Cut in the Hill Gang “Hung Up” 2008. The Little Room Record Co. (a cooperative label run by “ardent White Stripes fans”) Punk blues from the Cincinnati area. Autographed by singer/guitarist Johnny Walker and drummer Lance Kaufmann. This past weekend Joe went to PsychFest here in Milwaukee and caught All-Seeing Eyes, Johnny Walker’s current band. Cut in the Hill Gang was one of his projects from about 2007-2010. Lance Kaufman performed with All-Seeing Eyes at PsychFest and also drums on this CITHG LP.

Johnny Walker and Joe at Psych Fest 2023

All-Seeing Eyes at PsychFest
Lance Kaufman, center
Johnny Walker, right

Hung Up was the first full-length from the Cut in the Hill Gang project (Johnny Walker has been prolific in projects and recordings dating back to the late 90’s with his work in Soledad Brothers). It’s down ‘n dirty punk blues, their sound one writer describes like “a sweaty summer night in a dirty bar with an undersized air conditioner.” There are some sultry tracks, like “Bird on a Wire” but also some rockers, like my favorite “Stitch in Time” which adds a dash or two of 70’s glam. Also amazing is relentless driving blues of “Johnny’s Quixotic Dream” which was first released as a 7″ (b/w their version of The White Stripes’ “Sugar Never Tasted So Good“) in 2007 as well as their cover of “Diddey Wah” (by Willie Dixon, also famously covered by Captain Beefheart).