Just posted it in the Records Reviews group:

 

 http://garagepunk.ning.com/group/recordreviews/forum/topics/terrell-s-tuneup-spook-rock

 

 

A version of this was published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
October 28, 2011

Southern Culture on the Skids has always excelled in good tasty swamp rock. The group’s latest album, Zombified — released this month just in time for the Halloween shopping rush — goes deep into the swamp, where mossy monsters dwell.

Most of the album was released in Australia back in the last century (1998) as an eight-song EP. Guitarist/singer Rick Miller and crew added a few new songs for the American version. The band calls it a “tribute to the horror and exploitation movies that populated Southern theaters and drive-ins during the ’60s and ’70s.”

Like the best SCOTS recordings, the sound here is a seamless blend of country, surf, rockabilly, garage-rock, exotica, swamp-rock, as I mentioned, and probably some secret ingredients the group will never tell.

Miller always sounds like a hip bumpkin — whether he’s singing about funny aspects of Southern life or, as on this CD, witches and zombies. Mary Huff plays the bass and sings far too infrequently while Dave Hartman drums. There are a few guests on some tunes, the most significant being Chris “Cousin Crispy” Bess on organ and Steve Grothmann on sax.

Miller wrote most of the songs, including the title track, “Devil’s Stomping Ground,” and “Eyeball You Later.”

But there are also some fine covers — a Creedence Clearwater Revival instrumental, “Sinister Purpose”; “She’s My Witch,” a cover of a song by rockabilly Kip Tyler; John D. Loudermilk’s eerie “Torture” (sung by Huff, who sounds like she’s been, well zombified); and best of all, “Primitive,” a garage-y snarler originally done by a band called The Groupies, and probably best known by its version by The Cramps.

There are more instrumentals than usual for a SCOTS album. Besides “Sinister Purpose,” there are “The Creeper” — on which Miller’s guitar dares to go delightfully obnoxious trying to summon the ghost of Link Wray, and “Swamp Thang,” which is upbeat, funky, and, naturally swampy.

One unusual song here is “Bloodsucker,” featuring an acoustic guitar and a lilting Caribbean/New Orleans arrangement. Trom-bonist Dave Wright colors this track.

Even though Zombified is perfect for Halloween spookfoolery, virtually all the songs here stand on their own and would sound just fine at a SCOTS show any time of year.

Another monstrous treat ... or is it a trick?


* Pop Up Yours by The Monsters. No, this isn’t a Halloween-themed album, but how could I not talk about a new record by The Monsters during this special season?

This Bern, Switzerland-based band has been around since 1986, fronted by Reverend Beat-Man, the owner, founder, and resident (un)holy man of Voodoo Rhythm Records. The group plays what it calls “chainsaw massacre teenage garage trash punk.” And they have these really snazzy red jackets.

The songs deal with love, lust, revenge and rage, based on simple riffs and Beat-Man’s shredded vocal chords. One of my favorites here is “Blues for Joe.” I don’t know who Joe is, but Beat-Man seems pretty upset as he screams “What you gonna do now, Joe.” Also commendable in its sweet, crazy fury is “Crawling Back to You No More.” There’s a pumped-up Bo Diddley beat at the core of the song.

The songs are mostly original, though many of the mutated, frantic Hubert Sumlin guitar riffs sound hauntingly familiar. There is one cover tune, a trashy — and I mean that in the nicest possible way — version of “Speedy’s Coming,” originally done by German metal screamers the Scorpions.

The Monsters seem to play with psychedelia on the closing track “Into the Void.” It starts with church bells and ends up with feedback and bashing drums.

It’s great that there are still Monsters on the loose.

Horrible mention: Here are a couple of recently released albums appropriate for the season.

* Halloween Album w/Sound Effects by Thee Cormans. This California band basically plays instrumental “surf” music. Titles include “Surf Shack of Doom,” “Haunted Sea,” and “Werewolves in Heels.” The sound effects are indeed bitchen.

* What Happens in Hell Stays in Hell by Nekromantix. Here are more crazed horror-soaked psychobilly sounds from this trio led by Danish expatriate Kim Nekroman, who plays a coffin-shaped standup bass. Some songs sound closer to Slayer than to Carl Perkins. “Bela Lugosi’s Star” has a cool Johnny Cash chunka-chunka beat, and “I Kissed a Ghoul” has a weird reference to the Happy Days theme.

Celebrate the Season!

* Live spookiness: I’ll be playing some of my own monster hits like “I Lost My Baby to a Satan Cult,” “Wolfboy,” and “The Thing in the Mud” on Friday, Oct. 28, at the Aztec Café’s All Hallows Hell Performance Party, along with ex-Angry Samoan Gregg Turner and his new band The Mind Parasites. It’s 7 p.m. to midnight at the Aztec (317 Aztec St.). There’s a $3 cover (cheap.)

* Radio spookiness: The 87th Annual Steve Terrell Spooktacular starts at 10 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30, on KSFR-FM 101.1 and screaming on the web. Tom Adler of “Folk Remedy” is substituting for me Friday night on the Santa Fe Opry.

* Podcast spookiness: The 2011 Big Enchilada Spooktacular is scaring people all over the internet. Visit . And if you want even more creepiness, check out the GaragePunk Hideout Podcast Jukebox HERE. There's several recent shows with ghastly Halloween themes over there.

* Spotify spookiness: Hey Spotify users. There are hours and hours of haunted sounds on my monster-size Halloween Spook Rock playlist on Spotify. Get Spotify for free at www.spotify.com

That's what I needed to know! Yeah, wow... there are actually a whole bunch of them, and they're all pretty ridiculous. Like this one:

Ken said:

Pine Brothers, I think

Pine Brothers, I think

That's crazy. I mean....A Rockabilly Singer should be promoting HICCUP remedies...Or hiccup starters , maybe ? Well , we have it on good authority what does THAT.....

Might be able to find 'em online. What brand cough drops was it, do you remember?

I don't know if its a national thing or not, but after Jeopardy in Columbus they've started showing cough drop commercials featuring Rudy "Tutti" Grayzell.  How freakin' cool is that!

Next Thursday, Nov 3rd, we've got local act The Hot Roddin' Romeo's coming in for a live performance.  We'll also be auctioning away a self-made Mad Mike record. Our station is non-profit/non-commercial, so it helps pay the station's bills.  Here's an example of one I made previously:

I don't think Eric Burdon could have been elevated to iconic status the way Jim Morrisson was , about 10 years after his death . He would have only graced magazines like "16" OR "Tiger Beat" when they were REALLY hurting for space filler. Until he started putting on the pounds ,  growing out his beard and , allegedly , introducing Lil' Jim to a Miami audience , Morrisson's looks made him quite the sex symbol in his day, but , everybody knows that. Burdon might not have been such a great looker , by comparison , but , his singing voice was pure "No blobs in the bog" animal sexuality. They were both very different , it's true , but , Burdon , as an early (White) student of The Blues was just as macho in his delivery as Morrisson. Van Morrisson.

Jim Morrisson is an icon , today , partly because he represented danger to a lot of people. And , it's true , he did get himself into a lot of brushes with the law , which he seemed to shrug off. Burdon openly admired , and dated , Black women when that was regarded as extremely dangerous , except maybe in places like France. He was a street - fightin' Geordie , and did'nt take any shit. It does'nt mean they're so alike or dissimilar as singers. Morrisson was a crooner as well as a shouter. Burdon had no time for croonin'.

I'll agree with ya on this one, but that's mainly because I was never a huge Doors fan. Actually, that's not entirely true... I thought the Doors were cool *before* I discovered all of the other great '60s bands, like the Animals, Seeds, Pretty Things, Remains, Shadows of Knight, Electric Prunes, Chocolate Watchband, 13th Floor Elevators, etc. etc. etc.

My first thought was that scream at the beginning of the Wailers' Hang Up too, but I've also always dug the nutty Alan Barnicoat screaming on this song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mc8jobkKz0

 

I saw the thread title and was about to vote for Jerry Roslie but you beat me to it!

Oh baby
Stomp and scream baby
Wail baby

Do the thing, move it 'round
Just a little bit, come on baby
Ya' got a good thing goin'.
Yes, yes, baby

Stomp and scream baby
Don't mean maybe
You're my baby, you're my baby
I don't mean maybe

Oh baby
Stomp and scream baby

Thee Knight Of Trashe said:

 

...'Screaming Lord Sutch'...

 

...'Screaming Lord Sutch'...

A Gories cover wouldn't hurt, like "Thunderbird esq" or "I Think Ive Had It". Both can be fairly improvisational.

No I was adding on to what Kopper was saying..I forgot to hit reply.

Rockin Rod Strychnine said:

And you're going to open with that when you perform?

Old School Hero said:

As weird as it is...I've been working on a Garage Punk style version of My Way by Limp Bizkit. Just sayin'.

 

...'Down At The Nightclub' by The Creeps...

any ones knows the model the silvertone was it has a great town with the mustang copy

ELO Don't Bring Me Down?!?! are you nuts?!?! that song RULES. it kinda reminds me of boogie-era Status Quo!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Phil Collins and Michael McDonald's voices makes me want to stab people, but my least favorite song of all time is DANCE WITH ME by ORLEANS ahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think this was compiled and produced by the same guy that put together the "Aliens, Psychos, & Wild Things" comp series and the '60's soul comp "Old Virginia Soul". I really want to pick this up, though!

MsStixx '76 - Elisa said:

Looks like there is a tasty disc out to go with the exhibition called Virginia Rocks
http://www.amazon.com/Virginia-Rocks-History-Rockabilly-Commonwealt...

Thanks, but I think I'm done with it (at least for a long while).

Yep, that's exactly what I wanted to say !

Mottey's Garage said:

I know what your talking bout...looking forwardnto next one though..when ever

 

...Jon Lord.

...James Taylor,(The Prisoners/J.T.Q).

...Fay Hallam,(Makin' Time/The Prime Movers).

 

and lest we forget captain sensibles organ solo in the damneds i just cant be happy today

THE ROUTES!!!!!