The Angry Red Planet

Captain...The Klingons have surrounded URANUS!

(Sharawaji Records)

Snort derisively at the 2022 instrumental work's asinine title, and no counterargument will be registered from this quarter. Turning to the contents, though, one finds an entirely other story: Six-string pyrotechnics set off conflagratory spectacularness, adventuring at warp speed and scrambling down unforseen corkscrews. Sensationalistic manners of Psychobilly, Morricone musings, surf hullabalooings, New Delhi bazaars -- and something perhaps answering to descriptor 'RockaPsychedeliaBilly' -- bashthrash from within brainpans hopelessly hooked on Science Fiction stuntery, as 1960s one-lung auteurs force-fed it to drive-in backseat grapplers.

Even were title "Geosynchonous Orbituary" the sole feature that track had going for it, a crown would be merited. But so much more of intriguing consequence throbs within. 

Recommended: "Captain...The Klingons Have Surrounded Uranus," "My Organ (Intro) Trailer Park Rendezvous," "The Crawling Eye," "Ghost Train," "Private Eye," "The Abyssal Ass Fish," "Desert Winds," "Geosynchonous Orbituary"

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One Night Stand

Trash   EP

(Inconsapevole Records)

To exit the club whisting these frantically tuneful missiles, you'd have to somehow jam amphetemines into your lips. And if some junk-works experimenter found a way to put this hardcore in a syringe, they'd richocet erratically for about two minutes, before littering the room with happy fleshly bits. 

Recommended: "Wrinkled Eyes," "Fear of the Dark (shirt)," "Sweet Lies, Rotten Truth," "From Son to Father," "Again"

Videos: "Wrinkled Eyes"  "From Son to Father"

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Dom Glynn & His Sunday Best

This Fast Life is Killing Me

(DGSB)

Just recently, Dom and dirtroad associates showcased this material during an album release gig at London's Hootenanny Brixton pub and music spot. (And coming months' bookings are plentiful.) Barnworthy musicalizing of this tenor is most frequently characteristic of Honky Tonk veterans and in-demand studio specialists. No sooner does unassuming genuineness strike observers as appropriate to eras in history's rearview, than it occurs that there's no good reason it shouldn't just as properly reign TODAY.

Recommended: "This Fast Life is Killing Me," "If She's an Angel Straight From Heaven (Then I'm a Devil Straight From Hell)," "Life Without Parole," "Mr. Clean and Mr. Mean," "I Loved You, Cigarettes," "Never Smile Again," "The Doghouse (My Second Home)," "Forever Stay the Night"

Video: "This Fast Life is Killing Me"   "Life Without Parole" (live)   "If She's an Angel Straight From Heaven (I'm a Devil Straight From Hell)" (offstage, dual acoustics version)   "Never Smile Again"

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Marilyn

(Barclay)

Some sculpters work in ceramics, metals, or clays. Onstage in these moments are avid fashioners of Pop melodiousness that very much relishes its un-pied-dans-le-Punk splendor. (Imagine radio-conformative swinging that also has fists of adamantium.) Be forewarned: once in ears, these lissome airs establish residence.

Recommended: "Scellé au sol," "CINÉMA," "A Smile Won't Change a Thing," "Nightclub," "6h10," "Spleen de toi," "Démarche cisaillee," "Get lost (on the other side)," "Equipage ravage"

Videos: "Scellé au sol"   "CINÉMA"   "Nightclub"  "Equipage rampage"

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Aurelio Voltaire

The whimsical aspect of seasonal spookiness, as punchlined by doomy trickster Aurelio, gambols throughout the present brisk romp. Cataloged are preternatural accoutrements prized by an endangered shopper. Soundtrack lodged by the Rebel Cats -- abetted by singer Jess-O-Lantern and famed saxman Steve Elson -- brings both grins and, perhaps, spinal chills. 

Video: "Sleeping in a Michael's Halloween Section" (clip)

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Ultrainstinto

Try as they might, Medellín's shadows fail to obfuscate the descending passages, chordal crashes, and magisterial musical body that envelop listeners in this tale of dangerous mystery. Nor can lightning flashes of solo oration or raging vocal exhortations be taken lightly, such is the urgency with which they haul ass into your essence.

Video: "Ritual de las Sombras"

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Cheetah Chrome's Bowery validity                   

News that 71 year-old legend Cheetah (Eugene O'Connor) had exited the building came to me via a CJ Ramone Facebook post:

"My brother, you were one of the best," was CJ's simple observance.

Cheetah had set stages on fire as recently as early this year, with a new Dead Boys line up. He will forever be renowned for membership in two elite groups: influential-beyond-their-circumstances '70s Punk guitarists (the Johnnys Thunder and Ramone also ranking), and battle-scarred survivors of that same no tomorrow, needle-jammin' era. 

With 1970s/80s CBGB vulgarians the Dead Boys, and throughout subsequent solo and auxillary endeavors (including alongside Nico, Ronnie Spector, Joey Ramone, Jeff Dahl, Adny Shernoff, and Syl Sylvain), he loosed collision-chording, curb-jumping metallic-treble leads.

Introspective, pensive articulations he occasionally formulated showcased the spiky grafitti-guerilla's gentler artistic knack. The man could play -- and then some.

Numerous other heartfelt testimonies flooded from admirers:

- Dictators singer Handsome Dick Manitoba: "It is with profound sadness that Cheetah Chrome -- a friend, a compadre, a Rock ‘n’ Roll brother of mine for 50 years -- has passed away. Never did we have beef. Never anything but respect and admiration for each other’s bands...I love you, my Rock'n'Roll brother."

- Guns and Roses guitarist Duff McKagen: "RIP dear Cheetah Chrome. Your guitar playing and attack taught me so much about ‘edge’ and precision in Punk and beyond. Getting to know you in later years was a complete honor. Forever Dead Boys. Forever Cheetah Chrome!!"

- Runaway Cherie Currie: "My cherished friend Cheetah Chrome passed suddenly today at 71. He just called me to sing with him at The Whisky. I sang on his new album that he will never see released. We never said goodbye without saying “I love you!” I am heartbroken. He was an exceptional man, musician, and friend. I love you Cheetah."

- Johnny Jetson: " My condolences to his family, friends, and fans. Cheetah will always be a high point of the 1970s. His style and attitude made the guitar a dangerous weapon and destroyed the hold of the English 'Intellectuals' He dragged it out of the conservatory and made it wild, dangerous, and fun again."

In Cheetah's hands, strings, frets, and electric voltage colluded to pose dangers. He was a reckless demolisher of traditions, true. But he was also emblematic of the age-old, vastly respectable, play-till-you-can't code embraced by generations of players genuinely devoted to their crafts.

Bands that stalked in his1970s-forward example have sought to capture similar swerve/edge/growl. Some have pulled it off quite handily.

But no less prominent in Cheetah's coarse diatribes was the joyfulness of the misfit; swinging, swiping kicks that matched fury -- stomp for stomp -- with lopsided snickering at pretty much everyone and everything.

Deep in the marrow of his blistering onslaught against all-that-snored, was happiness-for-the-hell-of-it. Grinning exuberance that exalted wiseass Rock'n'Roll to high status of self-signifier:

"I'm as valid as any a-you!"

Videos: "Sonic Reducer" (live at CBGB's)   "StillWanna Die"  The Batusis (live 4:29) Cheetah and Syl