Psychobilly
Psychobilly | |
---|---|
Other names | Punkabilly |
Stylistic origins | |
Cultural origins | Late 1970s California, New York, Southern United States |
Regional scenes | |
Europe (particularly England, Germany, and Denmark), United States (particularly southern California), Japan, Brazil, Canada | |
Other topics | |
Psychobilly (or punkabilly) is a
Psychobilly is often characterized by lyrical references to science fiction, horror (leading to lyrical similarities to
Psychobilly has its origins in New York City's 1970s punk underground, in which The Cramps are widely given credit for being progenitors of the genre and the first psychobilly band to gain a following.[5] The music gained popularity in Europe in the early 1980s, with the UK band The Meteors, but remained underground in the United States until the late 1990s.[6][7] The second wave of psychobilly began with the 1986 release of British band Demented Are Go's debut album In Sickness & In Health.[8] The genre soon spread throughout Europe, inspiring a number of new acts such as Mad Sin (formed in Germany in 1987) and the Nekromantix (formed in Denmark in 1989), who released the album Curse of the Coffin in 1991.[9] Since then the advent of several notable psychobilly bands, such as the US band Tiger Army and the Australian band The Living End, has led to its mainstream popularity and attracted international attention to the genre.
History
The evolution of psychobilly as a genre is often described as having occurred in waves. The first wave occurred in New York City in the 1970s and reached Britain in the early 1980s, the second wave took place at the end of that decade and spread through the rest of Europe, and the third crested in the late 1990s with the genre finding international popularity.[4]
Precursors
The wildly theatrical shock rock aesthetic of Screamin' Jay Hawkins in the 1950s, and the outsider music of the Legendary Stardust Cowboy in the late 1960s have been cited as a precursor to what would become psychobilly.[10]
Origins in the United States
The Cramps weren't thinking of this weird subgenre when we coined the term "psychobilly" in 1976 to describe what we were doing. To us all the '50s rockabillies were psycho to begin with; it just came with the turf as a given, like a crazed, sped-up hillbilly boogie version of country.
We hadn't meant playing everything superloud at superheavy hardcore punk tempos with a whole style and look, which is what "psychobilly" came to mean later in the '80s. We also used the term "rockabilly voodoo" on our early flyers.
In the mid- to late 1970s, as
The Cramps, who formed in Sacramento, California, in 1972 and relocated to New York in 1975 where they became part of the city's thriving punk movement, appropriated the term from the Cash song and described their music as "psychobilly" and "rockabilly voodoo" on flyers advertising their concerts.[8] The Cramps have since rejected the idea of being a part of a psychobilly subculture, noting that "We weren't even describing the music when we put 'psychobilly' on our old fliers; we were just using carny terms to drum up business. It wasn't meant as a style of music."[8] Nevertheless, The Cramps, along with artists such as Screamin' Jay Hawkins, are considered important precursors to psychobilly.[4][8] The Cramps' music was heavily informed by the sound and attitude of 1950s American rockabilly, including Hasil Adkins, whose song "She Said" they covered on 1984's compilation album Bad Music for Bad People,[12][13] along with other songs from the Sun Records catalog. Their 1979 album Songs the Lord Taught Us is considered influential to the formation of the psychobilly genre.[9]
First wave in Britain
Although the Cramps have been recognized as an "early" or "pioneering" psychobilly band,[5] About.com calls The Meteors "the first true psychobilly band", noting their blend of the "themes of horror, punk and rockabilly". They were the first band to use the term 'Psychobilly' as a description of their music.[3] Formed in South London in 1980, they are considered the first verifiable psychobilly band.[14] Their albums In Heaven (1981) and Wreckin' Crew (1983) are recognized as landmarks of the early years of the genre.[4][9] "Starting in the neo-rockabilly scene, the Meteors were quickly shunned for being too different. Excuses for exclusion from rockabilly concerts varied from the band having too extreme of a sound to their drummer having green hair."[15] The Meteors blended elements of punk rock, rockabilly, and horror film themes in their music. Another commentator argues that The Misfits' "American Nightmare" may have been the first psychobilly song.[16]
The Meteors also articulated psychobilly's apolitical stance, a reaction to the right- and left-wing political attitudes which divided other British youth cultures.[4] Fans of The Meteors, known as "the Wrecking crew", are often attributed with inventing the style of slam dancing known as "wrecking", which became synonymous with the psychobilly movement.[8] The short-lived Sharks, formed in Bristol in 1980, followed closely behind The Meteors with their influential album Phantom Rockers.[4][17] Demented Are Go are a Welsh psychobilly band that was formed around 1982 in Cardiff. They were one of the earliest in the initial wave of bands to mix punk rock with rockabilly, and as a result, are considered to be highly influential to the psychobilly scene. Another significant British band were the Guana Batz, formed in Feltham, Middlesex in 1983.[17] Their first album, 1985's Held Down to Vinyl at Last, has been described by Tiger Army frontman Nick 13 as "the most important release since the Meteors' first two albums."[4]
The Klub Foot nightclub, opened in 1982 at the Clarendon Hotel in Hammersmith, served as a center for Britain's emerging psychobilly movement and hosted many bands associated with the style. Johnny Bowler of the Guana Batz describes the club as "the focal point for the whole psychobilly scene. You'd get people from all over at those gigs. It built the scene." Representatives from record labels such as Nervous used the Klub Foot as a recruiting ground to sign up new bands.[4] A live compilation album entitled Stomping at the Klub Foot was released in 1984, documenting the club's scene and the bands who played there.[4][9] At the same time psychobilly bands were forming elsewhere in Europe, such as Batmobile who emerged in the Netherlands in 1983, released their debut album in 1985, and soon began headlining at psychobilly festivals and at the Klub Foot.[18]
Second wave in Europe
The second wave of psychobilly is noted as having begun with the 1986 release of British band Demented Are Go's debut album In Sickness & In Health.[8] The genre soon spread throughout Europe, inspiring a number of new acts such as Mad Sin (formed in Germany in 1987) and the Nekromantix (formed in Denmark in 1989), who released the album Curse of the Coffin in 1991.[9] The Quakes formed in Buffalo, New York in 1986, but had such difficulty building a following in their hometown that they moved to London the following year, where they released the album Voice of America in 1990.[4][8][9][17] Another significant release of this era was the compilation album Rockabilly Psychosis and the Garage Disease, which acknowledged the genre's roots in rockabilly and garage rock.[9]
The second-wave bands broadened the music's scope, with the introduction of new and diverse musical influences into the sound.
However, one American act that emulated the style was
Third wave internationally
The genre remained vital in Europe, where new acts continued to appear. In 1992, the Kryptonix emerged in France while the Godless Wicked Creeps formed in Denmark the following year,[8][23] The Sharks re-formed in Britain, releasing the album Recreational Killer,[17] The Snakes formed in Italy in 2004. Psychobilly also expended to new continents Battle of Ninjamanz formed in Japan in 1994 and Os Catalepticos formed in Brazil in 1996.[23]
In the UK however most bands had split up, The Hangmen – who had formed after the first and second waves – became reliant on live events that did not specifically cater to the much depreciated Psychobilly audiences, resulting in the genre being introduced to a wider audience and the band acquiring a more diverse following that included punks and bikers.[21]
Canada
Psychobilly also spread to Canada.[24] Stylistically, Déjà Voodoo (who sometimes described themselves as "sludgeabilly") and Condition, both from Montreal, might be considered early forerunners of the genre. As early as 1983, both bands issued recordings that displayed the rockabilly and garage punk influences of psychobilly, as well as a lyrical tendency towards horror and dark themes, often presented with humour.
Although it was not acknowledged as such at the time, Montreal's Mongols likely came closest to true psychobilly. From the somber Cramps-ish original title track to the covers of deranged rockabilly (Hasil Adkins), fifties rhythm 'n' blues (via psychobilly forefathers The Sonics), sixties garage rock by Quebec teenage sensations Les Lutins, and obscure, off-kilter instrumentals (one by The Nautiloids), their mini-LP Sleepwalk (1986) runs the gamut of all the musical bases of the genre. In addition, a few years later, The Mongols had their only other recording, "Bébé Cadavre" (Cadaver Baby), included on the Lachés Lousses compilation (1990).
Edmonton's Dusty Chaps might also be seen as an early exponent of the style with the inclusion of their sinister "Psychopath of Love" on Nervous Records' compilation Boppin' In Canada (1991). Following in those tracks, in the mid-nineties, were Vancouver's Deadcats. Their guitarist, Mike Dennis, had previously played in hardcore punk bands The Bill Of Rights and Forbidden Beat. Besides his own band, Dennis also issued early recordings by Montreal psychobillies The Alley Dukes, and Bloodshot Bill – who is also sometimes associated with the genre – on his Flying Saucer Records label.
The Gutter Demons were a band formed in 2002 in Montreal, Quebec, who became one of the most recognizable Canadian psychobilly bands,[25] their live debut came supporting The Hangmen from the UK on their Canadian Tour of that year.[26] The Brains[27] is a band from Montreal.
Musical style
Musically, psychobilly is rooted primarily in two genres: late 1970s punk rock and 1950s American rockabilly. Tiger Army frontman Nick 13 explains: "The number-one misconception people have is that psychobilly is the same thing as rockabilly. Rockabilly is on the family tree, but it's a totally different sound and attitude."[4] Psychobilly progenitors The Cramps acknowledge their music's deep roots in American blues, rhythm and blues, and traditional rock and roll.[8][19] Alternative Press writer Ryan Downey notes that contemporary psychobilly also draws from other rock genres and subgenres: "Driven by the rhythmic pounding of a stand-up bass, the music swings with the snarl of punk rock while sometimes thrashing alongside speed metal or crashing headlong into country icon Hank Williams."[4]
Craig Brackenridge lists other sources of inspiration: 1960s
Downey acknowledges that contemporary psychobilly's roots extend into
Psychobilly is commonly played with a simple guitar/bass/drum/vocal arrangement, with many bands consisting of only three members. Often the guitarist or bassist will be the lead vocalist, with few acts having a dedicated singer (Mad Sin being one of the examples with a dedicated singer).
Psychobilly guitarists often play rockabilly-style hollowbody archtop guitars with f-holes and a tremolo bar. Guitarists may play punk-style power chords one moment, and then shift into rockabilly-style fingerpicking and rockabilly guitar-style seventh chords, with a heavy focus on minor chords and palm muting. Notes are often bent, either by pulling the string down or by using the tremolo bar. Gretsch hollowbody guitars are a popular choice. Guitarists often use 1950s-style tube amplifiers such as by makers such as Fender and it is common to see stacks of two speaker cabinets. As with rockabilly guitarists, the overdrive tone usually comes from what is produced naturally by overdriving the tube amp, rather than by plugging into a distortion pedal.[citation needed]
An upright
Psychobilly bassists often use gut strings, to get the deep, low 1950s tone. Like rockabilly bassists, psychobilly bassists often use both a bridge pickup and a fingerboard pickup, with the latter being used to pick up slapping and percussive sounds. Psychobilly bassists often decorate their basses by painting them with retro pin-up style images or designs or by putting stickers on them.
Some acts have made their upright bass the centerpiece of their stage shows; some psychobilly musicians elaborately decorate their upright bass, such as Nekromantix frontman Kim Nekroman, whose "coffinbass" is in the shape of a coffin, with a headstock in the shape of a cross. Nekroman created his original "coffinbass" from an actual child-sized coffin, and has since designed new models to achieve better acoustics, as well as collapsibility for easier transportation.[37] Another notable act to use a coffin-shaped bass is the Brazilian psychobilly band Os Catalepticos.[23] HorrorPops frontwoman Patricia Day also uses an elaborately painted and decorated double bass.
The Cramps performed without a bass player in their early career, using two guitars instead. They did not add a bass guitar to their arrangement until 1986, and have used an electric bass since that time. Cramps guitarist/bassist Poison Ivy sees this as one of the distinctions that separate the band from the psychobilly movement: "I think psychobilly has evolved into a gamut of things... It seems to involve upright bass and playing songs extremely fast. That's certainly not what we do."[8]
Samantha Von Trash's history of psychobilly lists 13 essential albums for people new to psychobilly: The Cramps: Songs the Lord Taught Us; Reverend Horton Heat: Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em; The Misfits: Static Age; Social Distortion: Mommy's Little Monster; The Essential Johnny Cash; Cult of the Psychic Fetus: Funeral Home Sessions; Cult of the Psychic Fetus: She Devil; Demented Are Go: Satan's Rejects; 7 Shot Screamers: Keep the Flame Alive; Nekromantix: Curse of the Coffin; "Rockabilly Riot!" compilation; Thee Merry Widows' self-titled EP; Stray Cats: either Built For Speed or Rock This Town.
Stage shows
The performance style in psychobilly concerts emphasizes high energy and a lot of interactions between the band members and with the audience. The HorrorPops sometimes switch instruments for fun, and Kim Nekroman does stunts such as playing the fingerboard of his Coffinbass with his tongue. Demented are Go are known for their wild stage show, which included simulated on-stage sex with a vacuum cleaner. The Australian band Zombie Ghost Train were known for appearing on stage in "zombified" clothes, featuring rips and bloodstains, and zombie make up, complete with fake stitches across the face.
The
"At any psychobilly show, you might see some dancing... only, it's not your average dancing. That would be what's called
Lyrical style
Lyrically, psychobilly bands tend to favor topics and imagery drawn from
Psychobilly bands drew on "all eras of horror, from Gothic novels and classic films to schlocky cold war flicks to psychological thrillers and splatter films."[39] Psychobilly songs make reference to slashers (The Meteor's Michael Myers) and serial killers (e.g., The Frantic Flintstone's Jack the Ripper).[39] Most acts avoid "serious" subjects such as politics. Original psychobilly act The Meteors articulated a very apolitical stance to the scene, a reaction to the right- and left-wing political attitudes dividing British youth cultures of the late 1970s and early 1980s.[4] This attitude has carried through later generations of psychobilly. Nekromantix frontman Kim Nekroman describes: "We are all different people and have different political views. Psychobilly is all about having fun. Politics is not fun and therefore has nothing to do with psychobilly!"[8] Nate Katz explains the rationale for psychobilly's apolitical stance as follows:[15]
1980 was an important year for Britain. Recently elected
apolitical, psychobilly music became a method of escape from the real world.
Katz notes that at the "same time [in the 1980s], the revival of the B-movie, particularly the return of horror movies, occurred...[,] such as The Howling,
Fashion and subculture
According to Nate Katz, "in its early days, Psychobilly relied almost entirely on word of mouth to be spread throughout London... If your friends did not know of it [a band or gig], the odds were that you did not either."[15] The then manager of The Meteors, Nick Garrard, produced a magazine called 'Cat Talk' which was heavy on Meteors content & their new style of Psychobilly music. One of the band's original fans (Proff) produced gig flyers with a heavy horror/Frankenstein theme. Roy Williams of Nervous Records created a newsletter that would be passed around known as 'Zorch News', which allowed fans to keep up with psychobilly news that specifically related to bands involved with Nervous Records.[15] "Despite being starved of the oxygen of mainstream music press attention for more than 25 years, psychobilly has thrived in the underground[,] building a network of fiercely loyal followers and producing a huge number of bands who each peddle their own brand of the genre."[35] Fanzines are one of the ways the psychobilly scene created a social network, with Deathrow being the "...only long running psychobilly fanzine."[40]
Psychobilly musicians and fans, who are sometimes called "psychos" or just "Psychobillies", often dress in styles that borrow from 1950s rockabilly and rock and roll, as well as 1970s punk fashions. Long "Old Mans" overcoats, army trousers, bleached jeans & Dr Martin Boots were all part of the early "Psycho" uniform along with band logo T-shirts. Heavily painted and studded leather jackets were also worn. This was topped off by a 1950s style quiff or flat-top, often bleached with shaved back and sides. Psychobilly band members of both sexes often have prominent tattoos, often with a vintage theme.[4] Psychobilly "tattoos followed the same general notions as band designs, being highly influenced by the same movies. Common tattoos were images of the macabre nature such as bats, skulls, gravestones, as well as the occasional pin-up doll and band logo."[15] The goal of the psychobilly scene member is to "live fast, die young, and leave a (not so) beautiful corpse."[39]
Other aesthetic later influences include the
Men often wear
See also
- Hasil Adkins
- Legendary Stardust Cowboy (Norman Carl Odam), Psychobilly pioneer
- List of psychobilly bands
References
- ^ "Definition: Psychobilly". Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
- ^ "Definition of Psychobilly". The Free Dictionary.com. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
- ^ a b "Psychobilly". About.com. Archived from the original on March 21, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Downey, p.77.
- ^ a b Remington, Alexander F. (February 6, 2009). "Lux Interior, 62 - Co-Founder of the Cramps, An Early Psychobilly Band". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
Lux Interior ... was lead singer and co-founder of the pioneering psychobilly band the Cramps, ... which formed in the early 1970s, [and] were the first band to gain a following in psychobilly ....
- ^ Downey, p.77. "Before Tiger Army started touring in support of their 1999 debut, the psycho scene in the U.S. was practically nonexistent. There were fans in a few towns who hung with the rockabillies or punks, but psycho was their little imported secret."
- ^ Downey, p.78. "European record labels like Nervous (U.K.) and Crazy Love (Germany) were crucial as psychobilly continued to be virtually unnoticed in the U.S."
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Downey, p.78.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Downey, p.80.
- ISBN 9781317477280. Retrieved 5 September 2020 – via Google Books.
- ISBN 0-609-80774-9. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
- ^ Raggett, Ned. "Bad Music for Bad People - The Cramps". AllMusic. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
- ^ "The Cramps | Similar Artists, Influenced By, Followers". AllMusic. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
- Cleveland, Ohio. p. 118.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Katz, Nate (February 2012). "The Dawn of Psychobilly". Perfect Sound Forever. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
- ^ "History of Psychobilly". Keep Tahoe Emo. Archived from the original on January 4, 2016. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e Downey, p.81. "Another London band The Ricochets were the first band after The Meteors to call their music psychobilly. Their debut album Made In The Shade from 1982 is another influential psychobilly album."
- ^ "Batmobile". Myspace. Retrieved July 23, 2008.
- ^ a b Downey, p.79.
- ^ "Drugs, Drinking, Women". The Washington Times. October 17, 2002. Retrieved February 8, 2018.
- ^ a b "The Hangmen - About". The Hangmen. Retrieved 2018-10-15.
- ^ "Performers They've Played With". The Chop Tops. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
- ^ a b c d Downey, p.82.
- ^ Spike, Lauren (April 10, 2016). "Punkabilly Bands to Check Out". Archived from the original on October 29, 2016. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
- ^ "The Gutter Demons". thegutterdemons.com. Archived from the original on September 24, 2013. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
- ^ "The Hangmen". www.facebook.com. Archived from the original on 2022-02-26. Retrieved 2018-10-15.
- ^ "TheBrains". Facebook. Archived from the original on July 31, 2016. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
- ^ Grant, Adam (November 13, 2006). "The Creepshow". The Toronto Times. Archived from the original on October 24, 2007.
- Victoria BC. July 2007. Archived from the original(PDF) on July 6, 2011. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
- ^ Pollard, William (March 12, 2013). "Day Two: Big John Bates and Brandy Bones Bates Interview". Wild 4 Washington Wine. Archived from the original on March 18, 2016. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
- ^ "Gretsch® Artists: Big John Bates". Gretsch Guitars.com. Archived from the original on October 20, 2013. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
- ^ "News: Brandy Bones". Hofner Guitars and Strings. Archived from the original on May 9, 2016. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
- ^ "Lauren Spike". LaurenSpike.com. Archived from the original on October 8, 2016. Retrieved August 31, 2016.
- ^ "Amnesia Rockfest". punkabilly.ca. Archived from the original on October 29, 2016. Retrieved August 31, 2016.
- ^ ISBN 978-1901447804.
- ^ "Nekromantix". Starkult Promotion. Archived from the original on August 9, 2006. Retrieved July 17, 2007.
- ^ Thursby, Erin (April 26, 2007). "On the Lighter Side of Death: Interview With Nekromantix". EU Jacksonville. Archived from the original on December 8, 2012. Retrieved August 10, 2007.
- ^ Von Trash, Samantha (July 3, 2006). "The Wreckin' History and Culture of Psychobilly". Midnight Calling. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
- ^ ISBN 978-0810860438.
- Goodreads.com.
- ^ Phantom Rockers (CD). The Sharks. Nervous Records. 1980.
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Further reading
- Brackenridge, Craig . Hells Bent On Rockin': A History of Psychobilly. Published January 1, 2007 by Cherry Red Books.
- Downey, Ryan J. (November 2004). "Psyched to Be Here". Alternative Press. pp. 76–82.
- Polhumus, Ted. Streetstyle: From Sidewalk to Catwalk.(New York, Thames, 1994). (it contains a history of psychobilly up until the early 1990s)
- "Psychobilly Meltdown." (1988, October 9). Melody Maker, 64, 12.
- Wilson, Alan. Deathrow: The Chronicles of Psychobilly: The Very Best of Britain's Essential Psycho Fanzine Issues 1-38. Published October 1, 2006 by Cherry Red Books.