Back In the Day, 2003

The Tremors

The Scourge Of the South

(Brain Drain Records)

Their credibility was (and remains) beyond dispute. Leader Jimmy Tremor and his backwoods cohorts tore up stages with illustrious fellow sons of the soil, including Jerry Lee Lewis, Hasil Adkins, and storied mountain dancer Jesco White. They've knocked back audiences in both clubs and festivals, the Oneida Rockin' 50s Fest, Nashville Boogie, and Heavy Rebel Weekender numbered among the latter.

And in 2014, North Carolina's Tremors were inducted into the Hillbilly Hall Of Fame. An introductory post described them as "Hillbilly rock stars" whose "back story includes both zombiefication and alien abduction."

Out-of-print The Scourge Of the South was the trio's debut CD, and a barnburner it was. Theirs was a helter-skelter personality, one of feral cats howling at the fractured, midnight blood moon from the red clay tobacco roads of America's lost-hick dimension.

The disc didn't wipe its feet or cover its coughs. It was a rumbustious howdy-hi to Big Beat disciples who hungered for crude and manic Rebel Sounds. Each fiery, good-time freight just barely stayed on the steel. That songs never flew from the track was testament to the band's prowess.

Jimmy's emotionally-tilted hayseed implorings -- punctuated now and again by strangled yelps recalling Adkins --  and white lightning-speed treble note squallings reached dizzying plateaus of backwoods psychosis. 

Four additional Tremors discs followed; each maintained the maiden endeavor's heady abandon while making new dirt fly.

Good news: In 2024, with a different slap-bassist, the febrile combo is still storming stages. (Jimmy, who recently dealt successfully with health concerns that required hopitalization, also maintains a side gig with swinging Country quartet Kelley and the Cowboys.) Tremors CDs yet in print are available at their site, as well as from Amazon and other vendors.

And one never can tell - new wax may one day materialize. 

Recommended: "100 Proof Blues Boogie," "My Kitten Is Up a Tree," "Danny Blade," "It'll Be Me," "Riot," "Call To My Reward," "Manifestation," "Tremors Bop"

Video: "100 Proof Blues Boogie"

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