Cooterfinger – ‘Three Chords and
a Grudge’ (Illbilly)
This 5
song ep has got a great, everything in the red, garage rock sound to it. If you
like Thee Headcoats, The Mummies, The Thirteenth Floor Elevators, and The Sonics
you’ll probably dig Cooterfinger. It’s basic, primal rock that works just as
well as dance music for a sixties go-go bar or the soundtrack for hotwiring a
car and going on a joyride. This is the kind of music that’s ugly and raw
enough to make even today’s jaded, grew up on metal and punk parents say, “turn
that noise off”, and that’s a good thing. And don’t tell anyone, but underneath
all the overdrive and caveman guitar riffing are some genuinely good pop songs.
This is definitely my kind of trash. To get a copy for yourself, go to
http://www.geocities.com/illbillyrocks. (Bob Ignizio)
This seven song demo featurs
some good late seventies/early eighties style punk. I hear the influence of
bands like Devo, The Buzzcocks, Angry Samoans, The Germs, The Dead Kennedys, and
The Circle Jerks. The guitars have sort of a jangly high end sound to them and
stick to simple chords while the bass lines are melodic and prominent in the
mix, more or less taking the position of lead instrument. The vocals have that
sort of angry nerdy guy vibe that used to be the norm back when punk was music
for outsiders instead of just another flavor of pop music. No thick, metallish
power chords, solos, or hard-ass attitude here, either, and that’s kind of nice
for a change. It’s not great, but it’s a damn sight more interesting than most
of the cookie cutter punk I hear these days. Get in touch with the band at
their website,
http://www.thefoolslikeyou.com. (Bob Ignizio)
This is a pretty good psychobilly band hampered by a bland,
boring vocalist. Musically they sound kind of like Reverend Horton Heat circa
his ‘Full Custom Gospel Sounds of…” period. The all too typical lyrics don’t
help matters, either. I know bands playing this style of music are somewhat
limited in their range of topics, but the best of them (The Rev in his prime,
Lords of the Highway, Southern Culture on the Skids) make up for it with style
and wit. Without a distinctive voice or personality this just comes across as
flat and generic sounding. I’ve got to say the band is excellent, however.
They can rock out with the best of them. Since the vocalist is also the guitar
player, my advice would be to acquire the services of a good vocalist/lyricist.
You can order this from the Rock ‘n’ Roll Purgatory
website. (Bob Ignizio)
Noisy and grating, eccentric and idiosyncratic yet somehow
still catchy, Kill the Hippies have a sound all their own. There’s not a shred
of trendiness in what they do. The closest comparisons I could make would be
Alice Donut and The Crucifucks, and maybe some of the Butthole Surfers early
material. A lot of the lyrics deal with social and political issues, but not in
a preachy self righteous manner like Anti-Flag or similar bands. The words come
more from a personal viewpoint with more than a touch of sarcasm. ‘Spasms in
the New Age’ perfectly captures live KTH’s sound. The production is raw, but
that’s as it should be. “Geritol Neutron Bomb”, “Sterile Needles” and “Here
Come the Campers” are just some of the stand out tracks on here. You can (and
should) contact the band at
http://www.killthehippies.cjb.net. (Bob Ignizio)
This 5
song ep has got a great, everything in the red, garage rock sound to it. If you
like Thee Headcoats, The Mummies, The Thirteenth Floor Elevators, and The Sonics
you’ll probably dig Cooterfinger. It’s basic, primal rock that works just as
well as dance music for a sixties go-go bar or the soundtrack for hotwiring a
car and going on a joyride. This is the kind of music that’s ugly and raw
enough to make even today’s jaded, grew up on metal and punk parents say, “turn
that noise off”, and that’s a good thing. And don’t tell anyone, but underneath
all the overdrive and caveman guitar riffing are some genuinely good pop songs.
This is definitely my kind of trash. To get a copy for yourself, go to
This seven song demo featurs
some good late seventies/early eighties style punk. I hear the influence of
bands like Devo, The Buzzcocks, Angry Samoans, The Germs, The Dead Kennedys, and
The Circle Jerks. The guitars have sort of a jangly high end sound to them and
stick to simple chords while the bass lines are melodic and prominent in the
mix, more or less taking the position of lead instrument. The vocals have that
sort of angry nerdy guy vibe that used to be the norm back when punk was music
for outsiders instead of just another flavor of pop music. No thick, metallish
power chords, solos, or hard-ass attitude here, either, and that’s kind of nice
for a change. It’s not great, but it’s a damn sight more interesting than most
of the cookie cutter punk I hear these days. Get in touch with the band at
their website,
This is a pretty good psychobilly band hampered by a bland,
boring vocalist. Musically they sound kind of like Reverend Horton Heat circa
his ‘Full Custom Gospel Sounds of…” period. The all too typical lyrics don’t
help matters, either. I know bands playing this style of music are somewhat
limited in their range of topics, but the best of them (The Rev in his prime,
Lords of the Highway, Southern Culture on the Skids) make up for it with style
and wit. Without a distinctive voice or personality this just comes across as
flat and generic sounding. I’ve got to say the band is excellent, however.
They can rock out with the best of them. Since the vocalist is also the guitar
player, my advice would be to acquire the services of a good vocalist/lyricist.
You can order this from the Rock ‘n’ Roll Purgatory
Noisy and grating, eccentric and idiosyncratic yet somehow
still catchy, Kill the Hippies have a sound all their own. There’s not a shred
of trendiness in what they do. The closest comparisons I could make would be
Alice Donut and The Crucifucks, and maybe some of the Butthole Surfers early
material. A lot of the lyrics deal with social and political issues, but not in
a preachy self righteous manner like Anti-Flag or similar bands. The words come
more from a personal viewpoint with more than a touch of sarcasm. ‘Spasms in
the New Age’ perfectly captures live KTH’s sound. The production is raw, but
that’s as it should be. “Geritol Neutron Bomb”, “Sterile Needles” and “Here
Come the Campers” are just some of the stand out tracks on here. You can (and
should) contact the band at
