Even baddies get the blues. Latest compilation from the stable that is Atomicat is ‘Satan’s Holiday: The Devil’s Jukebox’. With the meanest dude of them all spinning a playlist of rockin’ delights, you can expect to hear a few of the usual suspects and lesser known artists committing their wares to wax. There are many welcome choices made with Gene Vincent’s ‘Race With The Devil’ or Al Jones ‘Mad, Mad World’. The less obvious choices prove inspired decisions as well, with The Zanies ‘Mad Scientist’ revealing influences of rhythm and blues and horror movies straight from the 50s. Other instances reveal more serious turns such as the frantic rock ‘n’ roll of Myron Lee, in addition to The Caddies ‘Homicide’. Raising it a few notches higher on the wild scale is rhythm and blues rocker ‘Wail Baby Wail’ by Tommy Louis with Marshall and the Versatiles. The definition of scintillating rock ‘n’ roll continues via The Rhythm Rockets and ‘My Shadow’, and then throws up a well-known artist, Chuck Berry, but with less obvious track ‘Downbound Train’, which makes for an interesting diversion. There’s room to breathe via Ella Mae Morse and the big band accompaniment that is ‘Rip Van Winkle’, whereas “Scat Man” Crothers excellent take on ‘Ghost Riders In The Sky’ adds variation. This is one jukebox that will keep minds and hearts warm during the winter months with its diverse range of artists and piping hot tracks.

Arriving fresh in the mail only recently comes the new single from Netherlands’ rockabilly outfit Miss Mary Ann & the Ragtime Wranglers. With this brand new single being a strictly limited edition (500 copies) pressed on 45” vinyl with a pastel green finish and launched in conjunction with the band’s appearance at this year’s Rockabilly Rave, the double header featuring ‘Lover Please’ and ‘Beau From Tupelo’ are timely reminders of the capabilities of this rockin’ four piece. With ‘Beau From Tupelo’ selected as the first choice for consideration here, and purely out of curiosity for its given title, the decision pays off immediately. From its bright, snappy opening that remains intact throughout where the upright bass makes its presence known with a solid beat and the lead guitar weaves a spell through the eye of a needle such is its precision, it’s a song of wonder from start to finish that can best be described as a “stroller” with a beating heart such is its admiration for the ‘beau’ in question. The flipside (or main offering) ‘Lover Please’ is an altogether different beast and shows the inventiveness of this band where standing still is not an option. Such is the experience of Miss Mary Ann & the Ragtime Wranglers that merely churning out another similar sounding number is all too easy that’s why ‘Lover Please’ inspires the mind with it’s clever infusion of Cajun spices crossed with rock ‘n’ roll yet never straying from a midtempo rhythm that cleverly enhances the expressed sigh of its lyrical content of unrequited love. Truly a top-class double effort that is deserved of its ‘special’ release status and limited run.

Arriving only recently at FLW is the already available ‘Movin’ by Shaun Young and The 3 Ringers and The Texas Blue Dots. Issued on both CD and 12” vinyl, ‘Movin’ is a collection of songs split between the two guises of The 3 Ringers and The Texas Blue Dots, but with most songs going to The 3 Ringers. With the album being recorded and produced by Shaun Young at Jet-Tone Studios, Austin, Texas – “The Speed of Sound”, the quality really shines throughout this release. From rockabilly influenced numbers ‘Things Will Never Be The Same’, to an amalgamation of said genre with a strong hint of blues powering ‘When You Do That’, and then rounding off with the rock ‘n’ roll ‘Knockout’, Shaun Young with his cohorts is never one to sit still for a moment. Such a notion can be gleaned from the modern touches applied to this album, despite the album retaining a definite authentic feel overall, because ‘Movin’ never gives the impression of holding a desire to go back to the 50s as it’s a record that sounds perfectly at home in the present. With song titles and lyrics suggesting much heartache and longing for better times (‘Things Will Never Be The Same’, ‘Drink Till I Can’t Feel The Pain’, ‘My Heartaches Been Confirmed’, etc) Shaun Young (and bands) has/have a real way of convincing its audience via such tearjerkers as ‘I Plead The 5th’, to the more hopeful ‘More Than Any Tongue Can Tell’ with its mashup intro of Tom Petty meets Buddy Holly’s ‘Peggy Sue’. The contents of ‘Movin’ are a delight to behold and provide enough evidence that rockabilly is alive and well in Austin, Texas.

Coming out fighting (playfully of course!) is the compilation of assorted artists making up ‘Playmates’. By claiming “25 Sure Shot Dancefloor Champions” across its cover, the album ‘Playmates’ has a lot to live up to. Once the likes of Derrell Felts, Thomas Wayne and Al Urban get underway, then the feeling is one of being in good company and the earlier assertion starts to make sense. With the inclusion of other “Sure Shot” winners such as Gene Summers (‘Twixteen’), Jimmy Pritchett (‘That’s The Way I Feel’) and in recent times revived on vinyl of Jimmy Dell ‘I’ve Got A Dollar’. There’s the inclusion of something different via some rhythm and blues and The Five Keys’ ‘Hucklebuck With Jimmy’, and later female rocker Evelyn Harlene ‘I Wanta Be Free’. All in all, another fine compilation from the Catfight series that certainly lives up to its billing of “25 Sure Shot Dancefloor Champions”.

First impressions of latest album by Australian rockabilly artist, Kieron McDonald, and fellow Australians, Hank’s Jalopy Demons, suggest a joint meeting of the musical minds. What materialises, however, is a split effort that sees the formerly mentioned rockin’ frontman, Kieron McDonald, take centre stage first, and with Hank’s Jalopy Demons seeing out the remainder of the album. With the additional ‘Combo’ completing Kieron McDonald’s line-up consisting of three quarters of Hank’s Jalopy Demons – namely Dave Cantrell (guitar), Til Vex (upright bass) and Andrew Lindsay (drums) – this rockin’ unit really knows how to churn out a rockabilly sound that is authentic and, more keenly, one that is original in terms of its song writing. First up is the energetic and jittery sounding rockabilly of ‘Oh Judy’ that really sees the male counterpart of this particular relationship all of a fluster due to the ever-changing moods of the lead at the centre of this opening song. Moving on from such a compelling start, the rest of Kieron McDonald’s material continues to enthral both in sound and lyrics where one moment he’s lamenting about the everyday where both car and job threaten to ruin his day (‘That’s Life’), to feeling giddy about the “gal” in his life (‘A Wiggle In Her Walk’), which is expertly defined by the rhythm of the song as well. There’s a touch of humour to the hillbilly and western swing influence of ‘Hard Head’ that is memorable for suggesting this song might be the closest to an autobiographical offering from Kieron McDonald, in addition to being reminiscent of the UK’s very own The Doel Brothers. The second half of the album allows for lead vocalist, Hank Ferguson of the Jalopy Demons to show off his song writing skills because, like Kieron McDonald, he’s equally adept at crafting a fine song or two. The first signs of this can be heard via the wild and rockin’ ‘Jalopy Driver’s Lament’, which showcases the sense of restlessness, in addition to fun-seeking this particular band seem to find themselves at loggerheads with. Other examples of this tangle of the senses can be found during the frank ‘Stop Flappin’ Them Chops’, which is short and sharp in its rhythm and therefore detailing nicely the sense of irritation at the heart of this song. There are certain regrets echoed during the rather excellent and more delicate sounding, ‘Knock Down The Door’. Despite any downturns in life expressed here, Hank’s Jalopy Demons never forget to inject a little humour in to their song writing, with ‘Wig-Flip Bop’ being the standout candidate. Something of a novel idea, ‘Hit The Tracks’ surprisingly works considering the context of the album with two different artists at work. The key to this success is likely down to both artists deep understanding of the genre(s) they’re operating with, but also the passion they share for rockabilly music, as well as a knack for writing and recording fresh ideas and material that makes for a seamless body of work, because that’s exactly what any listener will experience when listening to ‘Hit The Tracks’.

Described as a band that “works hard and rocks even harder”, the Dutch trio that is Slapback Johnny certainly live up to such a description with their debut album. Made up of thirteen self-penned tracks, the band’s debut, ‘Hit Me Up’, is blessed with a high level of energy that fuels songs to the max where rock ‘n’ roll greatly influences the majority of its contents. With many songs possessing a hard-hitting edge where fireworks ignite via opener ‘Bombshell’ and then continue in similar fashion with numerous tough and raucous rhythms from such numbers as ‘One Last Shot’, ‘Hit Me Up’ (title track), ‘Ball ‘n’ Chain’ to ‘You’ve Been Told’, it would seem that any suggestion of the band dropping down a gear or two is simply implausible. Unfortunately this is where the album ‘Hit Me Up’ falls down on occasions due to a sense of repetition creeping in where a slower tempo of a ballad or two would have sufficed and therefore provided a more balanced feel to the overall contents of the band’s first album. However, that is not to say that Slapback Johnny’s ‘Hit Me Up’ is devoid of broader influences because the trio certainly deliver on that front where the likes of Bill Haley and his Comets, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Stray Cats, to name a few, can all be heard throughout this debut album. There’s no doubting the sincerity and commitment to the cause of (modern) rock ‘n’ roll with Johnny Slapback’s first full effort and something that is to be admired with its approach of original song writing and the energetic values underpinning these songs.