Yeah, I’ve mentioned it before… I’m a staunch traditionalist when it comes to Christmas music, giving the ol’ BAH HUMBUG to most attempts at holiday tunes done over the past few decades. Gimme the classics sung by Bing, Sinatra, Andy Williams (my fave), Nat King Cole, or any big band artist from back in the day and I’m a happy camper. However there are always a few exceptions, with the biggest being my favorite rawk n roll holiday tune you’ll probably never hear on your local “all Christmas all the time” station- “Father Christmas” by The Kinks.
For those of you that have never heard this song, it’s a bit unlike any other Christmas song you’ve ever heard and that’s the beauty of it- you start of with a winsome, upbeat piano riff accompanied by sleigh bells but that’s where the resemblance ends because you’ll be knocked out by a hilariously wicked lyric about those that may be less fortunate come the holiday season. The song is sung from three perspectives… one, the poor unfortunate department store Santa who gets accosted by a group of young kids (perspective #2) voicing their displeasure about the need for money (and jobs for their unemployed fathers) instead of toys, and the third perspective from the author who reminds us to think of “the kids who got nothin'” as we enjoy the fruits of our labor.
Strong subject matter for a holiday song but it’s the rollicking guitar riff and the spirit and delivery of the vocal that makes it stand out, especially during the cranked up chorus belted by a bunch of hooligans. It’s upbeat, it rocks, and while there is a hint of cartoon violence about beating up jolly old St. Nick and getting a machine gun to “scare all the kids on the street”, you’re not getting beat over the head with a preachy message. But you are getting a fantastically memorable Ray Davies lyric that’s glorious, tongue in cheek fun.
No dear readers… this blog has not changed its focus from music to those phenomenons that are bizarre and cannot be explained… I’m talking about Los Angeles area rock/metal trio Sasquatch, featuring the excellent Keith Gibbs on guitar and vocals along with Jason Casanova on bass and new boy Craig Riggs on drums. Take a dash of the fuzzed out tones from Black Sabbath, the solid rock of Grand Funk Railroad, the stoner vibe/grooves of Corrosion Of Conformity or Soundgarden, and hints of psychedelia and heavy blues and you have the lethal concoction that is Sasquatch.
So just who are these guys and why are they getting a Spotlight post? Quite a few reasons, especially if you are a fan of 70s/80s heavy rock sounds with killer vocals, solid hooks, heavy grooves, and thick and chunky riffs galore. Sasquatch got their start in 2001 and have released five albums since (latest being Maneuvers in 2017), all chock full of fuzzy goodness that gets your head bobbing in no time. Keith Gibbs’ midrange vocal delivery is rock solid, never straying too far high or too far low from a bluesy burr that meshes well with his tasty guitar licks. And speaking of those guitar licks… take the warmth of 70s era Ted Nugent mixed with Master Of Reality Tony Iommi with some hairier growl on the riff and you’ll be busting out your inner guitar hero in no time.
OK, enough about the guitar/vocals… what about the rest of the band? Two words… Tight and Slammin’ (without the “g”). The bass essentially follows the lead riff to double the thickness and intensity; not really stretching out too far from that core root but adding the occasional color (see: “Off The Rails” from II for an example) or boogie riff (see: “Chemical Lady” from the debut). That said, the bass can add some heavy sonics as well depending on the type of song- for example check out the heavy spaciness of “Pull Me Under” from III – or dance around and throw a jab a the main riff – see “Sweet Lady” from IV. As for the drumwork? Suitably heavy, in the pocket, and thumping with various groovy patterns depending on the mood of the song; never totally pushing the groove but content to ride shotgun with the riff and add various accents to heighten the elements of the song… a well placed cymbal crash here or tribal stomp there.
You want some solid, meat and potatoes riff rock featuring some strong singing and excellent playing then check these guys out. While the vibe may sound familiar and it may be a bit retro, don’t let that discourage you- these guys play it like they mean it. The riffs, the hooks, the overdrive, and the ROCK are all here and trust me… the songs will dig deep into your memory banks for a long time (“Pleasure To Burn”… “Get Out Of Here”… “Rational Woman”… just to name a few). Go support ’em live and hit them up on their website (http://www.sasquatchrock.us/) for a killer deal on all five albums to download for under $30!
Shuffling through another ten songs on the iPod and giving you my two cents on each. Enjoy!
“Green River”, John Fogerty Premonition
A dead on classic if there ever was one, John Fogerty lets rip on this version via his 1997 live album Premonition (which is highly recommended). Note this is Fogerty solo with a crackin’ good band, most notable player being former Mellencamp skin basher Kenny Aronoff. Fogerty’s voice is in great form and his guitar playing has a bit of raunch and bite, extending the song a bit with a tasty solo. Not too far removed from the Creedence version.
“The Invocation”, Dew-Scented Invocation
From Germany comes this oddly named band, here featuring a fairly strong cut in “The Invocation”. A bit of a herky jerky thrashin’ riff in spots with a couple of groovers thrown in for good measure, this cut has some vague death metal tones courtesy of Leif Jensen’s commanding hardcore bark. If you’re looking to graduate to some heavier music and have always liked the thrash ‘n stomp but you’re unsure about more aggressive vocals, this may be a good start.
“This Is Where I Belong”, The Kinks Face To Face
Do I ever love The Kinks! Definitely an all time favorite band for me, especially as Ray Davies has written many a killer kut over the years. “This Is Where I Belong” is a fine little ditty, maybe a bit underrated yet likely in that middle tier of songs that are good, not great, but certainly not awful. Quite catchy, well sung and played (nice drumming from Mick Avory!), plus a decent organ line hidden deep in the mix to add another element. Also, brother Dave adds nice guitar touches and backing vocals as well.
“Skin and Bone”, The Kinks Muswell Hillbillies
A Kinks double shot! If the previous kut was just good then “Skin And Bone” is definitely in the very good category courtesy of the loose playing, hilarious lyric, and overall fun vibe. Dave Davies’ guitar playing has an almost country/rockabilly vibe (although that could be Ray) and brother Ray’s vocal is in the pocket as he grooves along with the rest of the band. I keep waiting for this to show up in the next Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers commercial 🙂
“Hey Buddy”, Life Sex & Death Silent Majority
Life Sex & Death was one of those oddly memorable concert experiences from back in the day (just Google the band or check out vids on YouTube and watch Stanley- you’ll know who it is when you see him). At any rate, “Hey Buddy” moves from an acoustic slow burner into a semi-rocker, not quite power ballad territory but more of a heavier Beatles vibe a la “She’s So Heavy”. Unfortunately the band released only one album but fell off the face of the earth once grunge overtook anything remotely hair metal.
“Elevation”, U2 All That You Can’t Leave Behind
U2 gets semi trip hoppy on “Elevation”, a groovy little number with a fun singalong “Woo ooh” bit and some psychedelic bits courtesy of some fuzziness from The Edge and various other vocal touches. I believe this song was a minor hit from the band with the album as a whole being a bit of a return to form. And that Bono cat? Not sure what he’s singing about half the time but the dude does a great job of selling a song. One of the better recent cuts from the band.
“Revolution”, The Cult Love
If you’ve never checked out The Cult’s earlier material pre-Sonic Temple, then “Revolution” may be a good place to start. Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy leaned closer to goth/new wave in those early days but had classic rock roots deep in their veins, especially via Astbury’s killer pipes. But don’t sell Duffy’s guitar work short here- you’ve got various layers from echoey bits, chime-y rhythm playing, and some sweet lead lines. Likely a great live tune for them back in the day. Good stuff.
“Insurgeria”, Mob Rules Savage Land
Some killer power metal here, Savage Land being the band’s debut and “Insurgeria” showing off the best of the genre- strong melodic vocals and Iron Maiden inspired guitar work. Not quite as happy or speedy as fellow countrymen Helloween or Gamma Ray, Mob Rules slots in more as chunkier riffsters of epic proportions. Kinda like taking the cleaner vocals of say Dokken mixed with Maiden or Dio and you’re in the ballpark.
“The Wait – New High in Lows” Overkill, W.F.O.
Kicking off with a snippet of Al Pacino dialogue from the underrated Carlito’s Way, Overkill kicks into a banger with plenty of thrashy chops mixed in with the occasional Sabbathesque nod. Plenty of presto changeos as the song bounces around from one slamming riff to another and Blitz does a typically fab job on vocals, but uggghh… that ping pongy bass tone from DD Verni is hard to ignore. Other than that, plenty of headbanging goodness to go ’round.
“Pelvis Pusher” Vintage Trouble, The Bomb Shelter Sessions
Essentially a rewrite of Wilson Pickett’s “Land Of A Thousand Dances” (without the na nas) with more rock chops, but don’t let that stop you because this is damn good in its own right. Singer Ty Taylor is an incredible singer with tons of rhythm and blues, soul, and rock grit to match greats like Otis Redding, James Brown, Al Green, and the aforementioned Pickett. Saw these guys in concert a couple of years ago and they are the real deal with this cut definitely a highlight. Fantastic stuff!
Pick of the week… gotta go with “Green River” with “Skin and Bone” and “Pelvis Pusher” rounding out the top three.
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