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17.09.2009. Heavy Trash @ Boogaloo
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A meeting of the minds between two musicians who explore the nexus between punk rock and roots music, Heavy Trash is a collaboration between Jon Spencer and Matt Verta-Ray. Spencer first attracted the attention of adventurous music fans in 1985 with his primitive guitar work and raw vocals with frantic noise merchants Pussy Galore, but when the band split in 1990, he joined forces with guitarist Judah Bauer and drummer Russell Simins to form the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. Melding R&B accents and Spencer's feral blues wailing with a fractured but potent post-punk attack, the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion became one of the most acclaimed and controversial indie bands on the 1990s. Strong as the Blues Explosion was, Spencer was always on the lookout for new avenues for his music and during his downtime he also performed and recorded with R.L. Burnside, Boss Hog, the Gibson Brothers, Dub Narcotic Sound System, and Spencer Dickinson. In 2005, Spencer began writing and recording material with Matt Verta-Ray, who played bass with the acclaimed alternative group Madder Rose on their first two albums as well as handling guitar chores for the more hard-edged blues punk band Speedball Baby, who had toured with Blues Explosion. (In addition, both Spencer and Verta-Ray had recorded with R&B sleaze legend Andre Williams; Spencer contributed to his 2000 album The Black Godfather while Verta-Ray lent his guitar skills to 2001's Bait and Switch.) Spencer and Verta-Ray named their collaboration Heavy Trash, and in 2005 they released their first album, simply titled Heavy Trash, which eased back on the blues textures of their earlier work in favor of a pronounced rockabilly and honky tonk flavor; the album was also engineered and co-produced by Verta-Ray at his recording studio, N.Y. Hed. In 2007, Heavy Trash returned with a second album, Going Way Out with Heavy Trash.
Heavy Trash - Heavy Trash [2005]
Heavy Trash, the band and the album, is a collaboration between Jon Spencer and Matt Verta-Ray. In their day jobs they are purveyors of punk-blues in Blues Explosion and Speedball Baby, respectively. Anyone expecting their collaboration to sound much like either of their groups is in for a bit of a jolt. Not that it is a million miles from the sounds they are known for since you still get Spencer's instantly recognizable yelping vocals as well as loads of exciting, stripped-down and hooky songs that carry quite a punch. What is different is that they are working the rockabilly and early rock side of the street. Tracks like "The Loveless," "Dark Hair'd Rider" and "This Day Is Mine" kick up some serious duck-tailed dust, "The Hump" and "Justine Alright" are crazed handclapping, shouted chorus rockers, and the hip-shaking "Gatorade" sounds like it was recorded at a party in Hasil Adkins' backyard. The tracks that scale back the excitement are very good too; "Fix These Blues" is a pedal-steeled country ballad, "Take My Hand," a doo-wopping lament complete with a spoken interlude and "Under the Waves," a moody, highly arranged murder ballad that might be the best track on the album. Only "Mr. K.I.A." doesn't work, as it brings in some hip-hop influences and is too repetitive and, well, modern-sounding. Spencer is in top form throughout, dropping hilarious asides, hiccupping and whooping, crooning and howling like an unholy blend of Elvis, Gene Vincent and Lux Interior. He and Verta-Ray create a sound that is warm, rich and live, layering acoustic and electric guitars, percussion and Christina Campenella's sultry backing vocals into a rollicking, thrilling modern rockabilly record that puts everyone who has attempted such an enterprise since Songs the Lord Taught Us to shame. So many times with side projects like this the parting words are "don't quit your day job," in this case both men could easily do so because Heavy Trash is just as good if not better than their main projects.
Heavy Trash - Going Way Out With ... [2007]
Heavy Trash's first album proved that Jon Spencer (minus the Blues Explosion) and Matt Verta-Ray (formerly of Speedball Baby) were naturals at laying down red-hot rockabilly and twisted honky tonk with a modern kick. Their second album solidifies and expands their sound with a batch of tough rockers, hip shaking dancefloor fillers, and lonesome ballads ("Crying Tramp" being the near match of the previous albums' centerpiece "Under the Waves") on par with anything on the first. Recorded with the help of Canadian roots rockers the Sadies and members of Denmark's finest rock & roll bands (Tremolo Beer Gut and Powersolo) in various locales including Liam Watson's Toe Rag studio, Going Way Out with Heavy Trash doesn't mess with the duo's formula much. Spencer still croons wildly, mutters hilarious asides, and generally behaves like the guy with the lamp shade on his head (especially on album closer "You Can't Win" which is as weird a slice of avant-country-blues insanity you'll likely hear for awhile), Verta-Ray provides swampy atmosphere, and the guest musicians give just the right amount of support without overwhelming the stars or the songs. The Sadies especially add some rich textures (acoustic guitars, rip roaring guitar solos and backing vocals) to standout tracks "They Were Kings," "Crazy Pritty Baby" and "Outside Chance." Not that these tracks stand out by much; the whole album is a barn rattler from top to bottom. Play this for anyone who thinks rock & roll is dead and gone. Heavy Trash again prove that theory dead wrong.
ulaz - pretjeranih 140 kuna
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14.09.2009.