“Mojo Nixon and Skid Roper” 1985. Enigma Records. The debut record from psychobilly duo Mojo Nixon and Skid Roper, spinning today in commemoration of Mojo Nixon who died yesterday at age 66 (b. 1957, d. February 7th 2024) from what sounds like a heart attack while on a cruise ship for the Outlaw Country Cruise tour. Irreverent and hilarious with an eye to sticking it to pop culture, southern culture and religion, Mojo Nixon and Skid Roper is lo-fi punk’d up rockabilly; the album was the duo’s demo tape. The lead track “Jesus at McDonalds” serves as great overview of the Mojo Nixon worldview on American culture and religion, the second track “Mushroom Maniac” kind of does the same for southern (and possibly hippie) culture and “Rockin Religion” needles at it all. Large sticks poking those nests to a rockabilly beat. “Moanin’ with Your Mama” is straight-up classic Delta blues and “Promised Land Tonight,” with prominent harmonica, is classic sad-eyed hill country Americana – it could have appeared on a Bruce Springsteen record — whom they cover with Springsteen‘s 50’s styled song “Big Payback” on Side B. My top track is “Guns to My Head” which features the upright washboard (Roper) prominently and has a wicked great beat and killer guitar hook (Nixon) and the slide guitar on the stomping instrumental “Mama Possums” is also great.