ALTERNATIVE, PUNK, HEAVY METAL, ROCK N’ ROLL
Volume 1, Number 7, March, 2018
Chicken Snake The Prof. Fuzz 63 Green Jelly Reviews . . . and More
ATTENTION BANDS! WE WANT TO REVIEW YOUR MUSIC email us at SBPalz@outlook.com Subject line “SONIC SOUNDS!” for more information
Issue number seven of Sonic Boom! Magazine is here. Lots of unexpected dilemmas came up and the issue changed from what I had originally intended to present to you this time around. After many delays we are back and have what I think is a good issue. We have interviews with Chicken Snake and The Professor Fuzz 63 from Texas and my great adventure at the Green Jelly show. I’ve expanded the “Take Me To The Show” section
to almost two full pages of upcoming shows. Reviews of eleven new albums and E.P.’s We had another tragic event in the music world when Dolores O’Riordan of the Cranberries passed away in January. I gave her a little tribute as her voice was always beautiful to me and she will be missed. With all of this I hope you enjoy our latest issue. - Kevin P. Johnson
“THEY SHALL TAKE UP SERPENTS” An interview with Chicken Snake by Hex Windham . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 6 NEVER MIND THE SHITWATER HERE’S THE PROFESSOR FUZZ 63 by Kevin P. Johnson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 16 MY NIGHT WITH THE PUNK ROCK PUPPET SHOW or GREEN JELLŸ SUXX! by Kevin P. Johnson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 28 TAKE ME TO THE SHOW - Show listings in the New Orleans area . . . . . . . page 40 SONIC SOUNDS! - Reviews . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . Page 42 SONIC BOOM! MAGAZINE, VOLUME 1, NUMBER 7, MARCH, 2018 - Published by Kevin P. Johnson. SONIC BOOM! MAGAZINE is Copyright ©2018 Kevin P. Johnson. All rights reserved, no part of this work may be reproduced without express written consent of Kevin P. Johnson. Published in the United States of America. This issue: Kevin P. Johnson - Publisher, all layout design, all photography unless otherwise noted, writer, reviews, editing (attemted editing) Hex Windham - Writer, Photography on Chicken Snake article.
Dolores Mary Eileen O’Riordan September 6, 1971 – January 15, 2018
“All my life, Is changing every day, In every possible way, In all my dreams, It’s never quite as it seems, Never quite as it seems . . .” - Dolores O’Riordan
“They Shall Take Up Serpents . . . ”
An interview with Chicken Snake by Hex Windham All Chicken Snake photos by Hex Windham
Besides The Cramps and The Gun Club, not many bands in the post-punk era have been able to capture the wild spirit of the blues and rockabilly, at least not without appearing hokey as all Hell. Chicken Snake avoids such cheesiness by eschewing any attempts at Cramps-y schtick (though keeping their noisy guitars and rumbling toms) and exploring the Southern Gothic territory of Gun Club’s lyrical subject matter. The result is a hypnotizing and original brew of punk Americana. Led by singer/guitarist Jerry Teel [ex-Chrome Cranks, Honeymoon Killers, et al], who is simultaneously legendary yet humble about it, Chicken Snake features Jerry’s wife Pauline on vocals, backed by the guitar/drums combo of Jessica Melain and Josh Lee Hooker. Recently they took some time off from casting rock’n’roll spells to chat with local punk Hex Windham.
Sonic Boom!: How did you first meet Jerry? Pauline Teel: I was writing for a small Beaumont music paper at the time — in 1997 — and I was reviewing The Chrome Cranks show in Austin, Texas. The place was called The Electric Lounge; I don’t think it’s there any longer, though. Let me just say it WAS electric.
Sonic Boom!: Chicken Snake existed in an incarnation before it included both Josh and Jessica. How did y’all hook up with them? Jerry Teel: We’d briefly met in New Orleans before Katrina, but back in NY, I walked into a record store and Josh was behind the counter. We became friends. Pauline Teel: Jerry and I were living in Greenpoint, Sonic Boom!: Jerry, a lot of people think of you Brooklyn after Katrina and had just finished a as a New York noise scene guy, but you’re originally a compilation record for our old band, Big City Stompers. Southern boy, correct? We were writing songs and music that didn’t really fit Jerry Teel: Yep. I was born and raised in a small town that band. We had been through a lot around that in south Alabama, just about 15 miles from where Hank time, so naturally the music that we were writing was Williams, Sr. grew up. different. Josh has been with us since the beginning of Chicken Snake in 2009. Jerry and I moved to Virginia, Sonic Boom!: How did you first end up in New York? to live in the country after the 1st Chicken Snake record, Jerry Teel: I was always attracted to NYC, even as a Lucky Hand, was released. We then started working on kid. I loved the Empire State Building and King Kong. the second record, in which we would drive to NYC When I got older, I loved the Velvet Underground to record. After that, we were asked to play Gonerfest and Andy Warhol and Bob Dylan and stories about in Memphis, and really had no live band. So, we called Greenwich Village. Then, I loved the early punk scene, Josh and asked if Jessica would be into playing drums. Max’s Kansas City, CBGB. I loved stories about The She said yes, and the rest is history. She has been on Chelsea Hotel. I loved just about everything New York. the last 2 records. We all are back in New Orleans now, So of course, you know when you gotta go; and one day so it’s much easier ! I knew it was time to go. Sonic Boom!: Josh and Jessica, is it safe to assume Sonic Boom!: How did you hook up with Chrome that you two are a married couple and not twin rock’n’roll Cranks? siblings? Jerry Teel: I had a band, The Honeymoon Killers, and Josh: I will certainly assert that we are not related. we were on tour. Peter [Aaron — singer and guitarist for But I also don’t want to call any assumption safe. There Chrome Cranks] lived in Cincinnati, and he booked a gig is danger everywhere. Shadows lengthen. Your own for us there. That’s when I met Peter. He later moved to toothpaste can betray you. NYC and asked me if I wanted to play bass for Chrome Cranks. At that time HK were basically just me in the Sonic Boom!: How did the two of you meet? studio or my living room and sometimes with friends. So Josh: We met a lot of places. That was back in the 90’s. I said “I’ve never played bass, but okay!“ For instance, our friend Steve was good enough to have DJ nights where we were the only ones there. He was Sonic Boom!: . . . and Pauline, you’re originally quite the Cupid. And then we met other places too. Cafes, from Texas? bars, places more illicit. Pauline Teel: Yeah! I am from a small swamp town directly on the border of Texas and Louisiana. I grew up Sonic Boom!: How did you all come to New Orleans on the Sabine River with ties to both states. I had a lot in the first place? of family in Texas as well as Louisiana, so my childhood Pauline Teel: Jerry and I got married in Alabama, and was spent between Houston and New Orleans. I think it we honeymooned in New Orleans. New Orleans was was the best of both worlds. directly between our hometowns, and we loved it here, so
Chicken Snake Chicken Snake Chicken Snake Chicken Snake Chicken Snake Chicken Snake Chicken Snake Chicken Snake Chicken Snake
we packed up our life in NYC and rented The Star Bar on North Rampart, and our life here began. Josh: I drifted downstream on the Mississippi, as so many do. Got stuck in New Orleans like a hair in a draintrap. Jessica: My dad left my hometown, moved down south, and opened a blues & jazz club in Baton Rouge. I followed from the East Coast to help him out for a bit. In 1997, after visiting New Orleans a handful of times, I fell in love with the city and moved here. I planned to stay for 6 months and then move on, but ended up staying until 2005 when Katrina pushed us out. And then we left, and then we came back. Sonic Boom!: Jessica, what’s with all the gum chewing while you play? I know we discussed this last time we played together, but I forgot exactly what you said. Jessica: Did we discuss this already? I forgot! And it’s so simple, I’m surprised YOU forgot! Here’s the answer: My aesthetic just doesn’t support “drum face.” Oh, the horror!! I try to avoid it at all costs, and yet, sometimes I still forget my gum. Then panic sets in, and I’m running around the venue on a gum hunt. Fortunately, there’s always been someone kind enough to help me out before we’ve gone on. Josh: If we ever have a rider, that will be the only thing on it: “One piece of gum.” Jessica: Two pieces, actually. You only see the one stuck on the set list at the end of the show. Sonic Boom!: And why go with drumming while standing up? Is it a leverage issue? An attempt to dissociate stand-up drumming from Moe Tucker’s bad politics? Jessica: Aesthetics mostly, and simplicity. I like having the freedom to move around. I’m inspired by the glam and panache of performers I admire, like Lady Bo, The Duchess, the Ronettes, and Poison Ivy. For drumming, I am surely inspired by Moe, as well as Peggy Gorie and Buffi Aguero.
Sonic Boom!: Josh, you really get to let loose on some noisy blues guitar in this band. Who are your biggest influences as a guitar player? Josh: I try, in my humble way, to explore a little. I like Sonny Sharrock and Pops Staples and John Fahey. But I could never play like them. Also, I always want to play as few notes as possible. I’m not partial to notes. I do get to let loose, and that’s a rare thing. Rare and terrifying. It’s like jumping off a bridge and trying to write a poem before you hit the water. Sonic Boom!: To people like you and me, Jerry is a bit of a living legend. Have you picked up any guitar tips from him since y’all started playing together? Life tips? Josh: When I was first getting into weird, dirty New York rock n roll, the Jerry Teel name on a record—whether he was playing on it, or recording it—was a byword for a certain perfection in aesthetic. A dedication to grisly reality. The bands he’s been part of over the years, the bands he’s recorded (usually a band’s best recording) . . . It’s a deep achievement. Entirely fueled by his own love of music. And his own vision, and the tenacity to pursue that vision, and to document it. Jerry does his own thing. He tells his own story. It’s very bold, for a quiet guy, to tell your own story. I should probably keep my Jerry Teel Guitar Tips a secret, and even moreso my Jerry Teel Recording Tips, which are more voluminous and more arcane. On the surface, they seem like “I usually put the microphone . . . here.” But they have esoteric meanings. We spend more time listening to records than we do practicing or recording, I’ll tell you that. Listening is much more important. When it comes to “life tips” . . . well, I would definitely buy a book called Jerry Teel’s Life Tips. Sonic Boom!: Jerry, prior to Katrina you had a studio and were recording bands (The Detonations’ album comes to mind). What recordings stick out as highlights of your time doing that? Jerry Teel: The studio was Funhouse South. I moved it from NYC where it was just Funhouse. I recorded tons of bands up there. In New Orleans I only recorded 3 bands:
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S n e k c
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Chicken Snake
The Detonations, Blackfire Revelation, and Quintron, and they all stick in my mind. Fun & cool.
we run out, that’s it. Beast distributes them through a few mail order places here, but it’s very limited.
Sonic Boom!: That came to an end because of Katrina, right? Jerry Teel: That’s when we lost it all. The studio was gone.
Sonic Boom!: What are the challenges of being rockers as well as parents? Do you have to get a sitter to do gigs? What about touring? Jerry Teel: Yes, a kid sitter. Pauline Teel: There are a few challenges for sure. Sadie Mae goes to the gigs that are all ages — or festivals — but other than that, we have to do like any other parents and get a sitter. She has toured France with us, though. It was a great experience for her. She basically sat on the side of the stage with her soundproof headphones and rocked out with us. We think it’s good for her to get to experience different cultures and places. She is usually the star of the show.
Sonic Boom!: I noticed that a European label is putting out Chicken Snake records. How do you handle local distribution? Pauline Teel: Yeah — Beast Records out of Rennes. They have released all 4 of our LPs. We love them, great guys! We are actively looking for an American label, because we are given a certain amount of records to sell, and when
Sonic Boom!: What are your earliest musical influences (i.e. what first got you so excited about music that you wanted to do it yourself)? Jerry Teel: Bands like The Stones, CCR, The Velvet Underground, and 60’s garage bands. ’77 Punk Rock made me wanna do it myself. Pauline Teel: My earliest recollections were of Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Sun Studio stuff. My Dad had a ton of records and was a huge Elvis fan, so I got that from him. My Mom’s side of the family was more into Bluegrass and country. My Grandfather would gather the family, and we would have music in the back room on most Sundays. I’ve always been surrounded by music, so it just came naturally. My influences are mainly Southern — Jessie Mae Hemphill, Loretta Lynn, Johnny Cash/June Carter Cash, Gram Parsons/ Emmylou Harris . . . As you can tell, it makes for an interesting mix, although Jerry and I both appreciate all of it. Jessica: [Laughs] My earliest musical influences, or what got me excited about music, and why I play it myself are two totally different things! My parents had a bunch
of vinyl when I was growing up in the 70’s, and I had my favorites from their collection: The Rolling Stones, Neil Young, Black Sabbath. Elvis Costello’s “This Year’s Model” was very influential to me and set me up for the punk bands and records I would later discover for myself once I got a little older. I was 7 when it came out and I loved every song I heard on that record, and the way it starts off with a kick to the senses! I heard a lot of old country songs wafting in from an AM radio alarm clock, and I would listen to those old melancholy tunes in the mornings. My dad liked to talk about Robert Johnson, and the early Delta blues greats that had influenced The Stones. When I was a teen I fell in love with the weirdness, darkness, and glam of Ziggy Stardust, The Cramps, The Stooges, T. Rex, The Velvet Underground, East Coast punk, The Gun Club, X. I’m still very fond of the shadowy side of rock’n’roll! Playing the drums was an accident that happened many years later! And I credit Moe Tucker, Peggy Gorie, and Buffi Aguero for the inspiration. Josh: Rock’n’roll, as an art form and lifestyle design,
is embedded in my psyche. I absolutely cannot conceive of my life without it. But that’s not why I started playing music. I took up guitar when I was 15 because I thought it would attract girls. Girls like musicians, simple as that. It worked, too, although it took a little longer than I initially thought. But I recommend it, as a policy.
back here after Katrina pushed me out, but what were your reasons for coming back? Jerry Teel: I love to wake up to roosters crowing in my backyard. The sound of crows, trains, a second line rollin’ down St. Claude, thunderstorms . . . The list goes on. Pauline Teel: I missed the velvet breeze, nightblooming jasmine, the ancient oaks . . . the ghosts. New Sonic Boom!: What plans do you have for Chicken Orleans has a certain magic that draws you in and you Snake in the near future? can never shake it. There is nothing like the New Orleans Jerry Teel: We are currently working on our 5th LP. evening, with the beautiful fragrance dancing on the Pauline Teel: We are also planning a European Tour breeze and the tug boat horns blowing on the mighty for the middle of next year. Mississippi. It is pure magic. Sonic Boom!: As a NOLA native, I know why I came
- By Hex Windham
Chicken Snake
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Through the magic of Facebook (by way of the Ian Quiet Band) I met Mike Farmer (a.k.a. The Professor Fuzz) and it’s been a great accidental find of a great musician and fan of music. Mike’s band The Professor Fuzz 63 play a brand of Lo-Fi rock n’ roll that seems to be out of time and it’s definitely not what the young kids are playing in their headphones these days but maybe they should be. They have a unique sound that is definitely for fans of singer songwriter style musicians. The Professor Fuzz 63 are a band that hail from the Dallas, Texas area but hit the road quite often and we hope to give them a second home in New Orleans anytime they want to play. The band has released two albums “Chinese Folk Songs” and “Bang Me Hard! (To Get Inside)” The songs are fun and smart and if you aren’t careful you might find yourself singing “Down in Shitwater, Texas, you better hold your nose.” Mike was most gracious and excited to answer some hard hitting and personal questions for Sonic Boom! Magazine . . . Unfortunately I didn’t ask him any of those kinds of questions and instead I asked him the following set of questions that should probably lead the band to fame and fortune and a world tour with Lady Gaga.
Mike: Pretty much. The Professor and The Redhead both have day jobs where they are supposed to be role models for the rising generation. I’m really a professor, so there’s that. The Redhead is a redhead, albeit with narcoleptic tendencies, so Sleepy Redhead is pretty spot on for her. Mr. B has been Mr.. B since he was a baby. Yeah, we still call him by his baby name.
Sonic Boom!: The band that exist currently isn’t the original line up of the band as you had a different drummer (Julie Gavran) play on “Chinese Folk Songs,” can you tell us how and when the band started? A little history if you will. Mike: I’d played in a bunch of punk bands in the early 80’s, (all in Houston.) I took some time away from playing music, traveled, got married, went to school, had kids, and stuff. When the kids got a bit older, they wanted to play music, so we brought guitars and drums in the house. I started writing songs again and got the itch to play them in front of people. For a couple of years, I was trying to work with a songwriter guy I met on CL [Craig’s List]. He and I roped Julie G into playing drums. Julie was, at the time, a PhD student at my university and had worked as my T.A. Eventually, she and I gave the songwriter the boot and struck out on our own as The Professor Fuzz Duo Econo. She knew this young guy who wanted to play bass with us, so Aaron joined the band. We worked up some songs and were trying to line Sonic Boom!: Let’s start with the obvious, where did up shows. Then one night before rehearsal, Aaron texted the name of this band come from? us to say that his cat had thrown up and his girlfriend Mike Farmer: Well, in real life, I’m a professor, and I’m had to work that night, so he was quitting the band. We into fuzz tones and fuzz pedals, so about 15 years ago people managed to talk The Redhead into joining us on organ just started calling me Professor Fuzz. When we put the band (she refused to take up the electric bass), and from there, together, we wanted to call it the Professor Fuzz Sextet, but things just clicked. We played our first show as The Prof. there were only three people in the band. That would have Fuzz 63 on Halloween 2014, followed by a few more been a trio, but “Trio” didn’t have the word “Sex” in it. So we shows in 2014 and early 2015. The band took a six month called ourselves The Prof.Fuzz Sextrio. It sounded dirty, and break in 2015 when I went overseas on a research trip. we liked it, but ultimately we decided to render it in Arabic Upon my return, we made plans to make a record and numerals, hence “63.” Plus, we have the ability to add band start playing shows again. We recorded “Chinese Folk members without having to change the band name. Songs” in October 2015, and shortly thereafter, Julie left the band. After six months with a fill-in drummer, Mr.. B Sonic Boom!: The band currently consists of Professor was drafted into service. He’d been playing drums since Fuzz on guitar and vocals, Sleepy Redhead on organ and he was nine, but had taken some time away from music. B vocals, and Mr.. B on drums. Am I correct to assume brought a stronger and more primitive feel to the drums that these names were chosen to protect the innocent (or and the band has really taken off with him behind the guilty)? kit. At the end of the day, we’re just a weird little family
band. Sorta like the Osmond’s who were kept locked in a basement somewhere in Utah, or the Partridge Family but driving a soccer mom minivan instead of a psychedelic school bus.
On the other hand, we’ve had half a century to listen to all kinds of music and our songs are the end result of digging a bunch of different kinds of music. Stylistically, we’re a loud folk band. Our songs often tell stories about the mundane, the weird, or the off-beat things in Sonic Boom!: The sound of The Professor Fuzz 63 life. It’s a strange world we live in, and our songs shine is unique and seems to exist out of time and place. It’s a light on some of the stranger elements of that world. sort of a 1960’s trippy British rock mixed with the Doors Warped singer-songwriter stuff, but backed by fuzzy put into a blender with a hippie and a Chinese zen master guitar, grinding 60’s organ, and pounding drums. As I and sung through an old time telephone. The result is this mentioned earlier, we had a bass player at one point, but fuzzy rock with catchy pop lyrics that tell little stories of cat and girlfriend issues . . . Once The Redhead came various levels of debauchery, panda bears, and food. Can onboard, we haven’t missed not having a bass owner in you explain your musical style? And why no bass player? the band. The telephone microphone was originally to Mike: Thanks. Yeah, we are sort of out of time and cover an otherwise shitty singing voice, but in the end, place with this band, two-thirds of us are over 50. We play that lo-fi effect seems perfect for our stuff—it’s scratchy, with a lot of younger bands and to younger audiences. noisy, and distant. The net result is a sound that isn’t really Oddly enough, no one has ever told us directly that this like anyone else. creeps them out or anything. But really, we’re old enough to be the parents of a lot of our friend-bands and fans. Sonic Boom!: The band is based out of Dallas, Texas
which is a prime location for a band that wants to reach out and tour neighboring cities and states. You seem to do a lot of mini-tours that range from Texas to Louisiana, Tennessee, and Oklahoma. How has this helped spread the word about your music and have you done any bigger tours that cover more ground? Mike: The DFW Metroplex is a great place to make music. We have great scenes in Dallas, Fort Worth, Denton, and points in between (I’m looking at you, Arlington!). And as you mentioned, it’s a great location to travel from. We can get to a lot of cool places in under 6 hours. We’ve been fortunate to make friends in a number of nearby scenes and to be able to play out of town on a regular basis. In fact, it’s been a lot easier to get out of town and out of state shows than it has been to get gigs in our hometown of Dallas! So far, our longest tour has been a 5-day run this past December. We are making plans for a 2 week tour this summer, most likely up the middle of the country: north to Minnesota and circling
back through Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee, and Arkansas. In the meantime, we’ve got another trip to Louisiana on the schedule for March (30th in Baton Rouge and 31st in Houma). Sonic Boom!: Now I know bands have some crazy stories. I happened to be at a show you played in New Orleans with Jerk Unicorn and something magical happened would you care to explain what we witnessed that night? Mike: That was some weird shit. Jerk Unicorn, for the uninitiated, is a delightful little folk rock combo, featuring two drummers and a 12 string acoustic guitar run through some fuzz pedals into a solid state Fender amplifier with the treble jacked all the way up. Some readers will be able to imagine exactly how that sounded. During their soundcheck, some guy at the bar was mumbling to himself about the band, saying stuff like, “That’s not how you’re supposed to play an acoustic guitar.” At any rate, Jerk
Unicorn took the stage and after three wonderful tunes, the guy (who it turns out was, in fact, the bar owner) gets up and pulls the power on the band, telling them, “Your music makes me want to commit suicide.” [Note: I recorded the whole thing, and Jerk Unicorn have now released it on their bandcamp as “The Suicide Sessions.” Check it out.] Jerk Unicorn were total pros about the situation, and were super polite. But, the plug was pulled. As we were setting up gear for our set, I wasn’t sure whether or not the power would be restored. The bar owner was busy playing grab-ass with a woman on the couch right in front of the stage. They eventually left the bar, and we were able to play to a nice crowd. US Nero closed out the show with a great set. We had a blast, but I won’t lie and say we weren’t traumatized by the experience. After I got to our motel that night, I wrote a song about it. It’s called “Jerking a Unicorn.” We will play it for you next month in Houma. Second strangest thing I’ve ever seen in the world of rock and roll. The strangest was watching Bobby Soxx of Stickmen With Rayguns stick a Shure SM57 microphone up his butt on stage at The Island in Houston on a Friday night in 1982, and seeing a friend step up to sing into that same mic the next night, then turn and puke. The venerable Houston scene photographer, Ben Tecumseh DeSoto has a great shot of Bobby Soxx at the exact moment . . . It’s online.
Worth, engineered and produced by Britt Robisheaux, and released on Fort Worth’s Dreamy Life Records. We’ve been very fortunate to fall into the Dreamy Life family. Lots of cool folks and bands on the label, and we’ve been able to play some great shows because of Dreamy Life. We currently are road-testing new material and planning to record another full length album in early August. The working title of this record is “Clearly, It’s a Goat Delivery System.” It will include newer crowd favorites like “Nudist Buddhist Judas Priest Fan,” “Kirvin Streetman’s Sugar Bride Blues,” “The Crystal Furs Sing the Best of Motörhead,” “Black Massachusetts,” “Hip Priest’s Hip Replacement,” and “Jerking a Unicorn,” as well as a few more ditties. The plan is to release it in late 2018. Sonic Boom!: Do you have any favorite bands to play with? Mike: You bet! Going back to my punk rock childhood, I’ve played a bunch of shows with Houston’s legendary Mydolls, including a few over the past couple of years. In DFW, we’ve played a lot with The Sex Rynos (RIP) [now Lindy’s Revenge]. Other local faves include The Delzells, BULLS, Pearl Earl, Heater, and Kyoto Lo-fi, just to name a few. We love Ian Quiet (Shreveport) and his projects, and in fact, will be collaborating with him for some shows in March in Houston, Austin, Baton Rouge, and Houma. Our buddies in OKC, Los Eskeletos, are always a blast, and we are deeply grateful to The Ex-Optimists in Bryan/College Station TX for letting us make noise in their fair city on a pretty regular basis. What’s most interesting to me as I think about our favorite bands to play with, is how much variety there is in that list, as well as the complete list of band’s we’ve shared the stage with. We play nice with punks, stoners, indie rockers, psych, noise, surf, garage, etc. Our music isn’t easily categorized, and our tastes are broad. We play nice with a wide range of bands.
Sonic Boom!: You have put out two full length albums “Chinese Folk Songs” and “Bang Me Hard (To Get Inside)” and an E.P. called “Panda Attack” are there plans for new music in the future? Mike: “Chinese Folk Songs” was recorded in October 2015 and released in January 2016. We recorded the “Panda Attack EP” (new recordings of four songs that were on “Chinese Folk Songs” but with Mr.. B on drums) and “Bang Me Hard! (To Get Inside)” in November 2016 and February 2017. All three of those records included old and new material— a few of the songs were written Sonic Boom!: Who are your major influences? as far back as 2011. These records were recorded on old Mike: I grew up in the early 80s and was deeply into analog gear to tape at Cloudland Recording Studio in Fort the punk scene. My early bands played shows with Texas
legends like The Big Boys, the Dicks, Mydolls, Really Red, Butthole Surfers, as well as national bands like Meat Puppets, TSOL, Corrosion of Conformity, and others. Punk rock is in my DNA, but The Prof.Fuzz 63 isn’t exactly a punk band. I’m a big fan of Lenny Kaye’s Nuggets anthology. The Nuggets influence is easily recognizable in our sound. And I’m a sucker for great lyrics. Bob Dylan. Leonard Cohen. Lou Reed. Tom Waits. We owe a lot to The Velvet Underground and later bands who also worshipped at the altar of Lou Reed: The Cramps, The Fall, The Dream Syndicate, Sparklehorse, and others. I also like blues, and bands that warped the blues into strange and interesting rock. Captain Beefheart and Morphine come immediately to mind in that vein. While we don’t sound exactly like any of those bands, if you listen closely, you might hear some echoes of them in our songs. I sometimes describe our band as the sound of Leonard Cohen fronting the Cramps with Augie Meyers sitting in on a Vox Continental.
wrote the song in Taiwan a few years ago, literally singing it into my iPhone as I walked along a street in Taipei in the rain. It has become one of our most popular songs, especially with young children. We think Gu Gu the panda deserves a much bigger audience than The Prof.Fuzz 63 is likely to give him, so we started a petition on change.org to get one of the highest profile entertainers on the planet to bring Gu Gu’s story to the world: Lady Gaga. The song is more than just a ditty about a man-eating panda, it’s a call for racial harmony and justice, and a denunciation of stupidity. This seems right up Ms.. Gaga’s alley, and we’d even be willing to accompany her on the recording, wear panda costumes on stage, or whatever— anything to help raise consciousness about our hero, Gu Gu the panda. Plus, I’d like to retire from my day job some day. My accountant tells me that he’d be OK with Katy Perry recording the song if Lady Gaga isn’t available. Left Panda. Right Panda. Black Panda. White Panda. They’re all bears to us.
Sonic Boom!: Lastly tell us about your biggest dream of having Lady Gaga record one of your songs. Mike: The song “Panda Attack” is a true story about a giant panda in the Beijing zoo. He has bitten a number of idiots who jump into his pen to take selfies with him. I
All of the The Prof.Fuzz 63’s music can be found at prof-fuzz63.bandcamp.com and don’t forget to go check out their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/prof. fuzz63/ - By Kevin P. Johnson
MY NIGHT WITH THE PUNK ROCK PUPPET SHOW
or
GREEN JELLŸ
SUXX!
By Kevin P. Johnson
Many years ago . . . 1992 to be exact I came across a CD called Green Jellö: SUXX! As any young man who had a thirst for all things rock n’ roll and if it was humorous then that made it even more exciting. I got the CD went home and of course it opened with “Green Jellö Theme Song” and it was silly and kinda terrible and kind of awesome I was sold. Before I had a chance to recover from that first song my jaw dropped when “Three Little Pigs” came on and I couldn’t believe it this might be the dumbest most awesome thing I ever heard up until that point. A song about the “The Three Little Pigs” was brilliant idea and I thought I had one of those songs that the general public would never know about and it would be a little treasure to stick on a mix -tape or something. Fastforward about a week the song is being played on the radio, MTV, at the prom, EVERYWHERE! A novelty hit for a band that had no intention of ever being anything more than a terrible punk rock comedy puppet show. The song got so popular that the band had to release the full length album “Cereal Killer Soundtrack” that contained the “SUXX!” songs plus six more songs from the video album “Cereal Killer.” Yes the band touted themselves as the only video only band in the world for a while . . . until they had an audience to satisfy (and record company). After the band gained enough popularity that the
fat cats started to notice it didn’t take the Kraft Foods company long to sue them for trademark infringement. The result of the lawsuit forced the band to change it’s name to Green Jellÿ which is pronounced the same way as Green Jellö. The band released another album “333” that had a limited production of 200,000 copies and did not have any hits for the radio. The band would slip back into obscurity and only release one more album in 2009. Jumping ahead to 2018 the band is supposed to release a new album called “Garbage Band Kids” and the band has embarked on a tour of the United States. That tour came to Southport Hall in New Orleans, Louisiana and I witnessed it all. The show happened on a night when a lot of my personal friends were playing at different venues and I almost didn’t come to this show but lucky for me that all three of the bands opening were friends of mine and I got a free ticket. (Those openers were Misled, Black Kreole and Breach.) I’m sorry I had to miss the Tomb of Nick Cage and A Hanging across town but I’m so glad I didn’t miss this show . . . it was a bizarre adventure and quite entertaining. So all I know going in is two albums worth of songs and they are known for a punk rock puppet show (whatever
that means.) I didn’t know if they would dress up or if they would have some sort of show going on with the music I just knew something crazy was about to happen and I was not wrong about that. The show starts and the singer, Bill Manspeaker, comes out and asks for fifteen volunteers from the audience. The people are selected and off they go into the backstage area . . . moment later they emerge wearing giant mask’s featuring all of the characters from the Green Jellÿ songs. All hell broke loose as the band played “Three Little Pigs” (for the first time) with all of these crazy people jumping around on the stage in giant foam heads. It was pure insanity for a few minutes but that was just the start it would get much more crazy. So after the opening song and possibly the first of what seemed like ten times that they played “Green Jellö Theme Song” you know the chant “Green Jellö Suxx! Green
Jellö Suxx! Green Jellö Suxx!” the fifteen foam headed fans were sent off stage and into the audience but their jobs were not done they had much work to do . . . in the form of a giant cartoon headed mosh pit that was simply out of control and one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen at a rock concert. People swirled in a circle crashing into each other men and women and giant pigs, the Cowgod and a Shitman. As the mosh pit swirled and great fun was being had by all there has to be that one guy that has to try to ruin things for everyone. I noticed him right away as he was pushing people around that were not part of the mosh pit and it didn’t matter if they were men or women he was acting out against everyone. I was in the front getting pictures and when he tried to push me I pushed back which lead to being hit in the back with a beer that covered me an my camera and several other members of the audience. I only tell this
story because absolute justice was served to this guy and it was an incredible sight to see. On the stage the band had this wooden box that had a metal grate on it with lights inside it and a distortion pedal, I assume that was used to control the lights but that is besides the point because it wasn’t plugged in anyway it was just being used by Bill Manspeaker to stand on when he sang. So to set the scene we have Bill Manspeaker standing on the box singing, the guy flailing all around swinging his arms wildly, me standing to the right at this point taking pictures. Now by some strange twist of fate or intervention of God himself this guy swings his arm and gets his pinkie finger stuck between the metal grate and wood on the box that is a smaller space than the tip of his little finger. I was amazed at what I had just seen. The guy could not pull his finger out and then had the audacity to look at me with sheer terror
on his face and was asking for help. Now I am the kind of person that is going to try to help a person in need even if they threw a beer at me a few minutes earlier. So I walk over and look and all I could say is “Holy shit how the fuck did you do this?” and he was in a panic. This whole thing was hilarious but I was praying I didn’t see this guys finger get ripped off. I went over and tried to pull the grate away from the wooden part of the box but it was not happening especially with Manspeaker standing on it. The guy is slapping at Manspeaker’s leg and I tried to get several band members attention to no avail. So he was stuck there freaking out and I was like “I can’t do anything.” Eventually the song ended (not sure what song it was) and we got the attention of someone and Manspeaker stepped down and looked at the guy and said the absolute best thing he could have “You got your finger stuck in the fucking box?”
Somehow the guy pulled his finger out of the box and went off into the crowd . . . but he would soon be back and I think the band and the crowd had noticed his antics and he was asked to leave a couple of times. The show went on several members of the band jumped off of the stage to perform in the crowd. Manspeaker climbed up on a wobbly bar table only held up by his loyal fans. When this was going on the management of Southport Hall was having the guy causing problems removed when Manspeaker noticed he had a bald head and that he needed to come back. The guy comes back over to where Manspeaker (also a bald head) was on the table and he proceeds to tell the guy in some form of these words that “I was here twenty years ago and had sex with a prostitute” and that the guy “was his son.” Everyone went nuts and the guy was removed from the show. So the show continued and they played “Three Little Pigs” and “Green Jellö Theme Song” a couple of more times and what seemed like all of the “Cereal Killer Soundtrack” album. What was unexpected was a guy who was in the audience (possibly planted there)
ends up with the Big Bad Wolf foam mask on and the guitar players guitar and proceeds to play better than anybody on the stage which would lead to the crowd kneeling and bowing to him as if he was the greatest guitar player they had ever seen. He probably not the greatest ever or anything but he was the best one that played during that set. The show was highly entertaining, the prudes will tell you it was a one-hit wonder novelty act that you shouldn’t waste your money on. I would say they aren’t the worst band in the world and they did manage to have a break through hit doing the absolute silliest thing that they could and it was all in fun. Bill Manspeaker had a vision of being a terrible band that made crazy videos and bad music and that was to be his art . . . and it worked. Bands come and go but for me 1992 will always be connected with Green Jellö or Green Jellÿ as it is now and I am so glad that after twenty-six years I got the opportunity to spend about an hour in their brand of madness. - Kevin P. Johnson
TAKE ME TO THE SHOW All show times, dates, cover charge, age restrictions and lineups are subject to change. You should contact the venue and/or bands for further information.
3-16: Music and Mayhem: Southern Brutality, MegaWitch, Axes of Evil, and More 9 PM · Babylon Sportsbar, Metairie, LA, 21+, $7.00
3-31: Ocean of Storms / The Prof.Fuzz 63 / Ian Quiet 9 PM · Intracoastal Club, Houma, Louisiana, LA, 21+, $7.00
3-16: Project Nine, Love Story’s End, & DiAvla 9 PM · The Twist of Lime, Metairie, LA, 21+, $TBD
3-31: Metal and Mayhem: Vivisektor, NUJAC, and Cultum Nocte 9 PM · Babylon Sportsbar, Metairie, LA, 21+, $5.00
3-16: Jak Locke, Black Kreole, and Saint Roch TBD · The Boxer and The Barrel, Houma LA, 21+, $TBD
3-31: Misled EP Release w/ Southern Brutality & tbd 9 PM · The Twist of Lime, Metairie, LA, 21+, $TBD
3-17: Thermostat w/ Pirate Signal and TBD 9 PM · The Twist of Lime, Metairie, LA, 21+, $8.00
3-31: Inbetween, Nun Remains, and Ryan Hebert 9 PM · The Pelican Pub, Slidell, Louisiana, LA, 21+, FREE
3-18: Mac Sabbath with House of Goats and The Unnaturals 7 PM · Southport Hall Live Music & Party Hall, New Orleans, LA, 18+, $10.00
4-4: Dauzat St. Marie w/ Parish Lines, Jaymz Talley Acoustic, & Tbd 8 PM · The Twist of Lime, Metairie, LA, 21+, $TBD
3-23: CHOKE, Hell Camino, Art Of The Process, & Holoverse 9 PM · The Twist of Lime, Metairie, LA, 21+, $10.00 3-24: Monkeysoop, The Mitch Laing Band, & Zync 9 PM · The Twist of Lime, Metairie, LA, 21+, $10.00 3-24: Complete Insanity: Smoke, Breach, Black Kreole, and Pale Devil Sun 9 PM · Babylon Sportsbar, Metairie, LA, 21+, $7.00 3-24:Genus 9:30 PM · The Maple Room, Slidell, LA, All Ages, $FREE 3-30: Kamikaze Zombie U.S Spring Tour w/ A Hanging & Mean Machine 9 PM · The Twist of Lime, Metairie, LA, 21+, $TBD 3-30: One Night In Babylon: The Fixers, Blood Reef, and Falling Arches 9 PM · Babylon Sportsbar, Metairie, LA, 21+, $5.00 3-30: Gools / Killer Dale/ Champagne Girl / Natural Velvet in the Deck Room 8 PM · Deck Room at Southport Hall Live Music & Party Hall, New Orleans, LA, 18+, $5.00 3-30: Ian Quiet / Prof.Fuzz 63 / Sailor Mouth / Wimpsville / GAR GAR 8 PM · 524 Studios, Baton Rouge, LA, 21+, $7.00
4-6: Music and Madness: Slutrag, Glitchell, The Morons and The Angry 88 9 PM · Babylon Sportsbar, Metairie, LA, 21+, $7.00 4-7: Rocking the Babylon: Mortoriot, PixelCreep, and Astro Motel 9 PM · Babylon Sportsbar, Metairie, LA, 21+, $7.00 4-12: Give it Hell Presents: Thy Art Is Murder with Enterprise Earth, Raise The Death Toll, and Vivisektor 7 PM · Southport Hall Live Music & Party Hall, New Orleans, LA, 18+, $16.00 4-14: One Night in Babylon: Art of the Process, Pious, Dead Machine Theory & more 8 PM · Babylon Sportsbar, Metairie, LA, 21+, $7.00 4-14: Angry 88, Screaming Underwater, & Deadcentered 8 PM · 524 Studios, Baton Rouge, LA, Age TBD, $TBD 4-15: Thank You Scientist, Spylights and Catbamboo 7 PM · Southport Hall Live Music & Party Hall, New Orleans, LA, 18+, $15.00 4-16: Punks Raid the Skatepark: American Discord with Peat, Skully Caps & Maybe a surprise guest. 8 PM · The Bandwagon, New Orleans, LA, 21+, $TBD 4-17: Powerman 5000 7 PM · Southport Hall Live Music & Party Hall, New Orleans, LA, 18+, $13.00
4-20: Smoothass Marijuhanananana Time at the Skatepark (JK No Drugs):The Knives, Missing, US Nero, Bad Misters and DJ Naughty Pie and Hexxx 8 :30 PM · The Bandwagon, New Orleans, LA, 21+, $TBD 4-21: Metal and Mayhem: Nun Remains, Vivisektor, and Cutthroat 9 PM · Babylon Sportsbar, Metairie, LA, 21+, $5.00 4-21: Kym Trailz Birthday Bash: The Tomb Of Nick Cage / Breach / The Angry 88 / Black Kreole 9 PM · The Twist of Lime, Metairie, LA, 21+, $10.00 4-22: SHALLOW SIDE, MESSER, & TBD 7 PM · Southport Hall Live Music & Party Hall, New Orleans, LA, 18+, $12.00 4-27: Rocking the Babylon: Vega and tba 9 PM · Babylon Sportsbar, Metairie, LA, 21+, $5.00 4-27: Event Horizon, DiAvla, & House Of Curses 9 PM · The Twist of Lime, Metairie, LA, 21+, $TBD 4-28: Ambassador & Nomad 9 PM · The Twist of Lime, Metairie, LA, 21+, $TBD 4-28: A Mixed Bag Show: The Jak Locke Rock Show, DeadCenterd, The Elvis Depresslees & Baby Whisky 8 PM · Babylon Sportsbar, Metairie, LA, 21+, $7.00 4-30: A Possibly Joyous Occasion at the Skatepark: Coping Skills, Kuwaisiana, and possibly Catbamboo? 8 PM · The Bandwagon, New Orleans, LA, 21+, $TBD 5-5: One Night In Babylon: Pious, Forming the Void, Monte Luna & Voodoo Trees 8 PM · Babylon Sportsbar, Metairie, LA, 21+, $7.00
5-5: A Whole Bunch of Goddamn Noise - Snailmate, Gardenella, Bronze Comet, and Laura Fisher 8 :30 PM · The Bandwagon, New Orleans, LA, 21+, $TBD 5-11: Singer Songwriter Acoustic Showcase featuring Devon Wade, Todd Adams, Khader Alherimi, & More 9 PM · The Twist of Lime, Metairie, LA, 21+, $TBD 5-18: Slapface and Young The Elder 9 PM · Babylon Sportsbar, Metairie, LA, 21+, $TBD 5-25: Nile with Raise The Death Toll and The Void 8 PM · Deck Room at Southport Hall Live Music & Party Hall, New Orleans, LA, 18+, $16.50 6-9: The Hormones, The Sickness, Death Ed. 9:30 PM · The Circle Bar, New Orleans, LA, 21+, $5.00 6-13: SIXES w/ Bloodsick & Smoke 9 PM · The Twist of Lime, Metairie, LA, 21+, $10.00 6-13: Insomnium 7 PM · Southport Hall Live Music & Party Hall, New Orleans, LA, 18+, $15.00 - $45.00 6-15: Seven Spires / Hate Storm / Annihilation 9 PM · The Twist of Lime, Metairie, LA, 21+, $10.00 6-27: The Black Dahlia Murder, Whitechapel, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Aversions Crown, Shadow of Intent 5:30 PM · Southport Hall Live Music & Party Hall, New Orleans, LA, 18+, $25.00 7-14: Hailshot / Kamikaze Zombie / Towering Abomination / Omen Of Ruin 9 PM · The Twist of Lime, Metairie, LA, 21+, $10.00
5-5: Cerebral Drama, Ugly, Alpha Rhythm In The Mercy Circus, & Dustin Cole 8 PM · The Twist of Lime, Metairie, LA, 21+, $TBD
Attention BANDS & Fans We’d like to expand this section. If you have an upcoming show or know of a show please let us know about it. We are currently looking for info on late April 2018 - August 2018 shows for our next issue.
Green Gasoline Unleaded, 2018 Independent
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Contact SONIC BOOM! MAGAZINE at SBPalz@outlook.com for information on where to send your CD’s, Records, and Cassettes. Looking for local, national, or international bands to send in their music to get reviewed. Rock N’ Roll, Punk Rock, Alternative Rock, or Heavy Metal preferred. We like all kinds of bands and support the smallest band to the biggest rock stars, so don’t be shy about sending your music in. Send us an e-mail with the subject SONIC SOUNDS! and let’s see if we can help you find a fantastic new audience.
a resident of the New Orleans area that seems perfectly natural. The thing about that song that was always a bit weird was that the band that wrote it re from Canada . . . what do they know about New Orleans right? Well Saint Roch take it back and reclaim this anthem for New Orleans and they do it well. It’s dirty and raunchy and rocks out in a way that has to make those Canadians proud of what these New Orleans boys did with the song. This is a fine taste of the past with a modern touch to it that won’t let you down. You’ll have to find this one on streaming services as it is not available as download or on CD. Find out more at www.facebook.com/SaintRochBand -Kevin P. Johnson
Saint Roch
MOJO, E.P., 2018 Independent Saint Roch has released its three song E.P. of covers called “Mojo” and it’s a little different for consumers because it will only be available on streaming services like Spotify. No downloads or physical disc will be released so go out and stream it a billion times. The three tracks are classics for sure the Rolling Stones “Star Star,” Aerosmith’s “Mama Kin” and The Tragically Hip’s “New Orleans Is Sinking.” Saint Roch do not reinvent the wheel on this set of covers but they do put their stink on each of these tracks. These songs are fairly true to the originals with a taste of dirty rock n’ roll and the raspy voice of Sickboy Todd Bishop. These tracks are blues based rocker’s just as the originals were. The star of “Mojo” is “New Orleans Is Sinking” the original has been one of my favorite songs for many years as
Analog Missionary Arc, 2017 Independent
Analog Missionary have released a very atmospheric artrock album in “Arc.” The songs seem to have a worldly
influence and do not play in the realm of modern popular music . . . you probably won’t hear this on the radio. Not to mention that the songs on this album are really long, eight of the eleven tracks are six and a half minute plus long. “Peace” is a song that carries the influence of music from India and takes you on a journey of sound and give the feeling of a certain kind of peacefulness (probably why they called it “Peace” right?) The album is very atmospheric and on a song like “A Great Good Comes” feels like you a floating as the music surrounds you. The vocals are both haunting and soothing yet beautiful. The music is both soft and heavy where it is rock n’ roll but something different as well. This feeling repeats throughout the album. “Arc” is an album that you experience as a meditation and escape from the world for a journey into a beautiful landscape of sound. This album isn’t for the person looking to rock out in fact it is the exact opposite in that it is relaxing and gentle form of artsy rock. Check out Analog Missionary at analogmissionary. bandcamp.com/releases - Kevin P. Johnson
Shitstormtrooper Demo 2017, 2017 Independent
So who’s got eleven minutes for some power violence? I got this cassette in and immediately thought that the name of the band was awesome and the cover to the album was by far the best thing I’ve seen in at least a week. I had no idea what I was getting into but I knew it had a sense of humor. The bands Bandcamp page describes them as “punk, grindcore, hardcore punk, metal, power-violence” well I think this touches on a lot of that and with comedic interludes and weird animal sounds that close out the album (and is the longest track on the cassette) this thing is a wild little find. It’s refreshing to hear a female voice fronting the music of a band like this. Although the songs are very short it escapes the common growled vocals that typically go along with this style of metal. Now I still haven’t figured out most of what vocalist Fancy is singing because it’s fast but I like the way it sounds and would like to hear more from her and the rest of the band. The songs shred with crazy fast drums by El Perro and guitars by Eddy. Topped with fast vocals the songs here are great for a :30 second mosh pit. As this is a demo I think it is a good start for the band. Hopefully they can get a little more production
value out of their next recording and I think they could use more songs that are in the three minute range that could develop into something more than the brief short songs they deliver. The humor and interludes work in a style of music that tends to lean away from anything funny. “Cryptarchy” is my favorite track on the album it has an intro, spoken word vocals in parts, slow parts and the fast paced hardcore punk or “power-violence” all in one. This is the most complete song the album has to offer. It is followed by “Sleep Paralysis” and “Fight or Fight Response” which are shorter fast paced tracks that are definitely worthy of a good mosh pit. Add another minute on to these songs and they’d be perfect for me. Shitstormtrooper do a great job on this demo and I think it will only get better from here. You can check out the demo at shitstormtrooper. bandcamp.com/album/demo-2017 unfortunately if you want the weird animal sounds at the end you will have to get the cassette. - Kevin P. Johnson
compare ourselves to krill and we already know that that must suck. “Chinese Folk Songs” is only eight songs but you get songs about Minnie Pearl, panda bears attacking people, Nick Cave and his ability to be everywhere, an Arkansas bride, a lunatic asylum, stoner’s, becoming the king of Hong Kong, getting put away in the Allegheny Asylum, and a shrimp . . . seriously people this is the beginning and the end the yin and the yang this is the next album you should own. Check it out at prof-fuzz63.bandcamp.com/album/ chinese-folk-songs-album - Kevin P. Johnson
The Professor Fuzz 63 Chinese Folk Songs, 2015 Dreamy Life
Looking for Lo-Fi rock n’ roll from Texas? Look no further than The Professor Fuzz 63’s debut album “Chinese Folk Songs” to get you grooving and moving. The Professor Fuzz 63 are masters of funny song titles and lyrics that actually tell a story. With song titles like “Minnie Pearl Watch Over Me,” “Van Stoner’s Stoner Van,” and “Panda Attack” you should be instantly interested in finding out what this is all about. When I listen to this album I feel like I should be driving through a dessert somewhere in the southwest while I’m being chased by bad guys or good guys . . . either way I’m on the run from someone and weirdly enough I really get this feeling on “Panda Attack” which is a song about stupid people getting attacked by a panda bear because they get too close or climb in it’s cage. It’s hard to describe the sound of The Professor Fuzz 63, it’s a fuzzed out guitar, drums, and an organ with distorted vocals (although perfectly clear and listenable.) The band definitely has a different sound than you’d hear on modern radio but this music could and should be included in tons of movies. “Krill” a song based around a type of shrimp is a kind of infectious and will have you singing along as soon as you hear “It must suck, suck to be a krill, It must suck, suck to be a krill.” Like most of the songs on this album this song has a feel good sound to it and is almost relaxing even if the subject matter is of some weirdo scenario where we
Misled
Regenerator Vol. 1, 2018 Dixie Dawg Records Misled is a hard rock band from New Orleans that mixes a bit of punk rock and heavy metal into the mix. The lyrics are heavy and clear and often catchy. “Regenerator Vol. 1” is the fourth album Misled has put out with Dixie Dawg Records and it contains twelve hard rocking tracks that harken back to a time long ago called the 1980’s/1990’s. That old school sound is a good thing though because it rocks. “Chameleon Baby” jumps out from the start with a classic rock style headbanger. The music is heavy yet catchy and definitely something fans of hard rock will love. “Oppressor” is that angry heavy anthem that doesn’t
have a lot of lyrics . . . “You’re looking at me, I’m Looking at you, What the fuck you gonna do?” I listened to it three times before I realized that that was the only lyrics sung in the song. It’s one of those songs you put on your mix tape of songs about being pissed off. The band gets a little old school punk rock sound going on “Fastfood Religion” this one feels a bit like the Ramones while remaining original. This is one of my favorite songs on the album. One of the most pop oriented tracks that would have had a big chance at radio in the 1980’s is “Injection Of My Love” the song is bad ass rock n’ roll, it’s a catchy song with pretty straight forward sexual innuendos . . . maybe they are too obvious to be innuendos. This song has the big guitar solo, the catchy lyrics, the rock n’ roll attitude, this song should be a hit! The next song to put on your mix tape of pissed off songs would be “Criminal” this one is hard and heavy and angry. It deals with the feelings on the War on Drugs. About midway through the song it changes and slows down and we get a n almost spoken word part that points the finger at the people that are supposed to protect but are often the real criminals. This is the most political song on the album and although it makes it’s point it’s not over the top in your face or off putting. “Regenerator Vol. 1” is definitely full of good old fashioned hard rock and it’s one you’ll want to check out. Contact the band at www.facebook.com/mislednola -Kevin P. Johnson
Cerebral Drama
Cerebral Drama, 2018 Independent
and on a level that the stoner rock lovers will enjoy. The chill vibe continues on “Crabs In A Bucket” a song that speaks about the American people trying to live in a society based on debt and how companies and government hold us captive to the debts we have. The song breaks the chill vibe about half way through with a heavier sound and screamed vocals with the rap getting angrier and faster paced. This song is everything Cerebral Drama brings to the stage all in one track. “Syco” and “Art Gallery” are heavily hip-hop rapped tracks that have a more traditional sung choruses which allow the band to show all of their strengths at once. One of the biggest moments of their live set comes when the band tear into “Who Am I” the song is heavy and the raps blend well with the screamed chorus. This is the song that gets the crowd going and their hardcore fans begin to lose their minds as the band explodes across the stage. “I had my ups and downs, I had my ups and downs, I had my ups and downs, Time to move on, You had your ups and downs, You had your ups and downs, You had your ups and downs, Time to move on, We had our ups and downs, We had our ups and downs, We had our ups and downs, Time to move on” . . . the opening to “Breaking Skin” is the perfect break up lyrics that get you in the mood to move and throw things and the song rips into what is my favorite track on “Cerebral Drama” it’s fast paced and proves it’s point about failed relationships. If you are looking for a band that you can chill out with and rock out to at the same time you need to check out Cerebral Drama.
Cerebral Drama could be classified as nu metal or rap/rock but these guy are pure energetic fun rock n’ roll. These guys play hard and enjoy every moment of their shows. The long awaited album, simply titled “Cerebral Drama,” captures everything the band is live and a little bit more. The album starts with a smooth sounding chilled out intro on “Fade Away” that sets the mood even as the song gets heavier and begins to rock. This song has a very alternative rock feel and for the first half of the song and they the rap vocals kick in and you have the full Cerebral Drama experience. The band does their own thing but they really belong alongside bands like 311, The Urge, early Linkin Park, and even Powerman 5000. They definitely play on the chilled Find the band at www.facebook.com/CerebralDrama -Kevin P. Johnson out vibe a lot and on “Climbing Trees” the band gets mellow
gonna have to go to church more often because I like this album a lot. This music is interesting and if you are into low budget horror movies or if you like album covers with a sexy naked woman with a skull on her lap you will not want to miss “Masa Negro.” You can find “Masa Negro” and a lot of other material by Los Eskeletos at loseskeletos.bandcamp.com - Kevin P. Johnson
Los Eskeletos
Masa Negro, 2017 Monsterphonic Los Eskeletos describe what they do on their Facebook page as “Blasting out of the Mojave desert like a scirocco. Blazing across the land, slamming into your ear holes like an undead particle of unattainium. The boldest, bawdiest band of bones!” and I couldn’t agree more with that. Los Eskeletos hail from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and I’m not sure if I ever thought about what kind of music comes out of the great state of Oklahoma and I certainly didn’t expect this brand of Rock N’ Roll . . . but “Masa Negro” is something cool and different. First off all of the song titles are in Spanish so that makes it a little difficult to remember them or know what they mean, but my many years of failing Spanish classes have let me translate them . . . mostly. The music is a lo-fi style of rock n’ roll but it’s also relentless in it’s drive and passion. The lyrics are seemingly mostly in English but are sung through some kind of filter (but it sounds cool). The album is loaded with samples from horror and sci-fi movies . . . and Ric Flair! This album isn’t about traditional singing for sure the band does sing a bit but this album is about using the sampled material with this really cool almost horrorbilly style of rock n’ roll. A lot of it sounds like something you might hear in a movie like “From Dusk Till Dawn” it’s just some filthy dirty western horror movie flavored rock n’ roll with an extra scary horror mention of Satan (in Spanish a lot) in a few songs. I’m assuming the Satan thing is to build up the horror feel of the album . . . otherwise I’m
Fire Bad!
Monster Lock & Loll, 2013 Monsterphonic Okay is the artwork on Fire Bad!’s “Monster Lock & Loll” not the best thing you’ve seen all week? That album art makes me like this band without even hearing a note . . . but I decided to listen to it anyway. Fire Bad! play a lo-fi horror rock with monster’s as a big subject matter . . . what is going on in Oklahoma City and can we go there? “Monster Lock & Loll” is very similar in sound and use of samples as the Los Eskeletos album “Masa Negro” but this has more traditional singing with the addition of a preeminent organ. I’m wondering if the two bands are connected in more ways than the Monsterphonic record label. Somebody get on the Google and find out. “Teenage Head” is a song that has a repetitive riff that will stick in your head without your approval and you’ll be nodding your head before you know what happened. The title track “Monster Lock N’ Loll” has an upbeat
sound with cool references to Styx’s “Mr. Roboto” and clips from Godzilla movies and possibly some other fun sources. This song is just fun. The movie samples are great on this album and when you hear “It’s Alive, It’s Alive” on “Creepy Crawler” you should just go ahead and lose your mind as I did. This song is basically an instrumental but that added Dr. Frankenstein takes it to a whole different level. Now when you are thinking up a new dance to do at the prom or a wedding you will want to make sure it’s the “Bath Salt Zombie Stomp” I feel like this is something like the kids in the 1950’s except with a partner that is dead . . . or at least used to be. This is a fun and peppy track that should get you moving. This is a definite album to check out for all of you lo-fi horror punk fans out there.
a growl that I would not be able to understand and I was correct on that (somebody get me a lyric sheet.) What I wasn’t expecting was the punk/thrash element that this band delivers. The style of it reminds me of old school Sepultura. The bands Facebook page describes it as “MAMMOTH GRINDER play a primitive brand of punkinflected death metal.” The punk element is I think, what is making me love this album. The songs are short and completely mosh worthy, Mammoth Grinder are heavy but it’s not overwhelming they come with a fast paced assault and maintain it throughout the album. Go buy this album and all of Mammoth Grinder’s material at mammothgrinder.bandcamp.com -Kevin P. Johnson
Check out Fire Bad! on Bandcamp they have lot’s of music to download at firebad1.bandcamp.com -Kevin P. Johnson
Primal Rite
Dirge Of Escapeism, 2018 Revelation
Mammoth Grinder Cosmic Crypt, 2018 Relapse
Scary album cover art: Check Hard to read logo: Check Relapse Records: Check Extreme metal veterans Mammoth Grinder have released their fourth full length album after five years. “Cosmic Crypt” is my first introduction to the band so I had some idea of what to expect, I figured it would be heavy and sung with
Primal Rite release it’s first full length album “Dirge Of Escapeism” and it starts out with a heavy instrumental track called “Chapter Zero” that will get you in the mood for what is about to come. “Akumajō (Blood)” takes the metal and gives it a hardcore twist. The music on this track is not super fast and focuses on the heaviness while the next track “Antivenom” seems to flip the script and hits you with a faster paced song that keeps the music interesting and not all the same. At the end of this track an interesting higher pitched vocal comes in that really stands out. From the
rest of the track and that is a good thing. This band doesn’t rely on growled vocals instead they take the singers heavy metal style singing voice and add a lot of backing (gang vocals if you will) that create a chant style. This technique is permanent throughout the album notably on “Interference” and “Demon.” Primal Rite seem to live on the boarder of death metal and hardcore and I think will find a good crossover audience for fans of both genres. Check out Primal Rite at primalrite.bandcamp.com -Kevin P. Johnson
going to be telling people “If you got it then you probably abuse it, and if you don’t you can probably use it.” The lyrics are so right for the music that is being presented by Green Gasoline, super catchy at times and hard rockin’ all of the time. Listening to this album brings me back to a time when I bought every magazine and stayed up late on school nights trying to hear what album would be played on the local “Album Hour” show. They could have slipped this in next to bands like Great White, Aerosmith, Blue Murder, Gun’s N’ Roses, Kingdom Come or Bang Tango. This band has captured that long lost style of hard rock/ heavy metal and has completely owned it. The title track “Unleaded” is a head nodder with wailing guitars and thundering bass and drums that should get you moving. The last track on the album “As Well” is definitely a radio friendly style tune. It has a big rock sound with enough of a pop edge that it should find it’s way on the air. The song also breaks down about halfway through and has a cool little shift where it becomes a big instrumental for bout a minute and a half. Green Gasoline are a band to watch in the New Orleans area and hopefully they can find their way onto the national scene and become big time rock stars. Go get Green Gasoline’s music at greengasolineband. bandcamp.com/music -Kevin P. Johnson
Green Gasoline Unleaded, 2018 Independent
Green Gasoline just may be the saviors of hard rock. Four young guys playing a style of music that only lives on classic rock radio stations these days. These guys are like Guns N’ Roses and Aerosmith had a wild party and nine months later four babies came out rocking their asses off. “Unleaded” is the first full length album by this New Orleans based rock n’ roll band. “Desolate Road” is the first track and it jumps out at you and ask’s “hey man you ever been to 1987 before? Cuz we’re about to take you there.” With a bit of heaviness, and big guitar solos this song is everything you could ever want in a hard rock classic . . . except it’s new and young and ready to rock you. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better here comes “Security Guard” a song that just rocks. I think I’m
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