Whilst some folks are still getting to grips with “The Tiredness”, I’ve been getting deeper into The Raunch Hands “Big Topp”. Seems to me that Chandler sounds more like the old Jimmy O than the guy himself. Some will argue that Mariconda is no Ron Asheton but that’s got sod all to do with it. As dirty ol’ rock’n’roll goes, few have delivered it stinkier than these guys over the years. I mean that in the most positive sense of the expression, like bad = good and all that drift. What this really is of course is a cut and shut of RH with The Stepbrothers.

It’s the US equivalent of what we call pub rock over here. Best enjoyed mayhap but not exclusively, having necked a few brews. “The Sophisticated Screw” kicks off the action as anything but. It’s a leering celebration of inebriated, jam-kicking, sweat running down the walls, soul-saving scuzz. And it’s all so good natured in the meanest ass sense of the word. It harks back to a danger that’s all but been lost. There’s a kinda CCR swing to it all too which can’t hurt. This Licorice Tree release is hopefully putting the wind up visitors to SXSW as I tap away from the label base in Austin. As so many reunions fall short, here’s one that nails past glories and surpasses ‘em here and there. Extra points for the vesh of Arthur Alexander’s “You Don’t Care”. What more can be asked I axes youse? If you’re at SxSW, then you can soak up the real thing at Beerland on March 18th, that’s TONIGHT!!