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If you have no idea who the Supersuckers are, then I feel sorry for you.  Sorry because you have not yet experienced the (self-proclaimed) greatest rock-n-roll band in the world!  If you have heard of them then, I’m jealous of you.  Jealous because…well, let’s just say if the Supersuckers had a spread in Tiger Beat, they’d be plastered all over my bedroom wall.

The Supersuckers have almost a cult following of die-hard fans.  You just don’t kinda sorta like the Supersuckers…you fucking LOVE the Supersuckers.  Their sound is honest-to-goodness American rock-n-roll: unpretentious, tongue-in-cheek and sacrilegious.  Their songs have an anthem-like quality to them, with raking guitar intros that make you jump up and down waiting for the rest of the band to kick in.  Their songs are about fucked-up relationships, getting fucked up and not giving a fuck.  They draw upon an archetypal rock sound to make their music: from the Ramones to Thin Lizzy to Social Distortion.

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4.00 (3 votes)

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I have an obsession with Southern Rock.  I have only told very close friends about this, as admitting to rocking out to some Foghat gets you no RAB points. (That’s Rockabilly points to you squares)

Southern Rock gets a bad rap because some people associate it with the mouth-breathing, red-neck good-ole-boys that blast it outta their tape decks.    For me, it takes me back to when I was growing up in the early 70s in Southwestern PA.  When coolness was defined by my sister’s full length embroidered jean jacket and my brother’s long hair and aviator sunglasses.  When a walking through the woods led you to bombed out lean-tos where kids smoked drugs and carved “Lynyrd Skynyrd” into tree trunks.  Dude.  And, all it takes is some sweet guitar pickin’ and the high hat to take me back to a carefree summer…

Admittedly, you can get sick of the oldies station and their usual rotation of Southern Rock.  There really aren’t any contemporary bands playing in the style of our Dixie brethren.  And, then, like the glint of sunshine off an Old English pull-tab, enter Good Man Down.

I caught up with bass player Kevin Baldes after their set at the Hootenanny:

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4.75 (8 votes)

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I have a secret to admit…I don’t like the Horrorpops. When given the task of reviewing their set at the Hootenanny, I did my best impersonation of a 4 year old boy forced to go clothes shopping with mom. But, I have to qualify my statement. On the road trip down to the ‘nanny, I listened to a few tracks, just to get primed. Heavy upright slap bass, poppy drums, ska influences, and a strong but youthful vibrato, occasionally dropping to a whisper or rising to command. Then it hit me: Patricia Day is the psychobilly Gwen Stefani!

I like Gwen Stefani. I like rockabilly. I used to be way-goth. I like girl-fronted bands. Therefore, I *have* to like the Horrorpops. And, according to the Horrorpops’ rules, my only answer must be, “Hell YEAH!”

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4.00 (3 votes)

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Undeniably, The Reverend Horton Heat, aka Jim Heath, is the biggest, baddest, grittiest, greasiest, greatest rocker that ever piled his hair up and pounded the drinks down. Without question, for all of his outlandish antics, blistering stage performances and legendary musical prowess, the one thing The Rev always gets asked about is the story behind his unusual and rather clerical moniker. “Well, there used to be this guy who ran this place in Deep Ellum, Texas who used to call me Horton- my last name is Heath,” says The Rev. “Anyway, this guy hired me and right before the show he goes, ‘Your stage name should be Reverend Horton Heat! Your music is like gospel’… and I thought it was pretty ridiculous. So I’m up there playing and after the first few songs, people are saying, ‘Yeah, Reverend!’ What’s really funny is that this guy gave up the bar business, and actually became a preacher! Now he comes to our shows and says, ‘Jim, you really should drop this whole Reverend thing.’”- (taken from their website).

The Good Reverend and his band of mischievous choir boys rocked the socks off at the Hootenanny. We drank the Kool Aid and were re-born to rockabilly. Halleilujah! Amen!

 

4.00 (3 votes)

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