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Swampy's (the)

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Swampy’s (the) – Come Back To The Swamp

Kix4U [1989]
Pretty in Pink – Rockhouse – Home Sweet Home – Tainted Love  – Fly Story – Cinderella – Iron Man  – Come Back to the Swamp – Love Me – Bug Attack – You Drink Too Much – Tear It Up 

The Swampy’s recorded the follow-up to their debut ep in September 1988. It was first self-released by the band, then Kix4U licensed it, giving it a better distribution.
On many aspects, Come Back to the Swamp is a more accomplished effort than Psycho Swamp. It is better produced, better recorded, better played, and better sung with many outstanding originals, including one instrumental (Bug Attack.)
You have to be a very tight band to play that brand of fast Psychobilly, and the Swampy’s, at the time of these recordings, were on top of their form. The double-bass is just insane. Jo, their double-bass player/singer, also progressed in terms of singing. His voice shows more subtleties ranging from the threatening voice to a more neo-Rockabilly vocal.
The best way to hear the band’s evolution is to compare the two versions of Tainted Love. Needless to say that the second one is far better and is a highlight of the Psychobilly genre.

Swampy’s (the) – Psycho Swamp

Self-released [1988]
Domino – Psycho Swamp – Tainted Love – The Coffin Maker

Coming from Belgium, the Swampy’s, recorded Psycho Swamp their debut mini-album in 1987. It has the defaults and the qualities of the youth. Despite a powerful slap bass, the Swampy’s are not what you could describe as accomplished musicians, and some arrangements are a bit loose. On the other hand, it’s joyful, full of vitality, exuberant, wild, raw, and primitive. Everything that makes you buy a psychobilly album. Don’t you agree with me?
Two of the songs are originals. If their instrumental is average, the Coffin Maker is excellent. The other two songs are covers. The first one is a hardly recognizable version of Roy Orbison’s Domino with a total change of melody. The second one is Gloria Jones’ Tainted Love, which takes things where Dave Philips and the Hot Rod Gang left them and add a massive dose of craziness.
On a side note, if there’s an award for the ugliest Psychobilly cover, the Swampy’s would be a strong contender.

The Radioactive Kid

Tiger Men (the)

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Tiger Men 1

The Tiger Men formed in the second half of the 80’s in Belgium with well known name on the local scene coming from the Red Monkeys and the Swampy’s. They were Michel Texier aka Texas : vocals / guitar, Thierry Dupuis : doublebass, Saki : guitar and Gilbert : drums.

They recorded one album (“Tiger Men”) for Kix4u. 
In the early 90’s Texas moved to Bruxelles and left the Tiger Men. They carried on with a new singer, Fabrisio, and a new drummer Jean but split around 1992.  They evolved into The Raggin’ Stuff to play White Rock.

tigermenThe Tiger Men – s/t

Kix4U – KIX3364
Chuck Style ~ Uranium Rock ~ Johnny Was A Bad Boy ~ Tiger Stomp ~ Crawdad Hole ~ Shake Your Hips ~ Gone Gone Gone ~ I Will Miss You ~ I’ll Go On My Way ~ Chris Baboon ~ Love In A Coffin ~ Hit The Road Jack ~ Wild Child ~ Shake Your Money Maker ~ Tiger Man ~ My Babe
The Tigermen were an Belgian quartet from the early 90’s. They played a majority of up-tempo neo rockabillies with clean electric guitar, slap bass to the fore and light drums. If not very always original (half of the songs are covers and many of the 16 titles have similar tempo which is a bit monotonous) and despite a limited voice the result is rather pleasant. Highlights are “Johnny Was A Bad Boy“, a slow bluesy-jazz number with harp that sounds like a cross between Restless, the Wild Ones and Vaya Con Dios, “Tiger Stomp” an instrumental in the vein of Crazy Cavan’s “Crazy Rhythm“,the melancholic “Gone Gone Gone” and the almost psychobilly “Love In A Coffin” that reminds of the Long Tall Texans.
Too bad some covers are just fillers (My Babe, Shake Your Money Maker, Tiger Man…) and reduce the quality of the final result.
Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Tiger Men
Tiger Men

Es-Feiv

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Es Feiv - Cows in Motion

Es-Feiv was a Dutch neo-rockabilly/psychobilly trio. They started as a punk band in 1980 with Patrick van Reijn and three friends (Paul – bass, Dirk – vocals and Henk – drums). In 1982 Henk left, Paul switched to drums and Jeroen Kruiswijk came in to play bass, but two years later the band split. They reunited in 1986 to do a Ramones-tribute tour, but in 1987 Paul left and once again the band split. Es Feiv came back in 1988 with Patrick (guitar), Jeroen (this time on double bass) and newcommer Dennis on drums with this time neo-rockabilly and psychobilly in mind. One month later they recorded the now sought after (only 500 copies were made) “Nous Nous Ok” ep (Play Loud! – TBS 4505). Denis, busy with other bands, left and was replaced by Arjan, Jeroen’s younger brother. Numerous gigs led to a contract with Rockhouse/KIX4U and 1989 saw the release of “Cows In Motion” (KIX 4 U Records – KIX 3347). Then, Patrick who couldn’t combine his job with the band stopped playing and Tom Van Houten replaced him on guitar. The new trio wrote and rehearsed new material, played it on stage, but the band broke up before the new album (planned to be called “Johnny’s Neighbourhood”) saw the light of day.

Es Feiv - Cows in Motion
Es Feiv – Cows in Motion

Es-Feiv – Cows in Motion

Kix 4U {1989}
The Prisoner – No Comin’ Back – Brand New Cadillac – Heart Breakin’ Days – She Turns Me On – Ain’t Takin’ No Train – Everything She Says -Move Your Buds – Be My Baby Tonight – Vendetta – Real Good Time – Cretin Hop – Gimme Your Love – Cows In Motion

I recently rediscovered this album (originally released in 1989) and though it’s not entirely good, it contains enough excellent moment to interest any Psychobilly maniac especially those who are into what is now called “old-school Psychobilly” (I don’t like the term but I believe that everyone understand what it means). So what about Es-Feiv? It’s a mix of good ol’ psychobilly, neo rockabilly and more average material. They sound like many bands of that era (light guitar, upright bass to the fore and simple but effective drums). Among the best tune you’ll find “Heartbreakin’ Days” (with a sax), “Brand New Cadillac” (inspired by the ricochets version), “Real Good Time” (an excellent neo-rockabilly tune with a little “rock this Town” feel in it), “Cows In Motion” (an psychobilly version of an Ennio Morricone tune) and a couple of others (No Comin’ Back). On the other side their cover of The Ramones’ Cretin Hop (a reminiscence of their Punk days?) is poor, but it’s hard to compete with the original, and some other songs are just fillers, and though the light production works on the good stuff, it reveals the flaws of the less successful material. A mini lp with 8 songs would have been more efficient.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Es-Feiv ‎– Nous Nous O.K. ...
Es-Feiv ‎– Nous Nous O.K. …

Es-Feiv ‎– Nous Nous O.K. …

Play Loud! ‎– TBS 4505 {1988}`
She’s Allright – Cynthia – Real Good Time – She Turns Me On – No Protection

Limited ep (500 copies). It features ealier versions of Real Good Time and She Turns me On.

Es Feiv
Es-Feiv

Captain Coma

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Captain Coma - ThirstCaptain Coma – Thirst

Kix 4U [1990]
Texas landler – Night Of Terror – Unguilty – Frenzy – Let’s Play House – Ghost Hour – Made In Germany – Sweetheart – 16 Pints – Live To Kill – These Boots… – Evil – Jailhouse Rock – Take Good Care

Captain Coma were from Germany and played a heavy kind of psychobilly with electric bass and raspy voice which could sometimes remind of the Meteors but were far to have the genius of Fenech’s brainchild.

They could have done one average mini lp for they have a couple of not so bad self penned songs like “Western landler” or “Night of Terror”. Instead of that they filled the album with poorly written material and uninspired and unoriginal covers (Frenzy, These Boots Are Made For Walkin’, Baby Let’s Play House, Jailhouse Rock) that sound like a parody of rockabilly played by a drunken punk band (they turned “16 Tons” into… “16 Pints”). Played at the same pace, in the same key, with the same sound and always the same feedback to start the songs, “Thirst” soon turns to be very monotonous.

The Radioactive Kid

Captain Coma
Captain Coma

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