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Tremors (the)

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invasioncoverThe Tremors – Invasion Of The Saucermen

Brain Drain Records – BD08
World War III Boogie – Invasion Of The Saucermen – Somatose – Idle Hands – Atomic Jesus – Jungle Fever – (I Ain’t No) Two Timin’ Man – Devil’s Eyes – Workin’ Overtime – Treat Me Right – The State Patrol – Shakin’ From Seizures – Late Night Drive-In Monster Show – The Crawdad Song
How can I resist a band that shares its name with one of my favourite movie (yes I admit I love “arty” movies ahahaha), an attractive 3D designed cover (glasses included) and songs called “Invasion Of The Saucermen”, “Atomic Jesus” and “World War III Boogie”? I simply just can’t. The album opens with an instrumental and then you’re bound to a journey through this trio’s own brand of traditional (Idle Hands, Kenny Parchman’s Treat Me Right), fast (Somatose) and super-fast rockabilly (Atomic Jesus) with predominant slap bass. “Late Night Drive-In Monster Show” has a tempo similar to the “Munster Theme” and could be coined as psychobilly while Two Timin’ Man is their own vision of a hillbilly tune. Apart of “Treat Me Right” the other covers are Charlie Feather’s Jungle Fever (great haunting jungle beat) and the traditional “The Crawdad Song” which receives the Tremors treatment : fast, raw and wild. Fourteen songs in thirty minutes (almost half of the songs are under the two minute mark), no time to loose and everything is said.

tremors_demon_boogieThe Tremors – Demon Boogie Fever

LOVE ME – SCREAMIN’ MIMI – BIG CITY – BLUE MOON WOMAN – ROCK BOPPIN’ BABY – YOUR WICKED HEART – HI-FI ROCK ‘N’ ROLL – FUSS & FIGHT – BLACK CAT BLUES – ROCKIN’ BONES – SWEET LOVIN’ MAN – DEMON BOOGIE FEVER – I GOT IT
The first thing that caught my eyes after the cover and the digipack (both nice) is: 13 songs for 25 minutes. Woah! It’s gonna be a hell of a ride. And during this 25 minutes (including 8 originals and 5 covers) you’re going to be exposed to fast paced and high octane rockabilly with strong double bass (Powerful guitar voice and drums too). But they always keep things enjoyable (like the Ramones they are speed but never TOO speed) and… rockabilly. I mean they never fell in the cliché of Punkabilly or bad Psychobilly though some songs actually deals with Psychobilly like Demon Boogie Fever. And as the cover design shows, their rural roots are never far away. It leaves you breathless but you should like this sensation.
Buy it at http://www.tremorsrockabilly.com/home.html.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Dawn Shipley & the Sharpshooters

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Dawn Shipley & the Sharpshooters - Shoulda Known Better
Dawn Shipley & the Sharpshooters – Shoulda Known Better

Dawn Shipley & the Sharpshooters – Shoulda Known Better

Shot O Clock Records SOC-CD-003 [2015]
Mad About You – Don`t Want Your Lies – Shoulda Known Better –  Blood Suckin` Poppa –  Voodoo You –  That`s The Way I Feel –  Impossible – All I Can Do –  Little Too Late –  Your Only Gal – Forever Or Goodbye

After a vinyl single and a download only song, Dawn Shipley returns this time with a brand new lp recorded by Shorty Poole (of Dave and Deke Combo fame) with some of the finest musicians on the scene like Kevin Stewart (Big Sandy) and Carl Sonny Leyland.
With 10 originals and one cover (jimmy Pritchett’s That’s the Way I Feel), it’s a good and varied album with swingin’ stuff (Your Only Gal), Rock’n’roll, boogie and of course plenty of rockabilly.  Keeping it short is also a good point, it contains no filler and avoids the repetition. The best song is, for me, the hard to classify Voodoo You, that mixes gypsy acoustic guitar, piano, haunting mood and superb vocal.  Forget what I said about short album, she could (should!) have done 10 more songs like this one.
What I really like with Dawn Shipley is that she never tries to sound or to be what she’s not. How many female singers try to sound wild or to be the new Wanda Jackson with mannerisms that sounds totally artificial as if they learned it in a book called “Rockabilly for dummies”. Shipley sings with her own voice and heart and that’s why her albums are always enjoyable.

Buy it at http://www.dawnshipley.com/store.html

Dawn Shipley & the Sharpshooters – Mad About You b/w Sugar Mama.

Dawn Shipley is back! At last! Her latest record was Baby If I and  dates from 2006. One can say that this lady knows how to create the desire. Was it worth the wait? You bet!
The first part of her recording offensive comes in the form of a superb 45 rpm on red vinyl (downloads available too for you crazy nerds) recorded at Pot O’Gold Recording Studios in Orange County, CA. It features two self-penned songs: Mad About You b/w Sugar Mama.
A side is a rockaballad with a slight 60’s feel and a bit of Buddy Holly into it. The song is very well built with a nice latin variation in the chorus and a short but great guitar solo by Jose “Watts” Rodriguez (also worth mentioning are Tony “T-Mac” Macias on upright bass and Aaron Martinez on drums). It’s backed with Sugar Mama a fine rockabilly/rural bop with a Sun feel. Attention folks it’s a limited edition.
Then you have “Little Too Late” which is available only in mp3 format. This one is more rockin’, with a more agressive guitar, also played by Jose Rodriguez but this time backed by Jordi Hereu on bass and Jeff “Hobo” Gerow on drums.
Both are available at cdbaby but don’t forget to pay a visit to her homepage.
One can only hope that her next move will be the release of a long play (but if she comes with a 10″ mini album, I won’t complain!).

Dawn Shipley - Baby If I
Dawn Shipley – Baby If I

Dawn Shipley & the Sharpshooters – Baby If I…

El Toro Records
Bear With Me Baby – Sealed With A Kiss – Baby If I… -. Empty Stretch Of Highway – Make Believe – I’m Gonna Set My Foot Down – Anyone But You – Crazy Dreams – Sharp Shootin’ – Goin’ Crazy – One Cup Of Coffee – My Rockin’ Baby – Full Moon Keeps On Shining – You’re The Only One – Empty Stretch Of Highway Version 2
You’ll find a wide variety of genres on Dawn Shipley’s second album. The opening track “Bear With Me Baby” is a solid rocking song with an early 60’s beat. Of course, there’s a majority of Rockabilles like “Anyone But You” (nice guitar work with some Scotty Moore echoes in it), the frantic rhythm of “Baby If I”, the cover of Glen Glenn’s “One Cup Of Coffee” and on the rural edge “full Moon Keeps On Shining”. “Empty Stretch Of Highway” a haunting country song with echo on the guitar has some more modern vibes in it. It’s probably one of the best cut of the album and I suppose I’m not the only one to think that because you find an alternate take more acoustic and slower that ends the album. On the “traditional” country side “Make Believe” is a true and classic Honky Tonk with good steel throughout and Patsy Cline’s Crazy Dream is slightly played faster than the original, but is still a great country weeper. Warm voice, slight rhythm and jazz chords on the guitar are on the menu of “Goin’ Crazy” a love song a la “Fever”. “Sharp Shootin’” a fine hillbilly instrumental is another occasion for guitarist Joel Morin to shine on picking guitar and on steel. The rest of the band has to be credited too for their solid work on the album : Tony Macias on bass and Tony DeHerrera on drums. Good job.
Fred “Virgil” Turgis

The Caravans

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the Caravans

The Caravans

The Caravans – Easy Money

Nervous Records – NERD 036 [1988]
Rough Diamond – Sneakin` Out – I`ve Lost , You Win – Cryin’ – I Ain’t Got No Excuses – Easy Money – A Better Place – Blues Train – Stranded – Good Bye, Good Bye – In The Heat Of The Day – Sometimes I Wish – Stoned Tired & Cryin` – (Be My) Heart`s Desire – Love Me Like You Do

Easy Money
The Caravans – Easy Money

The Caravans formed in 1983 and after a few contributions to various compilation albums they finally released ther debut album on Nervous records in 1988. The line-up for this album was Mark Pennington (double bass/lead vocals), Rich Caso (lead guitar who replaced former lead guitarist Rob taylor), Darren Francis and Brian Gillman (rhythm guitars) and Lee Barnett on drums.
The result is very good melodic but hard hitting neo-rockabilly. All the songs are originals mostly from the pen of Pennington. Some songs are very good (Easy Money, Goodbye Goodbye, Sneakin’ Out, A Better Place, Cryin’ in a neo-Gene Vincent style or the hillbilly skiffle of In the Heat of the Day with accordion) still, some are more average and break the dynamic and the homogeneity of the records . And on some songs the two rhythm guitars add more confusion than power.
A good album but had it been limited to 6/7 tracks it could have been a killer.
Later reissues on cd include four unreleased songs from the same sessions.

the Caravans

The Caravans – No Excuses

Chuckeedee Records – CHUC 001 [1991]
Sixteen Chicks – Cross My Heart – Nothing Compares 2 U – I’ve Been Driving – Ain’t Got No – Cool Off BabyExcuses – She Wants You – Baby Drive Me Back – Is This Fear? – That’s The Way It Is – Nerves Of Steel – Money Man

No Excuses
Caravans – No Excuses

After the release of their debut album (Easy Money) the Caravans saw some line up changes. Brian Gillman, Darren Frances and Lee Barnett had left . Mark Pennington (vocals and double bass) and Rich Caso (lead guitar) then recruited Johnny Bowler (who played bass with Caso in Get Smart) to play drums and this three piece band recorded No Excuses for Chuck Harvey (Frantic Flintstones) short lived label.

Though Easy Money was good, it contained a few fillers that broke the dynamic of the album and were a bit monotonous on long distance. This is not the case here. No Excuses is simply perfect. It’s exactly what one can expect from a neo-rockabilly album with powerful slap bass, syncopated drums (with breaks and rolls), light guitar. The absence of the two rhythm guitar doesn’t affect the sound of the band, far from that. It’s clearer and Caso’s solos are more in evidence rather than drawned in the rhythm section like on Easy Money. The better mix also helps alot to achieve that.

The reissue features the three tracks of the « On The Rocks » Ep.

The Caravans – Straightside

Rockout [1994] Crazy Love [reissue 2001]
Sure Miss You – Hobo Baby – Rockin’ Tonight – Baby Blue Eyes – Sunset Blues – She’s Just Rockin’ – Baby that’s Where You’re Wrong – Mean & Cruel – Lost Love Blues – Do Without You – That’s What It’s Meant Tobe – Freight Train – That Gal Of Mine – That’s My Belief – Gonna Love Ya – Ole River Blue – Want U Back

Straightside
The Caravans – Straightside

New album and new line-up for the Caravans. On Straightside Sean Goan arrived on drums, Jonny Bowler switched to doublebass and leader Mark Pennington ended on… guitar.
But this is the main change to be noted for the music remains more or less the same than on the previous albums.
Good originals and tailored made covers to suit the brand of neo-rockabilly that became the Caravans’ trademark.
Originally released on orange vinyl on Gaz Day’s Rockout records and later reissued on cd on Crazy Love with five bonus tracks.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Caravans

Duetones (the)

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The Duetones - Just In Time - CHerokeee
The Duetones – Just In Time – CHerokeee

The Duetones – Just In Time

Cherokee [1998]
My Seach – Ela – This Is The Night – Slow Down – She Driver Me Insane –  Shake ‘Em Up Rock – Riddin’ The Hightway Along – Sweet Sweet Girl – Hipster Baby – I’ll Be Damned  – I’ll Be Damned  – You Can Do No Wrong – Brand New Cadillac  – Tears Of Happiness – Twang of Mr. Moore

The Duetones were a German quartet formed in 1992. In 1998 they released “Just In Time” their debut album. It’s a good and varied album. Half of the songs are classic rockabilly with some slight detour by neo-rockabilly. On this side the singer sounds a bit like Mark Pennington of the Caravans and some songs are not dissimalar to what one can find on the Caravans’ No Excuse.The other half is more desperate rock’n’roll oriented with heavier guitar sound, the bass player on lead vocals and a screamin’ saxophone for some. The set is made of band’s originals and classic covers like This is the Night, Brand New Cadillac, Sweet Sweet Girl and Slow Down.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Wyatt Christmas Trio

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wyattchristmas-trio-got-rhythm

Wyatt Christmas Trio – I’ve Got Rhythm

Part CD 6107-002
I Wear My Suit – Step It Up And Go – Movin’ On – I’m Goin’ Wild – Live It Up – It’s One Of These Nights – Red Hot – Sea Cruise – Mr Jones – Ride On – Sugar Sweet – Blues Is All Around Me – Diggin’ The Boogie

“I’ve Got Rhythm” is Wyatt Christmas Trio’s second album. It’s an interesting mix of Rock’n’Roll, blues (jump, rockin’ or classic), Rockabilly, Doo Wop and a bit of Jazz too. There’s a lot of variety all through the records. They add plenty of little things to always bring something new to each song whether it’s a different lead singer, some doo wop backing vocals (making them sound a bit like the Speedos or the Keytones), slide guitar, a couple of guest on blues harp, boogie woogie piano and saxophone, each song song different from the previous one. Some numbers have a slight pop edge that could appeal to a broader audience which is everything we could wish for them.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

The Sun Demons

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The Sun Demons – Return of…

Floyd Burney Records ‎– FBEP-001 [1997]
Damn Drunk! – Pick-Up Truck – The Lonely Man – Portrait To Go

The Sun Demons were an exciting rockabilly trio made of Dan Edwards (guitar/vox), Jeff West (uprightbass/vox) and Joe Tatar (drums/vox).
If their songs and style are rather  traditionnal they’re not against a little modernity that you find in Edwards’ guitar sound that is not that far from the great Brian Setzer (Rant and Rave period). West and Edwards sing lead on two songs each, both being two solid singers with a distinctive style. Good production with a powerful slap bass too.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

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