The Fleshtones: The Band Drinks For Free (Yep Roc/2016)

In 2016, New York's The Fleshtones celebrated their 40th anniversary. They're the only band from the mid 70's downtown scene to remain active every year of their existence. Celebrating this milestone, the band released their twenty-first record, The Band Drinks For Free.

A groovy cover of Ten Years After's "Love Like A Man" (which features guest vocals from Lisa Kekaula of The Bellrays) starts things off confidently enough, and that confidence doesn't seem to let up. The album reveals a few modern-day Fleshtones classics in "Rick Wakeman's Cape", "Suburban Roulette", "Living Today" and "Stupid Ole Sun". The band also cover the forgotten surf-movie ditty "The Gasser" by The Hondells. The band rocks in it's usual way; classic garage rock with stomping beats, fuzztone bass, Farfisa-organ strains all laced with the right amount of harmonica wails.

Lead singer, keyboardist and harmonica man Peter Zaremba (aka the host of Count Zaremba's Crypt on SiriusXM) is in excellent form, as always. guitarist/vocalist Keith Streng, bassist/vocalist Ken Fox and drummer extraordinaire Bill Millhizer, are, as always, never less than excellent.

Yep Roc offers a Bundle which includes the vinyl LP, the CD, an MP3 download code of the album, a 7" single of the non album title track (which for my money is the best song by the band in years) and the album B-Side of "Love My Lover". And the real selling point, for fans of the stealth carrying of liquors is a Fleshtones flask!

Most very highly recommended!

Here's the video review:

The Fleshtones: I Surrender b/w Dominique Laboubée (Yep Roc Records/2015)

New York Garage Rock legends The Fleshtones have been signed to Yep Roc Records since 2002. In that time they've released six great albums, six fantastic singles and one delightful EP. 2015 saw the release of the bands "I Surrender" single.

The A-Side is a faithful cover of the 1968 Bonny St. Claire mod anthem. The production here closely mirrors that of the original recording. The band sounds in fine form and it also marks the return of a Fleshtones horn section. Both Steve Greenfield (on sax) and Joe Loposky (on trumpet) have played on and off with the band since the late 80's. In my opinion, the only thing that is missing from a modern day Fleshtones show or recording is a horn section. And "I Surrender" is proof of that. The song also seems to musically reference the classic Fleshtones rave-up "Whatever Makes You Happy".

The B-side is a tribute to the late lead singer of the French band The Dogs, "Dominique Laboubee".
The song has a nice, moody harmonica line that recalls The Beatles' "There Is A Place". It's a nice tribute to Dominique Laboubee.

"I Surrender" was something of a Summer hit on Sirius Radio's Little Steven's Underground Garage. In fact it was even nominated for Little Steven's Coolest Songs In The World for 2015. The vinyl single comes with a digital download code. And all in all a fine slice of vinyl from The Fleshtones.

Here's The Video Review:




Special Thanks To: Cassandra Fowler.

Robyn Hitchcock: There Goes The Ice (Yep Roc/2013)

Formerly of The Soft Boys, The Egyptians and The Venus Three, Robyn Hitchcock has been reliably producing his blend of jangly psychedelic folk rock since the late 1970's. Since signing to the wonderful Yep Roc Records in 2004 he's had something of a creative second-coming. This release, which collects all five of Robyn's“Phantom 45's” is a nice two-disc 12” 45 RPM Record Store Day release.

The songs have a whimsical very dashed-off quality to them. Disposable in the best-possible sense.

“To Be Human” - which sounds like it could have been recorded for Eye, “Thank You Time Girl” and the title track – the latter containing KT Tunstall backing Robyn - are acoustic-based tracks. The upbeat “Twitch For Sam Surfer” features Green Gartiside of Scritti Politti on guitar and vocals. “I'll See You” and “After The Bullfight” feature Ex-Soft Boy & Egyptian drummer Morris Windsor. None of this material has been released in a digital format to my knowledge, so this is the most convenient-way of owning this material.

Robyn Hitchcock - whose vocals are a hybrid of his primary influences - Syd Barrett, Bob Dylan and John Lennon - has never been all that easy to recommend. He's beloved by critics (myself included) but to your more conservative average low-information consumer, his voice has always been something of a sore thumb. If you're a Robyn novice, a great starting point would be Fegmania!, Underwater Moonlight or Element Of Light. However for the converted, this release is well worth the time and effort as it stands up well with his newest releases.

Here's The Video Review:

Thanks to: Doug Mashkow of CD Island.

The Fleshtones: Wheel Of Talent (Yep Roc Records 2014)

New York City's The Fleshtones have been producing their unique brand of "Super Rock" since 1976. Originally from Queens - transplanting to Brooklyn in the early 90's - the band has been the preeminent nuevo garage rock band since the early 80's. Connoisseurs of 60's soul, pop, garage and surf. The band has released Wheel Of Talent, their twenty-second album in total and their seventh since being signed to the wonderful Yep Roc Records in 2002.

There is the very first use of a string section on a Fleshtones album - on the single "Available" (which addresses the gentrification of Brooklyn) and "How To Say Goodbye". Both tracks incorporate them nicely into the bands melodic area. The album's other single ("For A Smile") features girl-group lead vocals from Southern Culture On The Skid's Mary Huff. "The Right Girl" is a British Invasion-styled nugget and features faux-cockney ballad vocals from Peter Zaremba. "It Is As It Was" features guitarist Keith Streng on lead vocals and references the bands biography Sweat: The Story Of The Fleshtones, America's Garage Band (Continuum Press, written by Joe Bonomo). "Roofarama" features a liberal amount of wah-wah guitar and whooping-backing vocals.

 "Remember The Ramones" is about that Other band from Queens that The Fleshtones were friends/peers with and the time. "The Clash and The Pistols didn't exist/CBGB's was very loud/Suicide attacked the crowd/I was drinking Remy (Martin) with Marty Thau". The band humorously sings the chorus as "Remem. Ber The Ramones". The band does a Spanish-language cover of The Music Explosion's "I See The Light" (a live version of which previously appeared on their Soul Madrid LP). "Hipster Heaven" bemoans Williamsburg hipsters. Not a new subject for the band (the band's "Take A Good Look" from 2008 and "Haunted Hipster" from 2013 do the same). "Tear For Tear" is my personal favorite track and it closes things out nicely in a soulful way. And it features very nice lead vocals from Peter Zaremba.

The band seems to have refined the sound they established on the trilogy of excellent albums they released from in the mid 2000's (Do You Swing? from 2003, Beachhead from 2005 and Take A Good Look from 2008). The muscular rhythm section of Bill Milhizer and Ken Fox are well-accounted for. The Farfisa organ of Peter Zaremba is present (albeit sparingly) as are the garage band backing vocals of the group. The album features guest backing vocals from none other than original Fleshtones bassist Jan Marek Pakulski (who was also on the band's 2001 Solid Gold Sound album). As a longtime-fan, it's nice to see his name grace a new Fleshtones album.

You may have heard Steven Van Zandt sing the praises of The Fleshtones on his Little Steven's Underground Garage program or maybe you heard them on an I.R.S. Records compilation from the 1980's. Either way it's high-time to discover this durable band as this album (as is Beachhead or Take A Good Look) is a nice modern introduction.

Here's the video review:

Thanks to: Yep Roc Records, Cassandra Fowler and The Fleshtones.

The Fleshtones & Los Straitjackets featuring Deke Dickerson at The Bell House, Brooklyn, NY, Friday 10/31/14

The Fleshtones - originally from Queens, now of Brooklyn - and Nashville's luchador-masked Los Straitjackets (featuring Deke Dickerson)  were the bands performing this year at Brooklyn's The Bell House Halloween show.  And there were many costumed-patrons there to celebrate the festive holiday as well. I've been a fan of both Los Straitjackets and The Fleshtones for many years and the thing that these bands share: their blends of surf and garage rock stylings with various other elements unique to the individual bands. Neither bands ever fails to deliver an entertaining performance and both make it look all too easy.  

                                     

I'd seen these two bands (along with Southern Culture on The Skids) perform last Halloween-season at Brooklyn Bowl, so I'd come to know what to expect. The Fleshtones deliver solid, dependable 60's styled R&B-infused garage rock: "Super Rock", as they've long dubbed it. And the fully-formed fourteen-song set they delivered was excellent, and I believe, took  more than a few audience-members by surprise. The band casually strolled onto the stage from the side of bar, while playing one of their Halloween standards, "Dance With The Goulman" via wireless bass & guitar. Lead singer Peter Zaremba walked around with a bucket of candy and distributed it to the crowd. The band then launched into their big should-have-been hit from the original motion picture soundtrack (and title-track) I Was A Teenage Zombie.

 The band performed songs from their newest album - their twentieth in all - Wheel Of Talent ("What You're Talking About", " Remember The Ramones" & "Veo La Luz"), as well as songs from their last few Yep Roc releases - the band's label since 2002 -  from 2008's Take A Good Look ("Feels Good To Feel"), 2005's Beachead ("Pretty Pretty Pretty") and from 2003's Do You Swing? (a cover of the Coastliners' "Alright"). Despite a fan gripe that The Fleshtones rarely venture into their wonderful and woefully-overlooked I.R.S. Records catalog of material, the band's choice of  material was satisfying.

I've yet to see a band more forthcoming in their performance without grossly overstating things than The Fleshtones. Bands half their age (their average mean-age for the band members is 50) have much to learn from these guys. Bassist Ken Fox, Drummer Bill Milhizer and Guitarist Keith Streng are still as vital as ever. They've been preaching the word since 1976 and show no signs of slowing down. If these guys are in your town, by all means check them out!

The Fleshtones, above, in mock-heroic pose. And the band in human-pyramid mode.

Before exiting the stage Fleshtones lead singer Peter Zaremba reliably informed the audience that
"only the Fleshtones know how handsome Los Straitjackets are".

Los Straitjackets performing above, in perfectly-synced surf guitar pose.

Instrumental surf rock masters Los Straitjackets are currently on tour supporting their newest album Sings The Great Instrumental Hits!!! with special guest vocalist Deke Dickerson. The album tackles instrumental hits such as "Pipeline", "Miserlou", "Popcorn" & "Theme From A Summer Place". However these songs had lyrics all along and Dickerson is here to reinstate them back to the public consciousness. Deke Dickerson is an excellent surf rock guitarist, but he is a just an okay vocalist.

So, to have one of the great modern-day surf rock bands perform with a just-okay vocalist is anti-climatic to say the least. I overheard someone behind me mumble "uh-oh, it's the show killer" when Deke, dressed like a Dracula Elvis, gamely sauntered out for his first song.

The band performed only three instrumental songs, the last being a spooky version of "Theme For Halloween", before being joined by Deke (who overall put on a pretty good performance). If you've ever seen Los Straitjackets perform and are a fan of their instrumental greatness, you can only imagine their set being tainted by a vocalist, let alone an average one. If the band are on tour without a guest vocalist, they must be seen to be believed.

 

All photography copyright: Bill Wikstrom.

Mondo Zombie Boogaloo: 100 Years Of Roc - The Fleshtones / Southern Culture on the Skids / Los Straitjackets (Yep Roc / 2013)

A very special Halloween edition of Talk About Pop Music: Vinyl Views. I'll be reviewing four Halloween-themed vinyl. recordings

Mondo Zombie Boogaloo: 100 Years of Roc is a Yep Roc Records Halloween-themed various artists compilation. It contains four tracks by The Fleshtones, five by Los Straitjackets, five by Southern Culture On The Skids and one track ("Que Monstrous Son" - "Monster Mash" en Espanol) featuring all three bands. All three bands are also signed to Yep Roc records as well. The album holds-up surprisingly well with tracks by The Fleshtones ("Dracula A Go Go" & "Ghoulman Confidential) and Los Straitjackets ("Ghostbusters" & "Theme From Halloween") as the big winners here.

There's satisfying flow of consistency in surf, garage and rockabilly that has always suited Halloween or Horror-themed rock. It's a nice modern addition to this tradition. The double-vinyl is colored green and purple. The vinyl also comes with an enclosed CD copy of the album too!

Get it here: Yep Roc Records

A highly-recommended release.

Halloween Horrors: The Sounds Of Halloween (A&M 1977) is a nostalgia-placeholder for many a thirty-something. It's not a terribly good release, however it could also be a lot worse, I suppose. Side one is an ostensibly would-be scary story that doesn't add up to too much (I guess it can't be too scary). And side two is a collection of seemingly-synthesized sound-effects. Some of these are quite nice; the "Pipe Organ" track is excellent. Most of them are run-of the mill sound-effect tracks.

Recommended if it's very cheap or very free.

Monster Rap - Bobby (Boris) Pickett Featuring Bobby Paine (Easy Street Records 1984) is a cheesy stab at exploiting the Halloween market via the hip-hop genre in the mid 80's. Aside from it being Pickett's last release (famous for his 1962 novelty release "Monster Mash") there's virtually no redeeming qualities to this curiosity. The claymation artwork on the sleeve resembles the hologram figures in the chess game played in Star Wars.

Not really recommended for lovers of even the most dire kitsch.

Last but not least is "Screamin' Skull" (I.R.S. Records 1983) by The Fleshtones. The lyrics are basically about amphetamines and living fast in Los Angeles, as the band was doing at the time. It's set in a faux-horror garage rock setting, complete with honking saxophone and spooky organ intro.

It's the second single release for the band's amazing Hexbreaker album. Despite it's very "American-sound" the label made the possibly wrong-headed decision to only release this (and the first single from this album) only in the U.K.. The B-Side is a nice cover of the John Lee Hooker atheist rave-up "Burning Hell", which also nudges the single into Halloween/Horror genre. An excellent should-have-been-hit-single from Queens New York's finest purveyors of "Super Rock".

Highly recommended (if you can find it).

Here's the video review:

Special Thanks: Yep Roc Records and MaineTVClips.