The Hooten Hallers Hype Up the Hillbilly on S/T Album

Columbia, MO hillbilly soul blues rockers The Hooten Hallers are back at it again, stompin' up the countryside with their latest endeavor, full length S/T album The Hooten Hallers. 

Photo by Nate Burrell

The Hooten Hallers kicks off with blues soul track "Charla", chock full of the stylish licks of guitarist John Randall and his signature voice as well as the standout sax playing of Kellie Everett. The band takes a dirgy gothic turn on gospel blues song "Dig", with the sweet chain gang vocals of drummer Andy Rehm and Everett backing Randall.

The Hooten Hallers circle back around to blues soul on "Knew You'd Come Around", of which they made a dope live video for, in their classic, smooth serenade between vocals, guitar and drums. The band kicks shit into high gear on rhythm and blues tune, "Rhythm & Blues" as Rehm busts loose on drums, accompanied by some insane harmonica playing. They simmer back down on blues track "Gravity" with Randall laying down some killer guitar while incorporating some slick organ playing. The band goes an intriguing direction, closing out the album with more acoustic blues country song "Staying Away from Joe", including the use of some fantastic fiddle playing as well as piano and harmonica. All in all, they put together one hell of an album with The Hooten Hollers.

The Hooten Hallers play September 6th at The Rebel Lounge, located at 2303 E. Indian School in Phoenix, with AZ cowpunk rockers The Earps and PHX folk punk rockers Bloody Rogue Bastards.

~Garyn Klasek

Philly's L.M.I. Lashes Out on "Far Beyond Nothing"

Artwork by FTG Illustrations

Ferocity at its finest is unleashed by Lansdale, PA’s stoner hardcore punkers L.M.I. (short for Lazy Middle-Class Intellectuals). This seven year old Philadelphia area act has been pushing out albums on Reading, PA DIY punk label No Less Records for years before debuting on Lansdale’s own heavy independent record label, Dullest Records, releasing their latest endeavor, Far Beyond Nothing.

Photo by Sam Pinola

L.M.I. kicks off Far Beyond Nothing with rockin’ hardcore tune with an underlying screamo mood “Coffin Niche”. Kevin’s drumming and guitarist Will’s vocals do one helluva job standing out amidst the chaos. The band keeps the energy going on hardcore rocker “Destined for the Ground”. Will and bassist Brando delve into some dark and intriguing territory here. “Stress Dreams” is a hardcore punk song that bounces in and out of stoner rock territory incredibly well. Will and Kevin seem to feed off of each other on guitar and drums, respectively.

The brutality of L.M.I. is witnessed on metal-tinged hardcore screamo track “Sun Rites”. Between the powerfully driven drums and guitar, this is one mesmerizing jam. The urgency continues on stoner rockin’ melodic hardcore tune “Rational Defect”. This is heavily seen in Will’s guitar and vocals. Far Beyond Nothing closes out with hardcore punk rock song “Collapsing Pages”. The band builds a wall of cacophony with some killer drumming and guitar playing. One can only imagine how much L.M.I. has matured over the years but they have certainly put together an extraordinary recording.

lmiband.bandcamp.com/album/far-beyond-nothing

facebook.com/events/387320184995048

L.M.I. descends upon 51 West in Tempe, located at 51 W. Southern Ave., on July 21st with Gilbert hardcore punkers Heatstroke, Phoenix hardcore band Nosebleed, Phoenix punkers Deathride, Phoenix grindviolence band Gimp and AZ post-hardcore punkers Innocent Eyes.

~Garyn Klasek

Skank it Up for Ska Prom 2017

Courtesy of Tianna Ayala

It’s that time of year again when everyone dresses up, reminiscing about skankin’ it up at the high school dance. That’s right: Skabrona Entertainment presents the next installment of Ska Prom! Take a stroll down nostalgia lane by suiting up to tear it up the dancefloor, witness who wins Ska King and Queen and pose for your (digital) prom pictures while knocking back some Ska brews. This year, local punks and rudies will be lacing up their Docs for some of California’s finest.

Courtesy of The Steady 45s

The Steady 45s, out of Los Angeles, offer up their brand of traditional ska and rocksteady jams for Ska Prom 2017. These hooligans have been goin’ strong for around five years and have already mastered a sound that’s been around for about fifty years. Don’t mistake them for being (completely) old-fashioned, though, as they splice elements of bands like Hepcat and The Slackers as much as acts like The Skatalites and Desmond Dekker. Get ready for a grand time while The Steady 45s leave us groovin’ on the dancefloor.

Courtesy of Matamoska

Montebello, California bilingual ska punkers Matamoska also support Ska Prom this year. For the past fifteen years, this motley mob of rudies and punks have been busting out their fresh sound while throwing back to bands across the ska (and punk) spectrum, like The Skatalites, The Specials, Operation Ivy and Voodoo Glow Skulls. One thing is for sure: Matamoska will make you dance your ass off.

Courtesy of the Chris Murray Combo

Headlining Ska Prom 2017 is the Chris Murray Combo out of Los Angeles, who’ve been kicking out acoustic and electric ska, rocksteady and reggae for about fifteen years. Frontman Chris Murray, however, made his initial splash on the Toronto ska scene in the late eighties by way of King Apparatus before bouncing out to California to perform as Venice Shoreline Chris in the mid-nineties and becoming one of the key producers for some of the top acts in nineties ska. Be sure to stick around for one helluva treat in the Chris Murray Combo while stompin’ up the dancefloor.

The Chris Murray Combo, Matamoska and The Steady 45s play Ska Prom 2017 on Saturday, March 25th at Yucca Tap Room, located at 29 W. Southern in Tempe, with locals soul skankers Bowcat, eighties reggae ska band The Effects, Mesa ska punkers Jack The Cat and DJs Selecta Scream and Mama Melody.

~ Garyn Klasek