These San Antonio Texans were sorely overlooked back in the early-mid ’90s. I remember bookin’ shows where we had to sneak in their singer because he was only 15 or 16. Dressed in a filthy white semi-tucked dress shirt, wrinkled skinny tie and smelly polyester dress slacks he’d rip through harmonica solos that even raised the brows of unsung harp hero, Walter Daniels! He looked & smelled like a ripe, young Mono Man (Jeff Connelly) from the Lyres and DMZ, which I oft compared ‘em to. Matching Connelly’s hostility he would jump on tables and kick over drinks screamin’ “GET UP AND DANCE ASSHOLES” at folks old enough to be his folks.
Now witness one o’ San Antone’s most neglected exports, the sassy-as-shit… DROPOUTS!
Great ’60s-inspired garage rock from Minneapolis. When I spoke with the mighty Haze (Amphetamine Reptile label kingpin Tom Hazelmeyer) years back about these guys, he said he absolutely loved their records and were killer live. On hearin’ this tough 1986 7” EP on Susstones Records… I ain’t second guessin’ ‘im! ”Special Sound Of…” is the 2nd of 3 singles and an album with all flaunting their unique interpretation on the well-worn genre. Granted the music has 1960s R&B written all over but the low growling vocals, driving guitars and odd low-end production makes it not run o’ the mill shit. So if you’re lookin’ for garage rock with an interesting twist then it’s about time ya’ll whoop it up with The Funseekers.
download: The Funseekers- “It Should Be You”
Willy Cole, I believe, is another moniker for Bill Coleman who’s credited for writing AND producing this saucy 1971 instrumental gem on the Phil~L.A. Of Soul label. “Right On” is a modest soul stomper with horns et al. Fun, but not stellar. The usually overlooked flip - titled “A Pretty Good ‘B’ Side” on the other hand is a sweet reverbed stroll that stumbles with just enough garage ineptness to pack it full of innocent fun. Unfortunately not a lotta info is out there about this 7” other than random affordable e-Bay auctions.
For a special treat I’ll give ya’ll both sides!
download: The Willy Cole- 7”
Just when ya thought punk rock was all battered’n bruised and down for the count… here comes a nasty li’l split PUNK platter of wonderfully atrocious tunes that could easily sear the beard off any hipster’s face. The Schiller Killers side is cool like The Black Lips if they were some KBD band from ‘78, but the real wiener is I.V. Eyes which packs a one-two pucker-punch of vile stupidity that would make any hateful pimple-headed kid or loser like me think he were King. With members includin’ the Clone Defects, Baseball Furies, Functional Blackouts, this 2011 7” on Rubber Vomit Records is like someone’s half-baked idea of a stinky wet dream.
