I'm in the mood for some Rockabilly!

[Snowbunny]

Weird, I know. I'm listening to Chris Issak - Heart Shaped World. That must be why.

Its a long shot asking here, but anyone know any "indie-style" rockabilly?

Snowie

[bobsticks]

How about the Reverend?

[Stone]

The Reverend Horton Heat is a great recommendation, and I would also recommend some Cramps. But they're more in the "psychobilly" category.

[Snowbunny]

Well, I actually have some Cramps generously "recommended" by a buddy here back in the good old days.

I don't remember it sounding rockabilly, but I'll try again...

I would have though Rev. Horton Heat would be blues. Go figger.

I'm looking for something Stray Cattish. I would go to AMG but I refuse to "sign" on to get information!

Thanks guys. Keep it coming,

Snowite

[3-LockBox]

I used to have a comp floating around called Tilt-a-Whirl that featured rockabilly songs performed by various artists (hence the term comp). Most songs were originals by 'modern' artists but a few were covers, some older artists as well. The premise was to use artists not known for that type of song. Some ovious ones and not-so obvious ones.

I can recommend Huey Lewis (shut up already out there) Four Chords And Several Years Ago (1998?), a comp of faithful renditions of 50s and 60s music, albeit with modern recording quality. Very well done.

I can also recommend Brian Stezer's first solo album, The Knife Feels Like Justice, where he's starting to shed some of his rockabilly notions in favor of more mainstream rock, but it still sounds like Setzer and there is still a tinge of rockabilly flavor. This is way before his swing period. The remaster from about 7 years ago sounds superb.

[Dusty Chalk]

If you want some crazy fast rockabilly type stuff, you should check out Dead Weight -- Stroking the Moon and Half-Wit Anthems, not We've Seen Better Days -- that's a different band. They (the right ones) did a killer speed-rockabilly cover of "Devil Went Down To Georgia".

[dean_martin]

Southern Culture on the Skids is a fave of mine when I'm feelin' whacky. Some of the instrumentals, especially the guitar work, are amazing. Ditch Diggin' is my favorite with the Santo Swings ep a close second. They throw in some surf and Tex-Mex as well channelling the best of Link Wray and this Tex-Mex band (crank up the volume when you click):

http://www.fireballs-original.com/

[MindGoneHaywire]

Robert Gordon with Link Wray, they did two albums together around 1977; the albums Gordon did after that with Danny Gatton, Chris Spedding, et al, aren't bad, either.

Brian Setzer is one of the most underrated rock guitar players ever, sez me. The Stray Cats, like a lot of rockabilly, aren't giants in the lyric dept., but a greatest hits is a good way to go.

However, as Poison Ivy of the Cramps once pointed out, rockabilly has roots that are much darker. It was down & dirty truck-driving music. Setzer was a good guitar player, she said, 'but rockabilly was never about bopping down to the soda shop with my baby.'

Horton Heat & SCOTS are certainly close to the flavor of rockabilly, the spirit of it, perhaps more so than the Stray Cats. But the Flat Duo Jets are in the ball park, also, tho I think their first rec, the only one with a bass player, is far & away the best.

Jeff Beck made a GREAT rockabilly rec in 1993, it was a tribute to Cliff Gallup, the guitar player in Gene Vincent's Blue Caps. "Crazy Legs." He did it with a rockabilly band called the Big Town Playboys & did everything he could to get the exact sound of the old records, and played all the parts note-for-note. Great cover of "Blues Stay Away From Me," which was done by Johnny Burnette, I believe, also.

Vincent & Burnette are well worth looking up, as are Jerry Lee Lewis, and the early Elvis Presley stuff, of course.

But then there's the Blasters.

Oh, and X had a rockabilly element as well, with Billy Zoom in the band.

Then there's Junior Brown.

And old Western Swing stuff like Jimmy Bryant & Speedy West, Joe Maphis & Larry Collins. Oh, the Collins Kids. Oh, boy. That's some of the ROCKIN'EST stuff you'll ever hear. Hoy Hoy indeed.

Another good start is a Sun Records hits compilation, single disc is fine...if I had to make only one recommendation, that would be the one. I think it's called The Sun Story.

[Davey]

I thought the Blasters were the best band of the early 80s, other than the Talking Heads. Never missed a chance to see either when they rolled through town, although the digs that the Blasters played were a bit less prestigious. Always rocked the house, and we were always up dancing at the end. American Music.

[Snowbunny]

Southern Culture on the Skids is a fave of mine when I'm feelin' whacky. Some of the instrumentals, especially the guitar work, are amazing. Ditch Diggin' is my favorite with the Santo Swings ep a close second. They throw in some surf and Tex-Mex as well channelling the best of Link Wray and this Tex-Mex band (crank up the volume when you click):

http://www.fireballs-original.com/

BRILLIANT! I even have a collection of songs I can put on when I get home from work!!!

Thanks, Dino!

[Snowbunny]

I thought the Blasters were the best band of the early 80s, other than the Talking Heads. Never missed a chance to see either when they rolled through town, although the digs that the Blasters played were a bit less prestigious. Always rocked the house, and we were always up dancing at the end. American Music.

Geez, I appreciate the effort, Davey, but your taste in music kinda stinks.

Snowie

edit: I didn't think we needed to see another picture of Constipated Man.

[Snowbunny]

Robert Gordon with Link Wray, they did two albums together around 1977; the albums Gordon did after that with Danny Gatton, Chris Spedding, et al, aren't bad, either.

Brian Setzer is one of the most underrated rock guitar players ever, sez me. The Stray Cats, like a lot of rockabilly, aren't giants in the lyric dept., but a greatest hits is a good way to go.

However, as Poison Ivy of the Cramps once pointed out, rockabilly has roots that are much darker. It was down & dirty truck-driving music. Setzer was a good guitar player, she said, 'but rockabilly was never about bopping down to the soda shop with my baby.'

Horton Heat & SCOTS are certainly close to the flavor of rockabilly, the spirit of it, perhaps more so than the Stray Cats. But the Flat Duo Jets are in the ball park, also, tho I think their first rec, the only one with a bass player, is far & away the best.

Jeff Beck made a GREAT rockabilly rec in 1993, it was a tribute to Cliff Gallup, the guitar player in Gene Vincent's Blue Caps. "Crazy Legs." He did it with a rockabilly band called the Big Town Playboys & did everything he could to get the exact sound of the old records, and played all the parts note-for-note. Great cover of "Blues Stay Away From Me," which was done by Johnny Burnette, I believe, also.

Vincent & Burnette are well worth looking up, as are Jerry Lee Lewis, and the early Elvis Presley stuff, of course.

But then there's the Blasters.

Oh, and X had a rockabilly element as well, with Billy Zoom in the band.

Then there's Junior Brown.

And old Western Swing stuff like Jimmy Bryant & Speedy West, Joe Maphis & Larry Collins. Oh, the Collins Kids. Oh, boy. That's some of the ROCKIN'EST stuff you'll ever hear. Hoy Hoy indeed.

Another good start is a Sun Records hits compilation, single disc is fine...if I had to make only one recommendation, that would be the one. I think it's called The Sun Story.

Well, if it isn't the alway erudite, J! Have you audtioned as a movie extra yet? You'd be a natural.

Oooh... A Sun Records compilation sounds good. Do they actually call it a rockabilly comp? I do like a bit of country twang with the rockabilly on one hand and a bit of punkabilly on the other.

I'm cutting and pasting all this stuff as you type!

Thanks!

Snowie

[Snowbunny]

If you want some crazy fast rockabilly type stuff, you should check out Dead Weight -- Stroking the Moon and Half-Wit Anthems, not We've Seen Better Days -- that's a different band. They (the right ones) did a killer speed-rockabilly cover of "Devil Went Down To Georgia".

Okay when you say "killer" version, its not like goth or that other dark stuff you like, right?

I gotta hear that cover of "Devil Went Down To Georgia". I love that song!

Snowie

[nobody]

I like rockabilly a lot.

For something I'd guess I'd consider "indie" rockabilly, I may suggest some of the revivalist stuff on the smaller label, people like Big Sandy & the Fly Rite Boys and maybe Kim Lenz. But, personally, rather than get the copies, I'd just go for some originals like anything by Gene Vincent, or Charlie Feathers, or Mac Curtis, or Wanda Jackson, the Queen of Rockabilly herself. I'd especially suggest to grab the early gene Vincent Stuff, absolute classics of the genre there.

For more punk inflected stuff, the Reverend Horton Heat is fantastic, his Holy Roller hits compilation is fantastic, as is a little comp I cooked up of his stuff myself if you're in need...always looking to spread the gospel. There's a local band here in St. Louis called the Trip Daddys that sound similar as well, and may be available online. Some guys a bit younger and more punk inflected called Seven Shot Screamers are really good too, and they've worked with Exene Cervenka from X, who have a bit of that rootsy feel on albums like More Fun in the New World. The Cramps are the classic Psychobilly band. Gravest Hits is a good one.

You're not gonna find anything much like Chris Isaac though. Not too many other folks in the genre with a voice like that, even though he gets dismissed as too mainstream and pop by some of the folks who get way into this stuff. I really like his San Fransisco Days disc and Forever Blue in addition to Heart Shaped World. Although there's always Roy Orbison, who was a big Chris Isaac fan and probably about his biggest, most direct influence.

Don't skimp on the early Johnny cash stuff as well, and the Elvis Sun recordings. Hell, anything from the early days of Sun records would be good, look for a comp like J said, probably is one with rockabilly in the title somewhere. A comp I really like is called Best of the King/Federal Rockabillies, early stuff from Charlie Feathers, Mac Curtis and more from a couple old labels that specialized in rockabilly.

Great, fun music in the genre...always fun stuff to see live with a few drinks in a noisy bar.

[Snowbunny]

Wow, this is exciting!

Is there anywhere safe to go these days to sample music? I don't want to download, but just listen to the styles. I used to go to one of those file-sharing sites just to listen, but it was so buggy, I didn't want to download it to my new hard drive.

Snowie

[nobody]

I use Soulseek. I don't have any problems running it and you can get a taste of pretty much anything.

[Snowbunny]

I use Soulseek. I don't have any problems running it and you can get a taste of pretty much anything.

Thanks!

[Snowbunny]

Now I have wasted enough time.

[Dusty Chalk]

Okay when you say "killer" version, its not like goth or that other dark stuff you like, right?

Quite possibly maybe not.

I gotta hear that cover of "Devil Went Down To Georgia". I love that song!

I don't own a copy -- it was off an earlier album (Opus 1 or Opus One) that is out of print. I wrote to them (they are a San Franciscan band) and they said that if enough people bought their more recent albums, they might be able to get it reissued.

That was a couple years ago.

Good luck finding it. Let me know if you do.

[Swish]

...and he absolutely fits this category. "It Came From Nashville" is the one to have in my humble opinion, and I have the re-released version with bonus tracks. It's stellar stuff.

Want some?

Swish

[Snowbunny]

...and he absolutely fits this category. "It Came From Nashville" is the one to have in my humble opinion, and I have the re-released version with bonus tracks. It's stellar stuff.

Want some?

Swish

Yes, I want some.