, if you’re looking for a tune you can swing dance to, check out “Juke Joint.” I think this song would fill the dance floor any time it’s played. Whether you’re a fan of rockabilly, psychobilly, or just good old-fashioned rock n roll, check out Rumblejetts.

 

‘Billy Monday: Hot Rod Walt and the Psycho-Devilles

Posted: March 4, 2013 in new music
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psycho_devillesAs we are wont to do here at Incognito HQ, we are doing something a little different with this post. What’s different is that this band only has one song available on its website. Still there are plenty of YouTube videos of this band that give a great idea of what Hot Rod Walt and the Psycho-Devilles are all about. The one song available on the website is “Psycho Cadillac.” This is a great example of a rockabilly tune. It has clean guitars and vocals over rhythms (with a doghouse bass, naturally) that are bound to get people swinging on a dance floor. Vocally, Walt reminds me a lot of Orange County artist Brian Jay, while his guitar parts remind me a lot of Rev. Horton Heat.

If songs about hot rods is one of the things that makes rockabilly, then the band takes another step in the right direction with “Hot Rod Man.” This is basically everything (including an upbeat tempo) you want from a song about a hot rod.

Sure, this band only has one song available on its website, but the more you listen, the more you realize that this band knows its stuff. These guys play rockabilly that is made to get people swinging on a dance floor and I’d say they do that pretty impressively. If you’ve been looking for some good new rockabilly, look no further than Hot Rod Walt and the Psycho-Devilles.

‘Billy Monday: Bang Bang Bazooka

Posted: February 4, 2013 in new music
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Red Hot and Horny is available now on CD Baby

Red Hot and Horny is available now on CD Baby

Bang Bang Bazooka is another band that I came across doing a hashtag search on Twitter for #rockabilly. The good news is this band rocks your sorry behind. The bad news is that if you want to listen to some music by this band, you have to go to YouTube. No songs are available either on the band’s website or Facebook page. But still, you listen to a few of this band’s songs on YouTube and you get a good idea of what the band is all about.

This is a band that straddles the line between rockabilly and psychobilly. Mind you, no one is going to confuse this with the roots of rockabilly, but the guitar sound (while it is loud and raucous) is also clean like you would expect from a rockabilly band. I think you’ll agree that both of the guitarists can shred. Just look at this performance of “How How How.” Of course, they’re not the only ones. The bassist and drummer seem to attack their instruments as much as play them. In fact, I’d say that the psychobilly aspect of this band are found more in the energy and volume (can you ever have too much of either of those?).

The good thing about having to go to YouTube to check out this band is that you get to see what the band is like live.  I don’t know about you, but if I ever see that this band is playing anywhere near me, I’ll be there.

‘Billy Monday: The Chop Tops

Posted: January 21, 2013 in new music
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For fans of all kinds of 'billy music

For fans of all kinds of ‘billy music

The Chop Tops is a perfect band for ‘Billy Monday because this band covers the spectrum. On the band’s ReverbNation page, the first few songs you’ll hear lean pretty heavily toward psychobilly with the revved-up bass line and the sort of fuzzy sound on the guitar. If you want an example of the revved-up sound, check out “Wagon Burner.” Whooooooa Nellie! This one will get your blood pumping.

If you’re looking for a more pure rockabilly sound, check out the song “Too Many Cats.” Granted, it’s not 50s rockabilly, but still it’s a fine rockabilly song with a classic rockabilly theme of a woman having too many men. If it’s a more 50s rockabilly song you’re looking for, check out “Fire on the River.” This is a good one for getting out on a dance floor and swing dancing.

This band even works some surf influence into its sound with the song “Evil Six.” This combines some surf guitar with classic rockabilly rhythms and vocals that remind me of Rockin Ryan and The Real Goners. That’s not the only song with surf influence either. “The Sicilian” is sort of a hybrid of surf and the theme from a spaghetti western.

If you’re a fan of rockabilly, punkabilly, psychobilly, etc. The Chop Tops is a band you need to know.

 

‘Billy Monday: Hotrod Hillbillies

Posted: January 14, 2013 in new music
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Texas punkabilly

Texas punkabilly

On its ReverbNation page, Hotrod Hillbillies is described as Texas punkabilly-cowpunk. Well, loyal reader, if that doesn’t sound like a band for Incognito, I don’t know what does. I’d say it’s a pretty good description too. This band ranges from the honky-tonk sounds of “My 3 Wives” to the fueled-up psychobilly drag racing tune “You Wanna Race.”

The first song I heard is the honky-tonk gem “My 3 Wives.” No, it’s not a song advocating polygamy. In this song, Xavier Ortiz sings about how he each of his three former wives. The best line in this is about his second wife: “She’s a little bit bi, but a whole lot of polar.” At the end of the song, we find out that now it’s just him and his dog and he seems a whole lot happier that way.

“Skulls” is an interesting cover of a Misfits song. This version seems like it was influenced equally by Hasil Adkins and Frantic Flintstones. Like I said. It’s interesting.

There is not a whole lot of subtlety with this band, but when have we ever been interested in subtlety here at Incognito HQ. This is revved-up punkabilly about chicks, having a good time (especially after probation is over), and cars. If you like The Meteors or Reverend Horton Heat, Hotrod Hillbillies will fit right into your collection.

‘Billy Monday: St. Dallas and the Sinners

Posted: January 7, 2013 in new music
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Hail Mary is available on Bandcamp

Hail Mary is available on Bandcamp

Hail Mary by St. Dallas and the Sinners begins with an ode to the favorite beer of the state of Illinois, “Old Style.” This song is more punk than rockabilly, but it is a good way to kick off the album. It is followed by “Right Hand Sam.” This is where you start to hear the rockabilly influence. Only if you’re looking for something that sounds like Stray Cats, you’ll have to keep looking. This is more like rockabilly if it incorporated harmonica and was performed by Nashville Pussy or American Dog. Don’t get me wrong. The rockabilly and psychobilly influence is definitely there in the sound (listen to that bass in “Shake, Rumble,and Quake”), and even more so in the theme with songs about drinking, fighting, demons, and hot rods. And check out these lyrics from “Rockabilly Demon:” ”She’ll put a pedal to the metal with a four-inch heel, one hand on the bottle and one hand on the wheel.” How is that for rockabilly songwriting?

If you’re looking for a pure rockabilly or psychobilly album, this isn’t it although it does incorporate fair amounts of both. I think a better term for this band’s sound is punkabilly. Still, if you want an album that will (in the words of Supersuckers) “rock your ass,” this is a good one to add to your collection.

‘Billy Monday: The Rebellys

Posted: December 31, 2012 in new music
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Get your 'billy fix with this band from Monterrey, Mexico

Get your ‘billy fix with this band from Monterrey, Mexico

I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating. For all the horrible music the United States has produced (see yesterday’s post Rock and Roll can never die), the impact of American music can be seen far beyond our borders.

How else to explain a rockabilly band from Monterrey, Mexico? OK, so in this case American music didn’t travel that far, but the point is still a valid one. I’ll put it this way. This Mexican band has a song called “Hill Billy.” How is that for American music reaching other parts of the world? This song (especially the bass line) will make you want to swing dance with the nearest suitable partner. And speaking of swing dancing, “Oh mi Rebelly” is a pure rockabilly song with really clean guitars and a melody that will make you want to swing dance.

If psychobilly is more your thing, The Rebellys have you covered there too with the song “Vampira.” Mind you, I don’t understand any of the lyrics except, “Won’t you love me, baby?” but it definitely has the psychobilly feel not only in sound but also in theme.

Then there is the total curveball of “Rockabilly Vampire.” Don’t let the rockabilly in the title fool you. The title is as far as the rockabilly goes in this song. The guitar sound is pure psychobilly, but this song also features some organ that you would expect to hear from a garage band.

This is a great band for ‘Billy Monday considering they span both rockabilly and psychobilly. But there is also a healthy does of 50s rock and roll (I’m guessing these guys grew up listening to a lot of Gene Vincent) in this band too.

‘Billy Monday: Dick Dynamite and The Doppelgangers

Posted: December 24, 2012 in new music
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Partners in Crime and other songs are available now

Partners in Crime and other songs are available now

Have I preached enough about memorable band names recently? Good. Then I don’t need to discuss how this UK psychobilly band has chosen a name that won’t be mixed up with anything else and we can just move on.

I’m not going to sit here and give a lecture on psychobilly vs rockabilly. You can check Wikipedia for that. The one thing I will say is that psychobilly was started as a dirtier alternative to the clean look and sounds of rockabilly. (We unapologetically like both.) Dick Dynamite and The Doppelgangers certainly falls into that category of being dirtier than rockabilly.  The sound of the guitar and the bass with this band is certainly more fuzzy (perhaps grimy is the correct word) than rockabilly. And then there are the vocals which are sort of growled. Frantic Flintstones is a band that comes to mind as I listen to the two newest songs by Dick Dynamite: “Partners in Crime” and “Sociopath Rock” (yes, it’s only two songs, but it’s enough of a taste to get you to seek out more of the band’s tunes) although the Flintstones incorporates a lot more madness into their songs. Still, this band plays uptempo songs about dark topics that are a mixture of rockabilly and dirty punk and it will get your feet moving.

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