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Rechords (the)

Various artists – Underbilly

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Underbilly

Various artists – Underbilly

Tedesco BAR-002
Wes Pudsey & The Sonic Aces – There’s Gonna Be A Rumble / The Rechords – Take the Line / The Retro Rockets – Hey! El Diablo / Warren Earl – Real Cool Cat / No Brakes – Jump From 6 to 8 / The Satelites – Have Mercy / The Flattrackers – Devils Playground / Atomic Hi-Tones – Wolf Cat / Hank’s Jalopy Demons – Hot Rod Spaceman / The Infernos – Heart of Stone / Paulie Bignell – Busted / The Rattlesnakes – Johnny Suede / Sin & Tonics – Down he Goes / Jump & Jive – Batmobile / Flatfoot Shakers – Greasy Hair / The Ten Fours – Midnight Mover / The Sugar Shakers – Ain’t My Girl No More / The Exotics – Locomotive / The Flattrackers – Swapmeet / Warren Earl – Hot Rod Queen / Rockbottom James & The Detonators – Close The Book / Sin & Tonics – Lucky 7 Bar / The Satellites – Wrong Move / Manic Pistoleros – Wrong Side of Town / The Fireballs – Real Evil

Underbilly is another killer album to come from Australia. This one has been released by Tedesco a label that also released the Rechords’ debut album. This compilation gathers with 21 bands and 25 songs the whole spectrum of the “billy” related musics.

At one end you’ll find the hillbilly sound of the Rechords, on the other there’s the modern brand of psychobilly with heavy metal guitars of the Fireballs’Real Evil. In between one will find authentic rockabilly with Warren Earl (his two songs are the highlights of the album), Hank’s Jalopy Demons or the Flatfoot Shakers, neo-rockabilly with the Retro Rockets, the Atomic Hi-Tones and the Rattlesnakes ‘whose sound has a very strong 80’s feel), modern rockabilly (the Ten Fours, the Exotics), High octone rockabilly (the Flattrakkers), jump blues with saxes (No Brakes ) without forgetting psychobilly, some with an old school feel like they played it in the 80’s (the infernos) other clearly influenced by the Reverend Horton Heat (Sin & Tonics). The talented Paulie Bignell plays an amazing cover of Johnny Cash’s Busted and also performs solid country rock with Rockbottom James & the Detonators.
It’s a very well made compilation full of good surprises and it’s a great way to discover new bands. One can only regret the absence of a detailed booklet to give more infos (websites, line up etc.) about the bands.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

The Rechords

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The Rechords - On the Wagon
The Rechords – On the Wagon

The Rechords – On The Wagon

Bundoora – BRA001
Easily Loved – Save It – Don’t Be Mad – Think It Over Baby – It’s Been Awhile – Saddle Up – It Won’t Be Long – Boogie Blues – Hocus Pocus – Fireball Mail – Bordertown – Take the Line – Could’ve Been Worse – No Help Wanted – Long As I Am Around
The Rechords are Tyron Shaw on upright bass and vocals, Leo Francis on acoustic guitar and vocals and Felix Potier on lead guitar and vocals. This excellent drummer less trio comes straight from the land down under, Melbourne to be precise. They play a brand of fresh and exciting music that borders on Rockabilly but would better be described as hillbilly bop, you know the last limit before the bands went full time rockabilly in the early 50’s. They particularly work hard on the melodic sides of things and have great harmonies inspired from the great “brothers” combo of the past (Louvin, Stanley, Delmore, Everly…).
The seven songs they had on the Press Tone Rockabilly #3 compilation album impressed me a lot, but they totally blew me away with their long player. It’s been a while since I’ve been that impressed by a trio like that (who said Roy Kay?). Each member can sing lead and double on harmonies and the three of them penned solid originals that stand proudly next to carefully chosen covers. What distinguishes them from the vast majority of other combos that play (or try to play) this music lays in the fact that they have assimilated their influences (bluegrass, honky tonk, western swing, blues, rhythm’n’blues, rockabilly) and created their own style rather than slavishly copying anybody (no “oh this riff sounds like Johnny Burnette” or “hey they borrowed this one to Gene Vincent” here). Most of all, they have listened to what have influenced the artist they like, that’s why they came naturally to an authentic and natural sound.
The set is varied mixing ballads, country weepers to more uptempo tune and they have invited a piano and a fiddle player to play on some tunes to add even more diversity. I won’t go too much into details, but give them a chance and you won’t be disappointed.
The whole thing comes in a nicely designed digipack, so what are you waiting for cuzzin?

Fred “Virgil” Turgis