Part Iggy, part Birthday Party, part The Cramps ... that's a good starting point for describing the pure, unadulterated, sweaty rock and roll that is the self-titled debut by Milwaukee's Drugs Dragons.
But shades of Alice Cooper are written all over these songs and the record bobs and weaves around the blurry line between early ‘70s hard rock, ‘77-era punk and the unbridled music that followed it.
When you read that the band sounds like a "psychedelic AC/DC" or a "Milwaukee Butthole Surfers," you think both "yeah" and "kinda."
The record follows on the heels of a pair of 45s issued on the band's own Terror Trash label. It's unleashed with a record release party on Saturday, Oct. 2 at Club Garibaldi with Head On Electric, Burning Sons, Death Dream and The Get Drunk DJs.
Produced by the ubiquitous and talented Justin Perkins, the 11-song record -- released on Brew City's own Dusty Medical Records -- is jagged, energetic and wrapped in a sleeve as playfully over-the-top demonic as the music it contains.
The opener, "Carnivore," and "Rat People" have moments that conjure Nick Cave and "Chuds in Love" has a great chanted chorus -- think Sham 69 or Cockney Rejects.
But, in the end, while Drugs Dragons have absorbed the great moments in gut-kicking rock and roll, the band has a sound all its own and puts on a hell of an unpredictable show. But you'll see that for yourself when you go to the Garibaldi gig this weekend.
Some other shows on tap in Milwaukee include:
Gayngs and Glasser play at Turner Hall on Wednesday, Sept. 29. Gayngs, of course, is the latest project featuring Wisconsin's own Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), and Glasser is the name of the one-woman orchestra that is Cameron Mesirow.
Recently featured on the cover of The Fader, Mesirow is on the road in support of her debut disc, "Ring."
Guitarist Preston Reed plays at Shank Hall on Thursday, Sept. 30. Check out the video for his new track, "Tractor Pull," and if you like it, hit the 8 p.m. show.
And for something completely different, The Rave hosts Bone Thugs N Harmony on Thursday night at 8. The landmark outfit will perform its "E 1999 Eternal" disc in its entirety with a live band and promises to reprise all the hits.
San Francisco's Beats Antique plays the Miramar on Friday, Oct. 1, bringing its blend of electronic and world music, technology and live instrumentation that includes brass, strings and more.
The band's third disc, "Blind Threshold," is released Oct. 12, but can already be had on iTunes.
On the same night, the Cactus Club hosts punk trio Pierced Arrows, featuring Fred and Toody Cole of Dead Moon. The band recently released a split 7" with Black Lips. Friday also finds Drive-By Truckers at The Pabst.
Of course, Broken Social Scene and The Sea & The Cake play at The Pabst on Sunday, Oct. 3, too. That's a must-see Milwaukee show to kick off autumn.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
