Virgil

Bruce Humphries and the Rockabilly Rebels

Bruce Humphries and the Rockabilly Rebels – Live It Up!

Self-released [2023]
Comin’ Down Hard – How Do You Do? – Jack Splat – In My Backyard – She’s Your Problem Now – Pitter Patter – Live It Up! – Leave The Lights Out – Cool Clad Daddy – Take Me Home

Bruce Humphries and the Rockabilly rebels

Bruce Humphries and the Rockabilly Rebels hail from Milwaukee, and they rock! Humphries is not a newcomer, having played with Dibbs Preston (the Rockats). he also opened for the Brian Setzer Orchestra. In addition to Humphries on vocals and guitar, the group consists of Lorenzo Ripani (guitars), Kurt Weber (drums) and John Steffes* (bass).
Let’s say it right away, Live It Up! is a very good album. But if I had to find a weak point (it’s always better to evacuate the negative points first), it wouldn’t be in the music but in the band’s name. That’s a minor detail, but I find ‘Rockabilly Rebels’ too restrictive. It doesn’t accurately reflect what’s on this record. As a matter of fact, the genres covered are much more varied and go far beyond the strict framework of Rockabilly. Their music is not that easy to pigeonhole, and one could compare them to Webb Wilder or the Leroi Brothers.
Thus, stuck between two Hi-octane Rock’n’Roll to open (Comin’ Down Hard) and end the disc (Take Me Home), we find, of course, Rockabilly (Cool Clad Daddy) but also a 60s country track with a touch of Psychedelic rock (the excellent She’s Your Problem Now), a menacing track on a slow tempo that sounds very Cramps (How Do You Do?), or a wild rock very close to the already mentioned Webb Wilder (Live It Up). Always quick to vary the atmospheres, the group also offers two instrumentals, a rock’n’roll and a surf one, on which Humphries plays the lead guitar, as well as country tracks like the sombre Leave The Lights On, on which his deep voice works wonders. The whole thing is perfectly recorded and produced. The work and the balance between the two guitars are perfect, the solos are continually inventive, and the rhythm section supports everything with the necessary groove.
In addition, Humphries wanted to enrich the experience by offering something more than music, which is why the cd is presented in a superb large format three-fold digipack, with 3D images and the glasses that go with it.
Put your hands on this superb object, and PLAY LOUD!

Available here: https://brucehumphries.bandcamp.com/album/live-it-up

*By a sad coincidence, I learned of the death of Steffes while I was writing this review.

Don Cavalli

Don Cavalli

Don Cavalli – Cryland

A Rag [2007]
Gloom Uprising – I’m Going To The River – Aggression – Here Sat I (Off Jumps The Don) – Vitamin A – Vengeance – Wandering Wanderer – Cryland – New Hollywood Babylon – Wonder Chairman – Cherie de mon coeur – Casual Worker – Summertime

Don Cavalli

With this album, Cavalli surprised his cohort of long-time fans who were more used to hearing him play Rockabilly and hillbilly bop. Cryland opens a new direction for the French musician, more bluesy and more personal. Though it’s still music with roots, it finds him free to play whatever he wants without the restrictions imposed by the codified genre that is Rockabilly. His voice has turned into a threatening growl leaving behind him the overwhelming influence of Charlie Feathers. The result sometimes sounds like a jam between Skip James, Captain Beefheart, Leadbelly, Tony Joe White, RL Burnside, T Model Ford and the rest of the Fat Possum gang. The drums smack like on early rap albums, while Cavalli seems to have a lot of fun playing with his Wah Wah pedal. 

 By no means an album for purists but a very good one for the more open-minded listeners. 

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Johnny Loda Trio

Johnny Loda Trio – Godforsaken Land

Part Records – 675.002
Fish Outta Water – Holiday – Hotrod Cafe – The Rockin’ Gipsy – Its Always A Sunny Day – Her Love Rubbed Off – Godforsaken Land – Johnny’s FXR – There Was A Time – BBQ Ribs Party – Summertime Blues – Tribute Bands – Surfin’ Cowboys – Marina – Funnel Of Love

Released in 2012, this album of the Johnny Loda Trio features Ettore Chiavinato, aka Johnny Loda, on guitars and vocals, Davide Boschetti on bass, and Renato Ardizzoni on drums. Rick Miller of Southern Culture On The Skids mixed it and Dave Harris, who worked with the Reverend Horton Heat and Hank Williams III, mastered it.
Godforsaken Land is one hot rocking platter on which one can hear the influences of Ronnie Dawson, The Paladins and Brian Setzer. The band mixes with success Rockabilly, Blues and Country and Western, some with a pedal steel guitar.
Most of the songs are Loda’s originals (ten out of fifteen), and they’re excellent. Actually, except for Ronnie Dawson’s Fish Outa Water, the covers are pretty well known (Funnel Of Love, Summertime Blues, Her Love Rubbed Off, The Rockin’ Gipsy) and don’t bring much to the records.There’s a booklet with the lyrics, which is an excellent idea, as Loda tries to avoid the usual Rock’n’roll cliches like “Drivin’ in my hot rod with my tattooed pin-up” if you see what I mean.
For example, Tribute Band is a rant at all those types of bands that ends with “Please kill me if I’ll play in a tribute band”. Perfect!

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Maibell and The Misfires

Maibell and the Misfire – Fire

El Toro Records ET15163 [2023]
Fire / Hey You

The latest single by Maibel and the Misfire is a total success. It offers two very different and complementary tracks.
Fire is a very rhythmic Rockabilly, which sounds like a modern version of Gene Vincent (the guitar is reminiscent of Cruisin at times)—there is no need to say that the band is particularly hot on this one and takes no prisoners.
Side B is even better. It is a stroller built on a Jazz progression with rich chords and perfectly supported by the brushed snare drum. Maibell’s voice has more room to express itself, and the guitar is superb from start to finish.

Available here.

Maibell and The Misfires - Ride Along!
Maibell and The Misfires – Ride Along!

Maibell and The Misfires – Ride Along!

El Toro ETCD6042
You’re Gonna Miss Him – Do The Stomp – In My Heart – Misery And Heartache – Sweet Love – So Far Away – Without You – Why Do I Love You? – Maybe Just A Little – This Ain’t Going Nowhere – My Kinda Man – Why Oh Why? – Ride Along – Never Been In Love Like This

This quartet comes from Finland and features very well known name on the scene that have played with Mr Breathless, Hi-Fly Rangers, Hayden Thompson Paul Roman, Jussi Syren…
They play fifties rockabilly mixed with a very modern approach with 80’s influences in between which mean that they aren’t afraid to add a good dose of pop ala Smiths in their music. The result is a slap bass driven melodic album (entirely self penned by the band) that sounds very radio friendly and it could easily find its way to the top of the charts like Imelda May did. I must say that it is too polished and lacks a bit of excitement for me. And sometime the rockabilly roots can only be traced by the presence of the doublebass, the other elements being very (and for my own taste too much) poppy.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Nevrotix (the)

Nevrotix (the) – Light & Shade

Crazy Love Records CLCD 64493 [2023]
Bone Rattle Beat – Blue Again – Creature – She’s My Baby – Cast A Spell – Out Of Sight – All That Was – Midnight Boogie – Distance – Parallel World – Aviophobia

Nevrotix Light & Shades

The Nevrotix are Axel Wennerlund on guitars & vocals, Cecil Kriisin on drums, and Henrik Hellberg Lizama on double bass. They come from Sweden and, may I add, wear lovely jumpers. They play Psychobilly. By that, I mean real Psychobilly (we’ll debate elsewhere if it’s pure Psychobilly), not Punk or Heavy Metal with a double bass. They play with the codes of the genre: a powerful double bass, a light guitar with a clear sound and pounding drums that do not hesitate to slip into tribal rhythms on occasion.
Above all, the Nevrotix has two strong points. First, although they are excellent musicians, what is striking about this trio is its cohesion. We do not have the impression of hearing three individuals or a rhythm section accompanying a singer. On the contrary, the band sounds like a whole, giving the group a unique dynamic. Of course, that doesn’t preclude guitar solos (the album is peppered with brilliant guitar parts) or double bass breaks. And all this is for what? This is where we come to the group’s second and main strength: their songs and arrangements. The Nevrotix compositions are never content to be simply sped-up Rockabilly with a few zombie-themed lyrics thrown in for good measure. Their Psychobilly is highly melodic, and the seemingly simple songs always move into unexpected territories. Each piece has a slight variation or subtle change that will make all the difference. Take songs like Out Of Sight or the Distance, for example. What could be, for the former, a fast track with muffled chords, à la What The Hell (Frantic Flintstones), is quickly transformed into something new by a subtle melodic variation.
The group also manages to brilliantly translate the lyrics’ atmosphere into music. Again, we feel that it has been thought of as a whole. For example, Blue Again is a fast track with a catchy riff that accompanies the track and enters your head like the singer’s discomfort.
Cast A Spell is another track that conveys the narrator’s fear and angst through music.
The group also excels in tracks containing rage and danger, bursting out in brief flashing moments. Thus Bone Rattle Beat is almost based on the double bass and the drums giving the track a jungle atmosphere, evoking Batmobile’s Zombie Riot or the Meteors’ Voodoo Rhythm before accelerating on the chorus. Another song that carries a high dose of danger is Midnight Boogie. Everything about this song screams “danger”, yet listening to it makes you want to roam the city with your friends in the middle of the night.
The group welcomes some guests on certain tracks. Thus we hear Terry Drybone of the Magnetix on Creature bringing his mean voice to this strange alien story. All That Was is a superb dark country/country noir ballad featuring Gunnar Frick on pedal steel guitar, on which Axel duets with Hanna Wennerlund (any link?). The feel is close to the duets recorded between Sparky and Emmanuella of the Hillbilly Moon Explosion. The album closes with Aviophobia, a fast instrumental featuring Anton Eriksson (the Test Pilots) on guitar and, surprisingly, but a good surprise, a saxophone played by Oskar Bäcklin.
One last word to tell you that the production is faultless from start to finish and that the famous Oskar Hertin drew the cover.
Don’t think twice, and grab a copy of this terrific album right now! I said NOW!

Available on CD and LP at Crazy Love Records
https://www.facebook.com/thenevrotix

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Nevrotix

Big Mama Thorton

Big Mama Thorton – Just Like A Dog

El Toro ET15.138
Just Like a Dog (Barking Up the Wrong Tree) – My Man Called Me / Stop A-Hoppin’ On Me – I Smell a Rat

Big Mama Thorton

Big Mama Thornton, and her incredible voice, need no introduction (so I hope). This EP gathers four tracks. On side A, you’ll find the rocking Just Like A Dog (this lady has something with the dogs) and the mellower My Man. The flip opens with the Rumba-tinged Rhythm’n’Blues of Stop A-Hoppin’ On Me and ends with the jungle beat of I Smell A Rat. All songs were recorded with Johnny Otis Orchestra except for Stop-A-Hoppin, which features Burt Kendricks & His Orchestra.

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