Here’s a reissue a lot of people probably thought they’d
never see. During their original incarnation, The Mummies only released their
material on vinyl. Supposedly due to a loophole in their contract with Telstar
that said the label could release this on the digital format in 2002 (the band
assuming the world would have ended by then), those of us without turntables can
now enjoy this lo-fi classic. This is raw, primal rock ‘n’ roll in the spirit
of The Sonics and other sixties garage rockers, and originals like “Your Ass is
Next in Line”, “Little Miss Tee-N-T”, “The Thing From Venus”, and “Rosie” are
every bit as essential as anything from the decade that inspired them. The boys
in the bandages also turn in rousing covers of “Stronger than Dirt”, “Come on
Up:, and “Skinny Minnie”. In addition to the original lp, there’s also five
bonus tracks, including my personal favorite “(You Must Fight to Live) on the
Planet of the Apes”. This album sounds like it was recorded on a handheld mono
tape deck in someone’s basement, but that’s just part of it’s charm. (Bob
Ignizio)
Listening to this 8 song CD (6 listed, plus 2 “secret”
tracks) from Lakewood’s The Nick Riley Allstars makes me think of an unholy
union of Beck and Captain Beefheart. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it
does mean that only a small segment of music fans are going to find this CD of
interest. Those few, however, should dig this immensely. The band blends
elements of jazz, funk, experimental weirdness, and post punk to create a sound
that defies categorization. The lyrics are like the ravings of a schizophrenic.
They’re seemingly inane and juvenile but occasional scraps of meaning make you
wonder if there isn’t something deeper going on, like when the vocalist rails
against “false advertising” on “T.J. Maxx” or the way “Planet of the Apes” mixes
lines from the movie with commentary on Charlton Heston and the NRA. Good
wholesome weirdness for those so inclined. (Bob Ignizio)
This may be one of the most aptly titled albums I’ve heard
in some time. This came out on vinyl a while back, but the CD reissue also
includes most of this Clevland band’s singles and various and sundry other
tracks that were lying around. If you’ve never head 9 Shocks before, they are
just sheer raging brutality. Is it punk? Metal? Grind-core? Noise rock? 9
Shocks incorporates elements from all those genres and comes up with a sound of
their own. The lyrics are full of anger, much of it directed at annoying hip
scenesters and other social parasites. “This is not an Anthem” probably sums it
up best with the line, “rejects rejecting the rejects”. The guys also earn
bonus points in my book for doing a Hawkwind cover, turning in a raging version
of “Brainstorm”. The perfect soundtrack to the worst day of your miserable
life. (Bob Ignizio)
This is the early candidate
for album title of the year. Ian Svenonious is back. After taking the Make Up
as far as it could possibly go, he has left behind the 60’s garage sound and
opted for 70’s psychedelic rock. At this rate he should catch up with his
decidedly nineties band Nation of Ulysses sometime in 2015. Let’s hope it
doesn’t cause a wrinkle in time.Bassist Michelle Mae is the only carry-over form
the Make-Up. Musically the band take the glam and psychedelic sounds of the
late 60’s and early 70’s and cut them with a punk rock attitude and wry vocal
delivery. It’s what separates them from the million other 70’s imitators.
There is far more Zappa and Arthur Brown here than there is Robert Plant. Thank
God. Michelle Mae lays down some nice bass grooves, but the band doesn’t get so
enamored with them that they feel the need to drag them out to epic lengths.
The Creamers get kind of folky on “Luxembourg” and “Housework for 3”, a song
that oddly enough recalls Ween. “Here Comes the Judge Pt. 2” is the long
awaited sequel to a track off of the first Make-Up album and is the only thing
that really sounds too much like The Make-Up. Unlike Svenonious’ other
bands, The Scene Creamers don’t seem to have a gimmick. It’s possible that
they’re absolutely sincere. The band certainly looks the part; Svenonious in
particular looked like a complete mess the last time I saw him (some weird cross
between Jimi Hendrix and David Johansen). Time will tell if there is a
generation of bands to be influenced by the Scene Creamers. If they’re paying
attention, they should be. (Dave Ignizio)
Here’s a reissue a lot of people probably thought they’d
never see. During their original incarnation, The Mummies only released their
material on vinyl. Supposedly due to a loophole in their contract with Telstar
that said the label could release this on the digital format in 2002 (the band
assuming the world would have ended by then), those of us without turntables can
now enjoy this lo-fi classic. This is raw, primal rock ‘n’ roll in the spirit
of The Sonics and other sixties garage rockers, and originals like “Your Ass is
Next in Line”, “Little Miss Tee-N-T”, “The Thing From Venus”, and “Rosie” are
every bit as essential as anything from the decade that inspired them. The boys
in the bandages also turn in rousing covers of “Stronger than Dirt”, “Come on
Up:, and “Skinny Minnie”. In addition to the original lp, there’s also five
bonus tracks, including my personal favorite “(You Must Fight to Live) on the
Planet of the Apes”. This album sounds like it was recorded on a handheld mono
tape deck in someone’s basement, but that’s just part of it’s charm. (Bob
Ignizio)
Listening to this 8 song CD (6 listed, plus 2 “secret”
tracks) from Lakewood’s The Nick Riley Allstars makes me think of an unholy
union of Beck and Captain Beefheart. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it
does mean that only a small segment of music fans are going to find this CD of
interest. Those few, however, should dig this immensely. The band blends
elements of jazz, funk, experimental weirdness, and post punk to create a sound
that defies categorization. The lyrics are like the ravings of a schizophrenic.
They’re seemingly inane and juvenile but occasional scraps of meaning make you
wonder if there isn’t something deeper going on, like when the vocalist rails
against “false advertising” on “T.J. Maxx” or the way “Planet of the Apes” mixes
lines from the movie with commentary on Charlton Heston and the NRA. Good
wholesome weirdness for those so inclined. (Bob Ignizio)
This may be one of the most aptly titled albums I’ve heard
in some time. This came out on vinyl a while back, but the CD reissue also
includes most of this Clevland band’s singles and various and sundry other
tracks that were lying around. If you’ve never head 9 Shocks before, they are
just sheer raging brutality. Is it punk? Metal? Grind-core? Noise rock? 9
Shocks incorporates elements from all those genres and comes up with a sound of
their own. The lyrics are full of anger, much of it directed at annoying hip
scenesters and other social parasites. “This is not an Anthem” probably sums it
up best with the line, “rejects rejecting the rejects”. The guys also earn
bonus points in my book for doing a Hawkwind cover, turning in a raging version
of “Brainstorm”. The perfect soundtrack to the worst day of your miserable
life. (Bob Ignizio)
This is the early candidate
for album title of the year. Ian Svenonious is back. After taking the Make Up
as far as it could possibly go, he has left behind the 60’s garage sound and
opted for 70’s psychedelic rock. At this rate he should catch up with his
decidedly nineties band Nation of Ulysses sometime in 2015. Let’s hope it
doesn’t cause a wrinkle in time.Bassist Michelle Mae is the only carry-over form
the Make-Up. Musically the band take the glam and psychedelic sounds of the
late 60’s and early 70’s and cut them with a punk rock attitude and wry vocal
delivery. It’s what separates them from the million other 70’s imitators.
There is far more Zappa and Arthur Brown here than there is Robert Plant. Thank
God. Michelle Mae lays down some nice bass grooves, but the band doesn’t get so
enamored with them that they feel the need to drag them out to epic lengths.
The Creamers get kind of folky on “Luxembourg” and “Housework for 3”, a song
that oddly enough recalls Ween. “Here Comes the Judge Pt. 2” is the long
awaited sequel to a track off of the first Make-Up album and is the only thing
that really sounds too much like The Make-Up. Unlike Svenonious’ other
bands, The Scene Creamers don’t seem to have a gimmick. It’s possible that
they’re absolutely sincere. The band certainly looks the part; Svenonious in
particular looked like a complete mess the last time I saw him (some weird cross
between Jimi Hendrix and David Johansen). Time will tell if there is a
generation of bands to be influenced by the Scene Creamers. If they’re paying
attention, they should be. (Dave Ignizio)