Virgil

Fia Sco & the Majestics – You’re My Sugar

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fia-sco-and-the-majesticsRhythm Bomb Records – RBR 5753
Hey Mister Cotton Picker – The Donkey Song – Dynamite – Shes Gone Gone Gone – Poison – Ice Cold Baby – Misses Whiz – Crawdad Song – Sag, Drag and Fall – Youre My Sugar – Catty Town – Snatch It And Grab It

This quintet comes from Austria. They are Fia Sco (lead vocals), Colonel Rib Kirby (guitar), Big Honzo (steel), Don DeVil (upright bass and he also did the artwork)  and Ray Hummer (drums).
This album is a fine piece of hillbilly boogie with elements of late western swing and pre-rock’n’roll (think Bill Haley’s Saddlemen). The band penned one third of the songs that easily find their place among the covers of Glenn Barber, Terry Fell, Freddy Hart, Sid King, Jerry Reed, Lefty Frizzell…
The young lady has a very good and powerful voice that evokes in her approach the great Rose Maddox (you sometime surprise yourself to expect a laugh here and there). The band is equally good, the two solists trade hot licks with an evident pleasure and the fun they have can be heard throughout the disc, while the rhythm section is just perfect, a special “howdy” to Don DeVil whose swingin’ bass brings a lot to the combo.
If you like the Maddox Brothers and Rose or modern artists like Lynette Morgan you won’t be disapointed with Fia Sco and the Majestics.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Kabooms (the)

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The kabooms - s/t - Rhythm Bomb 5807
The kabooms – s/t – Rhythm Bomb 5807

The Kabooms – s/t

Rhythm Bomb Records ‎– RBR 5807
Beggin’ On My Knees – Only Mine – Black Days – Johnny Rocket – Pretty Baby – Let’s Do It – One More Time – Point Blank Range – Always Late – Burn the House – My Baby Don’t Stop – She’s My Woman – Pack Your Things and Go – Hunter with no Gun

One says that a reviewer should never talk or write about him and I agree with that. But I have to make an exception for the Kabooms debut album. I now listen to Rockabilly for something like 30 years and I began to write for fanzines in the early 90’s. With the years, my knowledge of the genre grew up and it became harder and harder to impress me. When you discover a genre everything seems good but as the years go by you realize that you don’t find albums like Big Sandy’s On the Go or bands like Go Cat Go every week or month (and if you find one by year you’re lucky.) Sometimes I regret the time when each record I bought had a huge impact on me, a new stone to the building of my rockabilly culture.
The Kabooms made me feel young again. From the very first song, this Spanish quartet sent me signals that I was not just listening to another “good-but-not-so-spectacular-band”. Do you remember the frst time you listen to Fly Right with Big Sandy. That was a similar experience.
The Kabooms, who are Matt Olivera on vocals, El Lega on lead guitar, Javier Carrasco on upright bass and Alex Granero on drums, prove that you can still write (all  14 songs are originals) and play 50’s sounding rockabilly and bring new ideas. To quote Jerry Chatabox’s liner notes: they make it look and sound easy, it’s not.
Stylewise they remind you of Johnny Powers, Johnny Burnette and closer to us Rip Carson and the Flea Bops. This is not wild rockabilly, this is intense rockabilly, full of rage inside that just ask to explode at the right moment.  As usual the perfect sound of Lightnin Recorders in Berlin (with Axel Praefcke at the console) one of today’s best recording studio make it sound even better.
Keep an eye and two ears on this guys.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Kay Marie

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kaymarieKay Marie – s/t

LJ 002
A Kiss Goodnight – You’re so Close (to Losing Me) – He Used to Cry – Sunshine in the Moonlight – Artic Sea – Yours Forever – How Can you Blame a Woman? – Dying for Love – Can’t You See – Doghouse Daddy – The World Can Wait – I Won’t Be Scared – Dead & Gone Blues – You Better Listen – Cry Baby Blues

Kay Marie caught the attention of music lovers through the Golden West Trio but now Kay Marie, the girl with the golden voice, goes solo and releases a brilliant debut album. Introduced by laudatory liner notes written by Big Sandy, it’s a collection of 15 songs including 13 originals.
Though the core of the band remains the same as the Golden West Trio (Kay Marie’s brother Aaron Acquafondata on lead guitar, Kevin Morrison on upright bass and Derek McDonald on drums) the young lady – who also produced all but two songs – invited a couple of musicians to add different musical styles to each song.
After the soft introduction of  A Kiss Goodnight that features some nice jazz violin part, you’re treated with a good dose of late 50’s Honky Tonk with steel guitar with You’re so Close and Sunshine in the Moonlight that captures the spirit of the genre. And this song her voice reminded me one of my very favourite singer, the too often forgotten Ginny Wright. You’ll also find some swing, with the clarinet driven He Used to Be or more in a western swing vein Doghouse Daddy, that reminds of Bullfiddle Boogie and features Lee Jeffriess (Big Sandy and the Fly-Rite Boys) on steel. Blues is not forgotten whether it is electric (Arctic Sea), more jazzy (Can’t You See), with harmonica (You Better Listen) or blue yodel in the style of Jimmie Rodgers (Cry Baby Blues). Also on the bill are a waltz with mandolin, a Presley-esque ballad (How Can You Blame a Woman) and a Tex-mex tune with accordion, all played with the same degree of success. But I kep the best song for the end,  I Won’t Be Scared (also released on vinyl single), a fantastic song that mixes a Louis Prima beat with  a rockabilly feel, an acoustic jazz guitar solo and saxes. You’ll surprise yourself to play it again and again (also watch the excellent video she did for that song).
A very good record full of styles, talent (that voice and the band) and strong songwriting.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

The Rockats (2)

Country: Holland
Genre: Psychobilly

Martijn Spanteren: guitar, vocals
Arjan de Witt: electric bass, vocals
Jottum: drums
Remko Visser: drums

The Rockats, not to be confused with the famous American neo-rockabilly band, were a psychobilly trio from Amsterdam. They formed in November 1987 and in May of the following year they recorded their first album “The first Take Off” for Tombstone Records. It contains some good songs but the global sound is a bit “young”. One year later they released “Keep On Turning”, still on Tombstone, with their new drummer Remko Visser. “The Last Crusade”, their third and last album appeared in 1990 showing a slight change in the sound with more agressive melodies and metal influences.
After the band split, Remko Visser remained active, playing with Asmodeus.

The First Take Off ‎- Tombstone Records Tomb-Disc 671 (1988)
Keep On Turning ‎- Tombstone Records Tomb-Disc 675 (1989)
The Last Crusade – Tombstone Records Tomb-disc 687 (1990)

Jive Bombers (the)

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The Jive Bombers - Hit the deck, it's...
The Jive Bombers – Hit the deck, it’s…

The Jive Bombers – Hit the Deck! It’s… the Jive Bombers

Texas Jamboree TexJam0068  [1999]
Whirlin’ – Walk the Chalk Line – Home Cooking – Daddy Likes to Mambo – Misunderstood – I Don’t Believe – Each Day – The Wine Goes in (And the Truth Comes Out) – Gotta Gimme What’cha Got – Oh, What a Dream – Walkin’ Slippin’ and Slidin’ – The Hucklebuck – Travelin’ Baby – Missouri Pacific on Santa Fe – Beat on the Boogie

The Austin based Jive Bombers formed in Fall 1997 on the ashes of the Big Town Swingtet. They consisted of Dana Dattalo (Jubilettes) on vocals, Vance Hazen on bass, Bobby Horton (Horton Brothers, Deke Dickerson…) on guitar, T.D. Motycka (Nick Curran) on saxes, Derek Peterson (Kidd Pharaoh) on piano, and Shaun Young (High Noon) on drums and vocals and they played post-world war II jump and jive and hot rockin’ rhythm’n’blues. Dattalo has a superb and powerful voice that suits that genre perfectly and Shaun Young sings a couple too, including some duets with her. Billy Horton produced it at Fort Horton, so you can expect warm and vintage sound.
They covered songs from Julia Lee, Ruth Brown, Buddy Johnson, Ann Cole but have solid originals mostly written by Young. Most of this songs has a strong dancefloor appeal and are sure to make you move your feet.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

The Jive Bombers (Shaun Young, Dana Dattalo, Bobby Horton, Derek Peterson, Vance Hazen, Murph Motycka)
The Jive Bombers (Shaun Young, Dana Dattalo, Bobby Horton, Derek Peterson, Vance Hazen, Murph Motycka)

Planet Rockers (the)

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planetrockersPlanet Rockers (the) – Return of the Planet Rockers

Witchcraft WCILP/CD 106 {2014}
Saturday Night In Oak Grove – Stranger Dressed In Black – Snakebit – Showdow – Heavy On My Mind – Moon Over Memphis – Man Whitout A Star – Voodoo Woman – Whatcha Gonna Do – Jenny Lee – Hold On – Dateless Night – Long Gone Daddy – Sinnerman – Southwind – Indian Giver – Nashville Woman

The Planet Rockers are back!  The original line-up: Sonny George and his deep voice, Eddie Angel with his sharp riffs and one of the best rhythm section in activity, Mark Winchester and Bill “Thunder” Swartz respectively on double bass and drums.
When you listen to this rockin’ platter you wouldn’t believe that 20 years have passed since the four of them recorded theit last album together. they sound as fresh and powerful as yesterday. No they’re even more powerful.
Recorded in Memphis, Tennessee at Sam Phillips recordings, this brand new album finds them mixing swamp blues, rockabilly, country rock, rock’n’roll to create their own Planet Rockers style with songs borrowed from the catalog of Cordell Jackson, Hayden Thompson, Tony Joe White, Frankie Laine, Jerry Reed, Dale Hawkins, Simon Stokes and the Nighthawk and more surprising Electric Light Orchestra. The lack of originals (only two, one by Eddie Angel, an instrumental, and another one by Mark Winchester)  is not a problem for once these four men play a song it becomes instantly a Planet Rockers song.
With that album, the Planet Rockers are back to the one and only place they deserve, the top! Welcome back, guys, we missed ya a lot and don’t make us wait too long for the next one!

The Planet Rockers – Coming In Person

planet rockers

No Hit Records 005 [1991]
Trouble Up The Road – Big Wheel – Tennessee Woman – Big Daddy – One’s all the Law will Allow – Spin My Wheels – Gotta Rock – Truck’s Driver Rock – Yes I Do – Trouble Time

For a long while, the Rockabilly scene was dominated by the European bands. But in the end of the 80’s, all of sudden, the States took the bull by the horn and came back to claim their heritage with bands like Big Sandy, High Noon, Dave and Deke and of course the Planet Rockers.
Their debut album was an instant revelation. Coming from Nashville, they were as far as possible from the modern country sound that dominated the town and played a brand of rock’n’roll/rockabilly with a strong country rock feel and blues elements thrown in for good measure.
Their style sounded like a cross between Tex Rubinowitz (not surprinsing since Eddie Angel originally came from the Washington scene) and Sleepy LaBeef. The Planet Rockers were the agregation of four strong personalities, each bringing its own touch to forge their sound. On the front, their was Sonny George’s distinctive deep voice. Eddie Angel on guitar sounded like Scotty Moore, Chuck Berry, Carl Perkins, Earl Hooker and James Burton all rolled into one. 
The rhythm section was also top notch with Bill Swartz on drums and Mark Winchester on double bass (he later joined Brian Setzer).
Accept no substitute, this is the real sound of American Rock’n’roll. Essential with a capital E. 

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