The Cramps, punk rock band you say? The originators of Psychobilly you say? Kinda, sorta, but nah. The Cramps are purveyors of a plethora of pornographic punk pulchritude that, all rolled together, seems to have formed its own lifestyle that includes clothing, hair, glasses, shoes, cars, films, restaurants, books, and music– all referenced in not-so-secret messages in their songs
Eric Davidson, front man of the Ohio-based New Bomb Turks, is equally adept at rocking, rolling and writing. During the 1990s, the Turks were rolling, too, through the clubs of the Midwest, South, West, Northwest and even a few cities in Europe and Japan. They released more than 10 albums and EPs in the 1990s and early 2000s on numerous indie labels. Somehow, despite the drunkenness and mayhem, Eric retained enough functioning brain cells to keep a record of unfolding events, resulting in We Never Learn (Backbeat), first published in 2010 and re-published this month in a new “expanded” edition. We spoke with Eric Davidson about it all.
Who Stole the Soul from Rock n Roll?
I. In
Back to the Future, It is Heavily Implied in Canon That Marty McFly Invented Rock ‘n Roll Music
When Marty McFly played guitar for the Enchantment Under the Sea band, I was sitting on the floor of my grandmother’s little two-bedroom house on Montlieu Avenue in High Point, North Carolina. My grandmother and I were watching
Back to the Future in various states of attention. Mine was rapt because it was my favorite movie; she was reading the paper or a magazine or something and looked up from her words when she heard the opening chords of “Johnny B. Goode.”
Remembering A Michigan Legend: Gordy Garris of The Frost
Michigan is proud of its musical history, and the Lansing area is where a few local rock legends live. On February 5 Gordy Garris of The Frost passed at age 71. Garris was first on the local music scene in a group called the Beaux Jens as a teenager. Formed in Grand Ledge in 1966, they were one of Grand Ledge’s most well known bands, along with Tonto & The Renegades. During their short run, The Beaux Jens released one record, a single on a vanity label which was operated by The Sceen, which was a teen club the Beaux Jens performed in to packed crowds. That 1967 record became a garage rock classic, after being included on the Crypt Records “Back from the Grave” series.