It’s not all about the modern rockin’ scene at El Toro Records as, more often than not, the label issues a variety of albums with songs from the historical vaults, and then applies a fresh theme to such releases in relation to the pioneers of rockabilly for example. In focus here is Wanda Jackson, who doesn’t really need any introduction regarding her contributions to the genres of country and rockabilly, as well as her recent collaborative work with Jack White of The White Stripes. The double album  ‘Rockin’ With Wanda Jackson’ is divided into two halves; side one covers the years 1956-58 and Wanda Jackson’s recordings with Capitol Records and, during this time, the newly opened Capitol Tower in Hollywood, before a subsequent move to Capitol Records, Nashville, centring on the periods 1960-61. With detailed liner notes supplied by Dave Penny covering Wanda Jackson’s musical whereabouts preceding the Capitol Records years, before getting to the nitty-gritty of these major recording years, and then concluding with recent activities in the recording arena, ‘Rockin’ With Wanda Jackson’ offers not only an in-depth look at the recorded works of Wanda Jackson, but great value considering the sixty-plus tracks listed, with additional bonus material from live performances at the Town Hall Party. Blessed with striking good looks and a voice to die for, Wanda Jackson was the equivalent to any of the male stars of the 50s and 60s periods; hence the Queen of Rockabilly title bestowed upon her. With songs aplenty, the proof is here for all to hear to back such a claim, but even if Wanda Jackson had recorded a mere handful of songs, such a small number would still have been enough to create the same impact that she made. As said, there’s much to absorb here because these delights will get under your skin and remain there for days, weeks, months later with ‘Money Honey’, ‘Rock Your Baby’, ‘Let’s Have A Party’, ‘Stupid Cupid’, ‘Hard-Headed Woman’, ‘Fujiyama Mama’ to start with. Just like the star at the centre of this piece, ‘Rockin’ With Wanda Jackson’ has so much to offer and is as good as any place to start regarding the music of Wanda Jackson.

With no prior knowledge of what to expect once ‘Good Taste In Bad Friends’ was inserted into the CD player, one could be forgiven for thinking Aqua for the rockabilly market when weighing up the kitsch imagery and actual contents inside. Such a suggestion is not too far from the truth, however, as three out of the four band members – Crystal Dawn (vocals), Johnny Trash (drums) and Patrick Ouchene (guitar) – have participated in talent contests throughout Europe, with the Eurovision Song Contest being one of the most notable. Far closer to such a description, however, is the assortment of styles sewn into the majority of songs on offer here. This eclectic mix of tastes no doubt stems from the band’s already established involvement with various televised contests where influences from rockabilly, rock ‘n’ roll, pop and a comedic singing routine have been chosen as part of their individual repertoires. When it comes to the contents of ‘Good Taste In Bad Friends’, the album is predominantly rockabilly and rock ‘n’ roll, but with the band carefully and skilfully bleeding other influences into the songs. Take, for example, the roaring two-sided rockabilly and rock ‘n’ roll of ‘What A Way To Die’, containing some of the wildest guitar playing you are likely to hear this side of the modern rockin’ scene. Sassy vocals from Crystal Dawn jumpstarts ‘Up Above My Head’, which brings an instant smile that grows close to Cheshire Cat sized proportions once the male vocals add their contributions to the narrative, with one comedic turn by way of Johnny Trash, and it really makes for great listening. The same impression can be applied to ‘Blood On The Kitchen Floor’ with its twang of the guitar providing that lonesome desert feel, in addition to the theatrical delivery of one vocal in particular that creates an awkward position of not knowing whether to laugh or cry considering the grave nature of the lyrics. These compelling traits however, are also the albums undoing because by the time ‘Bad Boy’ arrives it all becomes too much, with the exaggerated second vocal starting to grate somewhat, and the shift in styles becoming muddled (‘Oh By Jingo’). A shortened version of ‘Good Taste In Bad Friends’ would have benefitted the competing interests of Crystal & Runnin’ Wild more greatly because, despite the talent on display here, various ideas become overworked and end up losing their initial appeal.

Been a long time since we rock and rolled, but what a difference the passing of time can make. From going from one of our least favourite acts at the Rockabilly Rave of two years ago to a position of firm favourites here at FLW, it’s definitely a case of eat humble pie on our behalf. Quite literally dropping the bomb musically, the dish served up by The Rip ‘Em Ups with their debut album ‘KILLSWITCH!’ is absolutely incendiary.  From the opening blast of ‘I Wanna Love You’ and the stylishly named Javier De La Rosa setting the temperature to max with raw and passionate vocals and pinpoint guitar, in addition to the able hands of Jose ‘Watts’ Rodriguez (guitar), Edgar Villarreal (bass), Santos De Leon (drums) and Marco Palos (sax), it’s authentic rock ‘n’ roll with a serious attitude but one that adds various spices to its sounds à la ‘Spitfire’, which also contains a volatile narrative to match. Title song ‘Kill Switch’ has a rebellious streak, expressed by a straight instrumental with bonus points awarded for its dynamic sax and almost too hot to handle guitars. The difference with The Rip ‘Em Ups first long player and the already mentioned live experience is that the songs sown here sound far clearer in their overall delivery, as there is less of the fuzzy sameness which dogged their live set. The energy of a Jerry Lee Lewis or Little Richard in their heydays is definitely in existence when hearing the contents of ‘KILLSWITCH!’, but it is the decision to adopt other approaches to their music which benefits greatly. Such differences can be heard during ‘The Game’ where the vocal is allowed to take centre stage. Also, the rhythm is slowed somewhat during ‘Wild Savage Woman’, but there is nothing lost in terms of the wildness of The Rip ‘Em Ups as the song possesses a sultry side, only this is expressed in a more controlled manner, especially with the line, “Wild savage woman with blood red eyes” that sums up everything you need to know here. By tossing in joyous sounding numbers such as ‘Bailamos Rock N Roll’ during its end credits, The Rip ‘Em Ups leave nothing but a feeling of being completely bowled over. Taken by surprise most definitely, not in terms of the band’s technical abilities, but there is less of the ear-splitting intensity of the live act and more of a considered and diverse approach, which still retains a thrilling edge yet it is one that transforms The Rip ‘Em Ups in to a band genuinely worth spending time with. Absolute dynamite!

Continuing its obsession with instrumental albums in relation to the current rockin’ scene, El Toro issues the latest instrumental effort from Longboards. Despite not being a new fixture to this popular genre, due to a few releases prior to their latest release ‘Insane!’, Longboards continue to remain a significant part of this scene, which their current album attests. With the band’s interest in hot rods and dragsters taking centre stage this time out rather than one of their other prime interests of surfing, Longboards set their sound to the grease and grime as well as the high-octane fumes of the dragstrip. Taking full control from the off is the nimble guitar work and crisp drums of ‘Gordini’ that comes with added excitement via occasional samples consisting of hot rods and dragsters tearing up the racetrack. With such opening assurance, ‘Drag Beat’ never lets the side down by taking its corners with precision, neatly represented by way of the guitar’s vibrato arm and then proceeding at a lightning pace where, if you close your eyes, you can almost hear the fingers scaling up and down the fretboard of the guitar, it’s that good! The mood shifts during ‘Insane Dragster’ which is far more menacing in its approach with samples once more adding to the overall atmosphere. In contrast, ‘Molokai (Drunken Hawaiians)’ pacifies the mood with its calmer rhythm dousing the flames of the previous ‘Insane Dragster’. The ‘850 Special’ lives up to its name, due to bursting with energy as both guitars and drums are positioned at the front of the recording mix and giving the impression of vying for centre spot. A talented trio communicating an exciting and detailed set of emotions through their instruments, it’s ‘Insane!’ and it’s by Longboards.

Formed in 1986 and hailing from Spain, Brioles is a trio comprising of brothers, Jorge and Daniel Nunes, and odd man out, Josep Maria. Considering the length of time this band has been performing, the comparisons associated with Brioles have been numerous, with the core of their music coming from 50s rock ‘n’ roll, but with definite strands of neo-rockabilly, psychobilly and topped off with a punk rock spirit. Brioles themselves seem to prefer the compromise of Briobilly, which makes itself known once the engine starts running and ‘So Mean’ clatters into life and rattles along at a frantic pace. ‘Yes, No’ provides the first inkling of a taste for punk rock, with its rough and ready approach suggesting a live take as far the recording goes. ‘Boppin’, however, finds Brioles in a reflective stance, with the isolated ‘bop’ of the character at the heart of this song doing his best to stave off the real feelings inside, “I do my best pretending that I don’t love you” with Brioles expertly capturing the mood with a mid-tempo beat. The clue is most definitely in the title regarding ‘Ready To Cha-Cha-Cha’ as it signals it’s ready for anything, especially once its brisk rhythm, partly wrapped around a repetitive guitar pattern, will have you firing on all cylinders in no time. The psychobilly tag looms large above the doorway of ‘Full Moon Spell’, as the song casts a shadow (in a good way!) over proceedings and offers another angle for Brioles to pursue because it’s definitely among the highlights here. With so much zest remaining in their creative tank, Brioles has every reason to stick around and maintain the bop because this is one floor worth hitting on.

Upon first inspection of Manny Jr. And The Cyclones’ ‘Rockabilly Girl’, one item that stood out from the rest was the slightly unconventional vocal, which has a way of sounding a bit off the pace (‘Baby I Don’t Care’) but, after repeat listens, the realisation dawns that what may sound like slight imperfections at first, are actually genuine characteristics that Manny Jr himself brings to these songs. With the jury previously undecided as to the fate of this overall collection, this clever four-piece band from Canada conjure up some rockabilly magic that is brimming with character and bustling with energy. Nowhere is this best served than the opening song ‘Flathead Coupe’ with its overstated deep vocal set to a chuggin’ rhythm supplied by The Cyclones and then, much later, by the late-night ambience created by the slower tempo and naturally raw vocals of ‘Stripper Baby’. This album would not be complete without some wild rockin’, which comes via the album’s title track and other examples such as ‘I Got A Date With You’ and even tougher guitars and vocal of ‘Mean, Mean Baby’. Gene Vincent proves to be something of an inspiration for Manny Jr. And The Cyclones, identified from the band’s artwork and tripping down through songs such as ‘Tougher Than That’ as well as cropping up in various other segments. The musicianship of Manny Jr. And The Cyclones is exemplary throughout, with fine examples coming by way of two instrumentals – the strollin’ ‘Just My Kind of Girl’ and tight rhythm of ‘Mr Eddie’ (listen out for that incredible guitar break folks!). Patience was definitely a virtue when it came to ‘Rockabilly Girl’ because without a second fair hearing, the genius, intelligence and talent of this Canadian rockabilly band would have been a loss of great proportions.