(such as The Cramps, Roky Erickson, Thee Cormans, The Damned)

I'm on the hunt considering it's nearly Halloween. 

 http://www.latinoreview.com/images/stories/articles/letter1.jpg

Offcourse.. Dead Elvis & His One Man Grave (✝)

http://hisonemangrave.com/

Theee Bat from Japan (JP)

http://theeebat.fool.jp/

the Fly and His One Man Garbage (JP)

http://www.myspace.com/theflyandhisonemangarbage

 Sam Sinister ,    Now that I'm centuries past caring about UK Psychobilly , myself , it seems to be becoming far more popular in The US. When I saw The Meteors in 1995 , they sounded great , still , but , it was kind of like nostalgia , by then . There were about 40 people there. I went , mainly,  because I did'nt have the chance to see them in the 80's. It was the same way when I saw Demented Are Go , a few years later. I went because I had'nt had the chance to see them , earlier. They sounded more , by then , LiKE MOTORHEAD THAN A BAND WITH ANY ROCKABILLY OVERTONES. It was entertaining , at least.

I would say the "Big Three" are Meteors , Guana Batz and Demented. Some people say The Batz were'nt Psychobilly , just because they were'nt as rough - sounding as the other two. With the acoustic guitars and electric guitars not turned up to "OUCH !" , they seemed maybe more influenced by Skiffle and Everly Bros than their peers. That and straight Rockabilly from the 50's , with some Punkish tempos , but not on the same level as The Meteors. A lotof people wrote this stuff off as "Cramps copyists". I never heard much Cramps influence in any of these bands , though they were probably the main catalyst for what became a movement in The UK and Western Europe (Even Russia , and former Soviet Bloc Countries.) really did'nt make it over here , at least ,not until bands started giving it more of a Metal backbone , which could've started with The Phantom Rockers' early U.S. tours. I had one of their CDs , it was more Metal than their live gigs ......

The early Cramps billed themselves as "Psychobilly Voodoo" in about '77 ,so ,they would have been the first to use the term (Which came from Johnny Cash's "One Piece at a Time"), but , when it became a movement , they distanced themselves from it , Ivy noting ,"I don't think those bands are very psycho at all !". But , ever diplomatic , Lux later said "If people listen to us , and are inspired to start Death- Rock bands , that's great , but , people give me these tapes , and they sound like DOGSHIT !"
The same attitude seemed to prevail about Psychobilly bands who claimed The Cramps were an influence , but a diplomatic air prevailed , on 120 Minutes with ol' boy , the  Morrissey wannabee , where they seemed to have made peace with that all this stuff was happening while they toured Europe in The 80's  , but , they noted , accurately , that the best original Rockabilly WAS psychotic , or Psychobilly , anyway.

Mojo Nixon , to me , has nothing to do , even , with Rockabilly. Maybe there's stuff I have'nt heard. I thought his first album was very funny , but , it still sounded like George Thorogood fronting a two - man joke band. I saw him in '86 or '87 (I was there to see The Paladins.). I thought he stunk , I left after about five songs.....    If you asked Jim Heath (Rev. Horton Heat.) today , he'd probably also say he's disassociating himself from the "Psychobilly" label. I NEVER REALLY THOUGHT OF HIM THAT WAY , THOUGH HE HAD BEEN KNOWN TO THROW TEMPO - TANTRUMS. THE TERM WAS KIND OF STUCK ON HIM WHEN HE GOT ON SUBPOP. Before that , he was just thought of as A STRAIGHT ROCKABILLY AND R'N'B ACT. hE'D BEEN PERFORMING AS tHE REV for almost four years WHEN HIS FIRST ALBUM CAME OUT. A lot of people , today , don't even know how he sounds at his best , tho' they would , if they'd bought his last CD. hE STILL DOES GREAT SHOWS , BUT , HE'S ALWAYS EXPECTED TO DO HIS 5 OR 6 LEAST EXCEPTIONAL SONGS TO PLEASE THE WOULD - BE BADASSES. 

ELVIS HITLER , AT LEAST WAS COMBINING ROCKABILLY AND METAL IN A WAY THAT WORKED , LONG BEFORE MUCH OF "PSYCHOBILLY" WENT METAL. I WOULD'NT CALL THEM PSYCHOBILLY , EITHER.

 
  act. Sam Sinister said:

Someone already mentioned them, but the meteors are hands-down the best "official" psychobilly band. If you count the Cramps (they themselves don't), the Meteors are second, followed closely by the Guana Batz. The early UK stuff had a really great, raw sound. Nekromantix are really good, but they verge on thrash metal and wouldn't be recommended to fans of early rockabilly as an introduction to psycho. I love the Rev, as well, but the American stuff is a bit different. I wouldn't call Elvis hitler or Mojo psychobilly. I've always considered both to be more cowpunk. This is all in my humble opinion, BTW.

Mark George , I may not have told you , but the song is on Farren's album "Vampires Stole My Lunch Money". It featured a cameo by WIlko Johnson (Any word on him , BTW?) , AND LOTS OF OTHER CELEBRITY
 (In our fucked - up world.) guests......Chrissie Hynde acually does some pre - Goth scary vampire girl backing vocals on "Bela Lugosi." .  
Mark George Harrison said:

Shall look for the Mick Farren song JB, ta!

John Battles said:

Mark George ,  Mick Farren had a great Bela Lugosi song (Actually biographical.) several years before Bahaus did. It's just called "Bela Lugosi" , and , in my humble opinion is the far better song of the two. I may have mentioned The Washington Dead Cats , from France. They've been around forever. They had some good Horror songs , very silly , but I can't think of another band that fused Psychobilly and Psychedelia with Pere Ubu overtones. I bought a tape of theirs in 1986 ,  which came in a plastic bag with a sticker , a lyric book and a badass psychedelic shirt which I still have....It also contained a piece of butterscotch candy. The guy at the store told me "You know what  ? That candy might have acid in it !". He was probably wrong , but , I thought , WHY TAKE A CHANCE ? 

Mark George Harrison said:

Spook and the Ghouls who released an album called the Whitechapel mureders on Nervous in the late 80s, includes a version of bela Lugosis dead!

" THE DAMNED ARE ALL GREAT FANS OF MINE FROM YEARS BACK , WHEN THEY USED TO CARRY ME OUT IN MY COFFIN". Screaming Lord Sutch , mid-80's.

The Pistols also did their very first gig supporting Sutch , and ruined his PA , WHICH HE LAUGHED ABOUT , MUCH LATER.
 
Dennis Guthrie said:

Yeah, I'm pretty sure Dave Vanian, of The Damned was a fan of Screaming Lord Sutch.

DammitDave said:

Don't forget Screaming Lord Sutch!

Yes, Bodaco, you can find 'em here, Roky Erikson fronts a cowpunk band, not really.

How about the COFFINSHAKERS?

PS: It's never to late for SPOOK ROCK ;)

Damn! I'm so happy I saw this this is so sick. I like the rawness of his voice. It might be a bit corny but The Ghastly Ones have some pretty cool stuff and also Messer Chups from Russia has a sick spook vibe.

Marty Shane, Pacifiction Records said:

I was gonna post a vid of The Fang by Nervous Norvus... and then I stumbled on this!

Rezurex (Hollywood)

Altar Relics (San Diego) - not as 'spooky' but friends of mine, really nice dudes.
 

Here's my 2011 halloween episode with a tracklisting.  Should find some stuff that fits the theme.  

www.zorchradio.com/episode71

The Young Werewolves from Philadelphia are friends of mine, they've been at it a long time and put on a great show.

There was a great band in Manchester a year or so back called The Witches. I know they signed to a small label, but not sure if they ever got round to putting anything out. Must investigate. Anyway, here's what they sound like.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7LxGTD18Ig

Someone already mentioned them, but the meteors are hands-down the best "official" psychobilly band. If you count the Cramps (they themselves don't), the Meteors are second, followed closely by the Guana Batz. The early UK stuff had a really great, raw sound. Nekromantix are really good, but they verge on thrash metal and wouldn't be recommended to fans of early rockabilly as an introduction to psycho. I love the Rev, as well, but the American stuff is a bit different. I wouldn't call Elvis hitler or Mojo psychobilly. I've always considered both to be more cowpunk. This is all in my humble opinion, BTW.

Shall look for the Mick Farren song JB, ta!

John Battles said:

Mark George ,  Mick Farren had a great Bela Lugosi song (Actually biographical.) several years before Bahaus did. It's just called "Bela Lugosi" , and , in my humble opinion is the far better song of the two. I may have mentioned The Washington Dead Cats , from France. They've been around forever. They had some good Horror songs , very silly , but I can't think of another band that fused Psychobilly and Psychedelia with Pere Ubu overtones. I bought a tape of theirs in 1986 ,  which came in a plastic bag with a sticker , a lyric book and a badass psychedelic shirt which I still have....It also contained a piece of butterscotch candy. The guy at the store told me "You know what  ? That candy might have acid in it !". He was probably wrong , but , I thought , WHY TAKE A CHANCE ? 

Mark George Harrison said:

Spook and the Ghouls who released an album called the Whitechapel mureders on Nervous in the late 80s, includes a version of bela Lugosis dead!

Alexander ,   Yeah , I got that when it came out....it still holds up. That was around the time I first got into both Screamin' Jay and The Fuzztones , who did a very sympathetic job backing him , tho' the record , and the performance (By people I talked to who were there.) were slagged at the time. "So in the heat of the meat and in the mass of the ass , the shade of the toothpick meets the hot boiling sun!".
There's video of the performance on You Tube , also.
Alexander said:

Fuzztones+Screamin´Jay Hawkins-LIVE!!Very nice-check it out and you´ll love it.

Mark George ,  Mick Farren had a great Bela Lugosi song (Actually biographical.) several years before Bahaus did. It's just called "Bela Lugosi" , and , in my humble opinion is the far better song of the two. I may have mentioned The Washington Dead Cats , from France. They've been around forever. They had some good Horror songs , very silly , but I can't think of another band that fused Psychobilly and Psychedelia with Pere Ubu overtones. I bought a tape of theirs in 1986 ,  which came in a plastic bag with a sticker , a lyric book and a badass psychedelic shirt which I still have....It also contained a piece of butterscotch candy. The guy at the store told me "You know what  ? That candy might have acid in it !". He was probably wrong , but , I thought , WHY TAKE A CHANCE ? 

Mark George Harrison said:

Spook and the Ghouls who released an album called the Whitechapel mureders on Nervous in the late 80s, includes a version of bela Lugosis dead!

No one's mentioned The Ghastly Ones?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWnOfwsvZWU

I know it's after Halloween, but I thought I'd throw my two cents in...The Memphis Morticians who I just played on "40 Oz. Nonsense" #16:

I could post quite a few more, but I figured this would suffice...Enjoy!

Fuzztones+Screamin´Jay Hawkins-LIVE!!Very nice-check it out and you´ll love it.

Spook and the Ghouls who released an album called the Whitechapel mureders on Nervous in the late 80s, includes a version of bela Lugosis dead!

you can check out a few that i have posted on my profile - they are a bit off the road/not as main stream/know check the video's tell me what you think and i can deff. give you names of others... prob. even send you some on mp3's

let me know what you think

can also name a few brilliant cd/v.a. comp. out there that most shop should carry are deff. e.z. to order

later

jinx

Actually , Jim (Rev. Ho ) is getting back to the straight Rockabilly and Country sounds , but , if you see him live , he still has to do the heavy stuff to please his ever - changing fanbase. His last CD , "Laffin' and Cryin'" is highly recommended. It contains 3 songs going back to the early days , around 86 - 87. So did his last album......I never thought of him as "Psycho" , tho' I turned him on to bands like The Meteors , Guana Batz , many years ago. I guess the mid - period stuff could be called America's answer to all that stuff , tho , not exactly.....I'd just say he does his thing , Rockabilly , Punkish Rhythms , a bit of his good mate , Ian Kilmister , and something else I can't define.
Letting Al Jourgenson produce him was a BAD career move. Jimbo once told me they had to go back and remix it himself , because his mix was so bad....But , now, I'm seeing the Rockabilly crowd turn up at his gigs again , for the first time in years.
Ben Simon said:

Mojo Nixon and Reverend Horton Heat, of course.

i dont know if it really fits the description but it's definitely spooky

Mojo Nixon and Reverend Horton Heat, of course.

There was a Surf Zombies in Chicago , who played their last gigs less than 10 years ago , but , they were'nt Horror - themed , and did'nt own the name outright.
On an unrelated note , the Chicago Mystery Girls played out for almost 10 years. The name has been passed around for years , but it should been retired with them..... 
John Clemens said:

Well, yes I do.....check out The Surf Zombies.

http://www.reverbnation.com/su rfzombies

 and

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Surf-Zombies/137335488149

 

You won't be disappointed.