Garage Mayhem – Live At Ashbury Lanes Va- (Headshop Records)
Ashbury Lanes is an old bowling alley turned into a rocking venue in Ashbury Park , New Jersey . In April 2007 many of the finest high energy garage bands in the USA played at a garage rock festival at the venue and Garage Mayhem captures seven bands live at their most raw and uncooked. Each of the bands featured provided two live songs for the compilation.
Opening up with Boston band Muck and The Mires, ‘It's About Over Now' is an orgy of crashing chords, groovy riffs and close harmonies, a proper nodding shimmy melt down. The early Beatles-esque rocker of ‘You Better Write Your Number Down' is a great slice of garage pop, as those beat riffs rattle around and the close vocals harmonies are ace. ‘You Better Write Your Number Down' is a great song that showcases The Muck And The Mires abilities in the live arena.
http://www.muckandthemires.com/
http://www.myspace.com/muckandthemires
‘FM Receiver' is blasted out by The Brimstones, a band from New Brunswick , NY . This trashy tune is an R&B garage growler, with plenty of The Sonic's style screaming, a sizzler. Their next number is a proper R&B'd up stomping rocker ‘Original Sin', another scorching tune, nuff said. Buy the album and check it out.
http://myspace.com/thebrimstones
New York 's The Coffin Daggers steamroll with oddball organ and twangy reverbed out surf guitar riffs on the demented instrumental ‘Shark Attack'. The Coffin daggers continue their instrumental waves on the very cool workout ‘Forgotten Prisoner' as the dirty distorted organ juxtaposition well with the superb maverick guitar playing from Victor Dominicis, utterly superb.
http://www.myspace.com/thecoffindaggers
Philadelphia 's The Misteriosos ‘Telescope' is an organ/guitar workout with some harmonica thrown into the pot. ‘Telescope' is a moody garage number with an incessant organ motif that prowls with intent and the close harmonies add to this atmospheric tune. ‘She Said' is an upbeat organ garage monster, as The Misteriosos kick out a load of attitude. ‘She Said' opens out into a mad psych out freak out with far our out guitars, before crashing back into the tune, sweet.
http://www.themisteriosos.com/
http://www.myspace.com/themisteriosos
Mondo Topless, Philadelphia 's kings of upbeat garage punk, deliver the goods on ‘Can't Dig It'. The organ and guitars pulverise the way through the Stone Age, flinty rocking riffs aplenty. ‘When I Die' is a ripped up, demented, defiant, all out, in yer face garage punker that kicks you in the balls. The Mondo Topless aint gonna go out quietly on ‘When I Die', rock'n'roll.
http://myspace.com/thebrimstones
http://www.myspace.com/mondotopless
New York 's Sons Of Moon ‘Just One Life' pile on the fuzz on this intensely raw rocker, and the razor blade vocals from Philthy Phil add to the havoc. ‘No Soul to Sell' with its big chord riffs and sleazy fuzz, the Sons Of Moon get to hammer rocks on this rhythmical stomp.
Philadelphia 's Thee Minks rampage on ‘Up All Night' as Hope Diamond gets mean on this trashy ditty. Thee Minks close this very cool album with ‘Shut Up And Kiss Me' a delicious slice of sleaze pop, as Hope Diamond gets straight to the point, so you'd better do as she says.
http://www.myspace.com/theeminksrock
The last word must go to producer/engineer John Noll who has done a consummate job capturing the live performances of all these great garage bands. If you like your rock'n'roll uncooked and primitive, you must get your grubby mitts on this live album. Check it out at Headshop Records and buy a copy here at www.headshoprecords.com . JonnyMagus