DC Larson's JUKEBOX JURY: September 2026

Wednesday, September 30, 2026

Tom Toxic

The Tennessee Tapes Vol. 2

(Self-issued)

For document #2 of the sessions in which German Rockabilly marauder Tom and combo were joined by scads of originals -- whose names are rightly emblazoned in genre literature -- to work up/put down tunes of the affably rowdy sort launched from joints' stages or jukes, back when Ike rested feet on the Oval Office desk.

The assembled group tore through Sun, Sam Phillips, and Cash Cabin studios, slashing individual tattoo on those storied environs. It's as if Jules Verne had put his time machine in the hands of Memphis' Crown Electric cats, and they'd outfitted the fantastical contrivance with amplifiers, dual pipes, and about 26 gallons of twang.

Only 222 copies of this 10" platter lifted off pressing machinery, and I've theorized a reason why production was so abbreviated: The nine, vintage-fashioned ramblin' jive cuts contained thereon are just plain too likely to burst into wildass flames to risk greater engraved numbers. (I would take exception to that caution, suggesting instead that masses be set free to surrender themselves to dance-party frivolity amid fires. Life is way too brief to fuss about frilly niceties.)

Drop the needle, crank the loudness, and do Eddie's 'stockings and shoes' bit. Complaining neighbors need to mind their own damned affairs.

TO ORDER: Keil-Records@gmx.de

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No related videos were available at September presstime, sadly, as this disc is scheduled for October issuance.

Horrorwood Ending

Life After Death

(Vampire Breath Records)

The bopalula maestros responsible are owed commendation for producing an effort at once capable of formidable thunderation, sinisteria, and unsettlingly dire poetry of the sort one might otherwise encounter when poring over yellowing parchment pages found in the ghostly house on Malignancy Hill.

Recommended: "Lazarus," "Life After Death," "Phantom Heart," "Into the Light," "Her Plague," "Spider in the Dollhouse," "Nightfall," "Dreamwalker," "...But Days Go On," "I Don't Want to Leave"

Videos: "Life After Death" (live) "Phantom Heart" (live) "Nightfall"

Kyle LaLone

Make My Own Way

(Kyle LaLone Music)

The fact that the original material compiled strongly recalls the Tom Petty etc average-Joe Rock that once poured from radios and resounded in arenas illustrates Kyle's realness. Why? Because the former session player's determination to create in a manner no longer of overwhelming mainstream popularity means he honestly means what he's creating, and feels significant oneness with it; resultantly, listeners, too, feel it and their appreciation redoubles. (Plus, profundity packaged with intelligent, layered compositions in the key of blue-jeaned Saturday nights in middle America is of evergreen attractiveness.)

Recommended: "Make My Own Way," "New Year's Eve," "Falling in the Forest," "A Change is Coming," "Won't Take This Lying Down," "Stand Back Up," "Grateful"

Videos: "Make My Own Way" (live) "A Change is Coming" (live) "Grateful"

The Confusionaires!

Tomorrow Ain't What it Used to Be!

(Self-issued)

Road agentry in The Music Industry was already an aged truth when erstwhile Alice Cooper Band drummer Neal Smith quipped he'd thought of penning a book on 'ethics in the record business' - that would be filled with blank pages. "Radio Gods," is the freshest portrayal of suits' cruelty to honest-blooded believers in the power of the musical note. The fiercely elementary flings and hand-tooled inclinations rocking-up-a-storm here include jacking up Patsy into hot-rod robustness, uncoiling-rattler licks of Honky Tonk heritage, Punk swipes, and barstool-cuzzin singing that is not at all reticent to put everything on the table.

Recommended: "Radio Gods," "Walking After Midnight," "You'll Never Hear Me Complain," "Searching for the Promised Land"

Videos: "Radio Gods" "Walking After Midnight" "Searching for the Promised Land"

Ed Cavin & the Blue Kings

(Enviken Records)

This is what happily happens when stump-jumper Country music with a taste for the Wild Side of Life gets a couple of strong drinks under its belt: Rockabilly erupts in every direction, feet go to town, and yee-haws and go-cat-go's bounce like buckshot off every single surface.

Videos: "Hitch a Ride" b/w "Missfix"

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Enviken Records

Was (Not Was)

Even people without feet tapped toes to this irresistable 1983 melange of Funk, Rock, Soul, Jazz, and defiant self-assertion birthed from growing years sabotaged by debasement.

Videos: "Knocked Down, Made Small (Treated Like a Rubber Ball)" Don Was, interviewed years after: "We were a marketing nightmare"

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Dave Edmunds: From small things came a palace

Dave Edmund's artistic arc had the legendary guitar-slinger zooming through exaltation, enrichment, and grand evolution.

In the 1970s and 1980s, he went through brash Pub Rocker, Power Pop, and New Wave periods as refreshing as they were influential. With one boot in the Pub Rock scene, and the other in a burgeoning Rockabilly revival, the irrepressible Welshman with the leather-tooled drawl lightning-bolted his way from Love Sculpture to solo acclaim, from Rockpile renown to still further solo scintillation and, today, revered pantheon status.

Dave's classics from that period are now recommended study in Rock'n'Roll classrooms the world over: "Sabre Dance," a 1970 cover of Smiley Lewis's "I Hear You Knocking," "Queen of Hearts," "Girls Talk," "Bad Is Bad," "I Knew the Bride," "Knife and Fork," "Slippin' Away."

Over the same decades, Dave's instinctive bent for Rock'n'Roll perfect pitch earned him abundant production demand. Many benefitted from his production ear: Shakin' Stevens and the Sunsets, Brinsley Schwarz, Ducks Deluxe, the Flamin' Groovies, Paul McCartney. King Kurt, the Stray Cats, Fabulous Thunderbirds, and others.

Those years saw Edmunds winning in various stylistic modes, though his fine efforts all shared righteous Rock'n'Roll grounding. Among important efforts yet meriting consideration:

In 1979, ably backed by his Rockpile confreres, Dave wrought his melange of pub rock-skirting-rockabilly and winking wit. One would be hard-pressed to cite a more potent package. 2023 import.

Freshly returned is this 1980 cult-favorite that presented rave-ups and gently crooned movements, instilling in its era (and beyond) masterclass lessons in musicianship. Judicious teen cats who'd only recently unearthed dust-blanketed wax sat forward.

As a combo, Dave Edmunds, Billy Bremner, Nick Lowe, and Terry Williams were celebrated for ripping up stages as they blasted rousers accessible to all hip ears. (And their gifts had helped Edmunds's 1979 Repeat When Necessary [Swan Song] become the treasure-chest it was.)

It was to the day's New Wave fashion-sense that the four cleverly tailored Pub Rock, Rockabilly, and Power Pop inclinations into party-time finery. Seconds of Pleasure was and remains a delight for discriminating turntables.

Yep Roc's LP rerelease includes a 7" 4-track titled Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds Sing the Everly Brothers. A scant 1000 yellow vinyl copies of this LP were pressed. Haste is counseled.

Some cuts came into being whilst Rockpile was extant. Members assist mate Dave, as they had on his previous Repeat When Necessary. Also present are outtakes hailing from jams previous. ("Baby Let's Play House" dates from a 1968 session.) Such is the immaculate Pop shimmer of "It's Been So Long" that Ray-Ban cheaters are advised. The Wicked Pickett's "Three Time Loser" is stepped up a bit, though Dave's reading retains the original's determination. General appraisal turns up jocular outings of crisp vintage, slid betwixt tunes culled from Elysium's Seeburg.

Significant is Dave's free-skimming recollection of George Jones's 1964 "The Race is On." Backing him here are the Stray Cats, whose own debut full-length was produced by Dave the same year.

2015's all-instrumental "On Guitar...Dave Edmunds: Rags and Classics" was the culmination of a career quite well spent. The star not only engineered and produced, but played every instrument, as well.

Having long since proved himself as a stormy rocker, Edmunds let up on the accelerator to explore an impressive range of musical area populated by Merle Travis, the Beach Boys, Elton John, Booker T and the MGs, Kate Bush, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

And while I'd long had a profound appreciation for Edmunds's trademark swaggering rock'n'roll output, and never for a single moment doubted his amazing fretwork abilities, I was stunned by the majesty and fulfilled ambitiousness.

At each passage's unfolding - some tenderly articulate, others imposingly declarative - the listener was reminded that true musical power lies not only in bombast or volume, but even more spectacularly and compellingly in wisely-measured, educated application.

Dave played all instruments with appropriate regard for their places in the whole. And it was greatly to his credit that, as producer, he ensured a harmoniousness in which each part advances the triumph of the whole.

Gentle, melodic narrative and lush, placid backdrop can provoke emotions and imaginings not likely to bloom from ear-shattering gallop. Maturity lends a richness, a seriousness to endeavors. One knows when a master speaks.

Dave Edmunds, a careening rocker who knew exactly how to knock a house down, contrived palaces.

Sunday, September 27, 2026

Brioles

XL Vinyl LP

(El Toro Records)

Jorge, Daniel, and Josep maintain bond to the Rock'n'Roll classics that soundtracked their lives, which explains their decision to commemorate 40 Brioles years with reinventions of them. That affection finds expression on record as stormy celebrations, poignancy, and an electricity whose avid charges only circulate through endeavors of significance, this being one.

Recommended: "It's Love," "Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White," "I Don't Care," "I'm Going Crazy," "No Feelings," "Drifting Heart," "Raska-Yu," "Down in the Cellar," "Ella Es Tan Extraña," "Bo Was Right (Pretty Thing)"

Videos: "It's Love" "I Don't Care" "No Feelings" "Drifting Heart" "Bo Was Right (Pretty Thing"

Dead City

Out on Bail EP

(Self-issued)

Punch up these dense bombardments. The sardonicism enjoyed from this ripsaw assault unit angrily accents harsh existence on the sidelines. Shoved away, they became a community. (Kind of a graffitied Australia.) Fuck everybody on the outside.

Recommended: "Out on Bail," "Cut Down to Size," "Skidrow Creep"

Video: "Out on Bail" (live at Riff Audio)

Mark Malibu and The Wasagas

Knock Me Out

(Sharawaji Records)

Big Kahuna Malibu heads up this Dawn Patrol w/tremolo bars, managing both the important business of illustrating sundry aspects of Surf-fretboard angling and the more essential matter of kicks all around, in which gaga go-goer's go native and completely dig the racing-striped, wigged-out moment.

This is the band's fifth full-length disc, all on the UK's Sharawaji. Members first shot curls from '79 - '82, split the scene temporarily, and resurfaced in 2014 (with all first go-around personnel). Their upsplash into the hodad-hating hullabaloo engendered beach-blanket shenanigans, foamy navigations, and hand-holding, swim-suited couples disappearing down the sand into setting Sol.

Recommended: "Knock Me Out," "Reef Break," "Love in Liverpool," "Night Stalker," "The Swerve," "Pepper Stomp," "Mini Chopper," "Jibbed Again," "Surfer's Cross," "Moonstone Surfer," "On the Way to Warrington"

Videos: "Love in Liverpool" (Official video) "Pepper Stomp!" (Official video) live (2:56 2024)

Split Dogs

Nice N' Rough

(Venn Records)

Soph wax is crucial -- it reveals whether the combo under analysis can maintain whatever specialness their debut spotlighted. (Or, if their maiden endeavor exhibited weaknesses, LP #2 can assert seasoning.) Split Dogs -- Bristol's burly alacrity squad -- now builds upon an impressive incipient outing, surging with muscular directness that slaps with chutzpah. Flying colors violate night skies.

Recommended: "Be Somebody," "Born Too Loose," "Breaker," "Speed Demon," "Shake Sum Action," "Rock N Roll Business," "I Wanna," "Dirty Denim"

Videos: "Be Somebody" "Speed Demon" "Rock N Roll Business"

Eastside Dogs / Bootboys

Effectively slams down the uni-dimensional spleneticism that once fueled "Punk-Bashing Boogie." To paraphrase Nick Tosches, nothing brings mates of diverse stripes together like placing a chord barrage betwixt them.

Video: "Punx and Skins Unity Worldwide"

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The Skunts

"Leave your troubles far behind!" is always sound counsel, especially when the evening has only just begun, the place is packed with convivial mugs, and a bottle's at hand. Comes next an advisory of somewhat sterner sort. But since each is grounded in absolutely unabashed free-for-allism, grins fired by the first will not be doused by the second.

Videos: "Let's Get Pissed" "He's Your Uncle, Not Your Dad"

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George Dubose: Pictures worth a thousand choruses

Now retired and living in Germany, photographer George Dubose contributed work to numerous musical ventures. NYC Punk kingpins the Ramones topped the list ((in my estimation).

George executed several classic covers, including Too Tough To Die, Animal Boy, and Mondo Bizarro. He later published a collection of beautiful b/w and color photos of the band, plus his own invaluable first-hand recollections of the photo shoots and what it was like working with Punk's preeminent time bombs.

George remains active. Gallery exhibitions and book compilations are among his present efforts. The below passages are excerpted from a 2010 online interview:

I see you began in photography around '77 (or was it earlier?) and that among your pre-Ramones subjects were Lydia Lunch and Kid Creole and the Coconuts. Any other early subjects/credits you'd care to mention?

I moved to NYC to apprentice myself to fashion photographers to gain training to be a portrait photographer, a la Yousef Karsch. I was invited to see the B 52s at Max's Kansas City and fell in love with the band's music from the first two bars. They played "Planet Claire" the music of which was "The Peter Gunn Theme" from my childhood's exposure to that television show.

Funny enough, Lydia Lunch and Teenage Jesus and the Jerks was the opening act that night at Max's and I didn't care for them at all. I didn't understand what Punk Rock was at that time.

I asked the B's to come to the studio where I was an apprentice, for a photo shoot that I wanted to present to Andy Warhol's magazine Interview. Unfortunately, Cindy Wilson had returned to Athens, GA, so Maureen the manager stood in for her in the photo. Interview published the photo and licensed it to a Japanese magazine called Studio Voice.

The next time I got the B's to come to "my" studio, the band was complete and I printed 1000 16 x 20 B&W posters, gave half to the band and sniped some of the rest to advertise the band's upcoming gigs. The posters, however, were stolen as fast as I could tape them up (I didn't know about wheat paste). I started selling the posters for 52 cents each or two for a dollar.

Two years later, I was contacted by Tony Wright from Island Records and asked to show my collection of the band photos I had from concerts and in the photo studio. I didn't know that the band had already decided on one photo from the second studio shoot.

Tony asked me to sepia tone the b&w photo and then he cut film overlays to colorized their clothing.

Tony hated the group and used the pseudonym "Sue Absurd" as the art director's name.

You did a number of cool covers for the Ramones. Any one particular favorite?

Roberta Bayley's first cover photo was how they really were, Too Tough to Die is how the band saw themselves, and Mondo Bizarro is how I saw them...

Quoted in the introduction, Daniel Rey called you "one of the few people allowed access to recording sessions, rehearsals, video and other 'insider' events" related to the Ramones. Any story not in your book you'd like to share?

Funny Daniel Rey mentions this. I once had a creative meeting for the cover of Brain Drain. The band didn't want a photo this time, so we contacted Matt Mahurin and bought an image from a painting by him, the back cover was a video still from the video "Lobotomy". While I was at the recording studio, Bill Laswell was producing this LP and wouldn't allow anyone in the control room AT ALL. Not even the band.

I was "upstairs" in a lounge area shooting billiards with Monte Melnick, the tour manager and I looked through a window down into the large recording room and I saw someone playing bass that wasn't Dee Dee. I asked Monte who was that and he said it was "just Daniel Rey adding a bass track". About an hour later, I looked through the window and saw Daniel playing guitar. Again, I asked Monte what was going on and he pulled down the window shade and said, "You've seen enough!"

Daniel Rey is a great musician, producer and guitarist...A lot of musicians contributed to Ramones albums without credit. Joey's brother, Mickey Leigh was a classic example...

You write that you had the best personal relationship with Joey. Was he individually creative? Could he have had a rewarding solo career?

I saw Joey performing with other musicians several times. I thought that Joey always performed '50s and '60s Rock'n'Roll covers superbly. I often told him that he should just do a solo album of covers. He never got around to it, unfortunately.

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Wednesday, September 23, 2026

Dogface Bastards

s/t

(Self-issued)

As invigoratingly defiant as rebellion with the cause of Oi! sounds on record, total immersion in the animal comes only for those launching themselves into the snarling, participatory beast; everywhere, bodies fly, tumble, and sprawl, all to tunes blasted by mohawked warriors. L.A.'s Dogface Bastards urge on circle-dance mayhem in wee hours.

None of the foregoing was meant to dissuade disc purchasers. To the contrary, subjecting eardrums to the raucousness the Dogfaced ones shovel so violently is a fine first step toward the maelstrom.

Recommended: "Dogbite," "Dog Eat Dog," "New Voice of Oi!," "Friday Night," "Do or Bust," "Barking Dogs Don't Bite"

Videos: "Dog Eat Dog" / "New Voice of Oi!" / etc (live) "Barking Dogs Don't Bite"

The Hickeys

Demo

(Floating Skull)

A quote attributed to Johnny Ramone: "The quicker you get used to playing in front of people, the better. If you wait until you're 'good enough,' you'll never be good enough." How much coarseness and rudimentary playing here is natural, and how much intentional, is an open query. (Members of this '60s kicks fandango populated schizzing razor outfits like Gnats and Greasy Bitches; some degree of been-there done-that, then, surely applies.) Absence of polish, and eager freshness that isn't above neverminding occasional slapdash miscalculations, are charms not offered by prodigious instrumentalists.

Recommended: "Hickeys," "Melancholie," "Boogie Woogie," "Stinky"

Videos: "Boogie Woogie" (Official video) "Stinky" (Official video) Live 2026 (4:02)

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Eli 'Paperboy' Reed

Getting There

(Yep Roc)

My understanding is that medical personnel are on standby, poised to attend to listeners mysteriously unmoved by the spectacular Soul and R&B stylings that cut all kinds of loose on the floor. (Their acrobatics are lent piquancy by a brace of stormy brass.) Eli has proved his mettle umpty-hundred times, in a decade's worth of wax. As if his adeptitude -- whether emoting rivetingly at mic or massaging gritty gloriosities from a guitar that's apparently seen many-a midnight -- weren't sufficient to prompt wallet-crackings, Zaniah cameoed, and living legend Swamp Dogg not only ensured audio passageways were kept free of clutter, but participated in the sparkle.

Recommended: "Every Once in a While," "Asking for a Friend," "Getting There," "Like We Used To," "I Can't Even Walk (Without You Holding My Hand)," "Love You More" (feat. Zaniah), "Knock Knock Memories," "One Man's Trash (Is Another Man's Treasure)" (feat. Swamp Dogg), "The Questions"

Videos: "Every Once in a While" "Like We Used To" (Official video), "Love You More" "One Man's Trash (Is Another Man's Treasure)"