jerry teel Archives - Vinyl From The Vault

The Chrome Cranks “Dead Cool”

sfilzen — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 19:24:17 +0000

The Chrome Cranks “Dead Cool” 1995. Crypt Records. Dirty, noisy garage punk blues, Dead Cool is the Chrome Cranks second LP. Chrome Cranks’ lineup included two Jon Spencer collaborators: Jerry Teel on bass (Honeymoon Killers, The Work Dogs) and Bob Bert on drums (Pussy Galore and more recently Jon Spencer’s HITMakers); Dead Cool was Bert’s first recording with the Cranks. It’s an ass-shaker of an album: raw, nasty (in the best way), swampy, a bit bat-shit crazy and, yes, dead cool. My top track is the garage-rock ripper “Desperate Friend” which had me dancing at my desk, followed closely by “Down So Low” (for the bat-shit crazy). “Bloodshot Eye” has a killer bass line hook, creepy lo-fi vocals (Peter Aaron) and a solid, relentless beat. All track on Dead Cool are originals except for the final track, a cover of the 1966 Yardbirds “Lost Woman” which keeps the bass and adds more than a little raw punk edge to the 60’s blues rocker.

Not surprisingly there isn’t a ton of live video footage of the Cranks out there, but I did find a video from ’09 which includes “Desperate Friend” about 3 minutes in:

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Chrome Cranks “Chrome Cranks”

sfilzen — Thu, 08 Aug 2024 19:15:14 +0000

Chrome Cranks “Chrome Cranks” 1994. PCP Entertainment (Matador Records distribution). Noisy punk blues featuring former Jon Spencer collaborator Jerry Teel (Honeymoon Killers). Current(ish) and frequent(ish) Spencer collaborator Bob Bert (Pussy Galore, Jon Spencer & the Hitmakers, plus Sonic Youth) joined a year after Chrome Cranks release, in 1995 (the first gig of an earlier iteration of Chrome Cranks was as an opener for Pussy Galore.) There’s a good, brief bio of the band here (though hard to read) that lists the history and chronology of the band and its members. The s/t album was Chrome Cranks first full-length; it’s loud and lo-fi, rattly and rocking and, though formed in metropolis Cincinnati in ’88 and stationed in uber-urban NYC during the 90’s, it’s also infused with country blues strumming, some whooping and hollering (see “Driving Bad“) giving it a psychobilly bent – the spooky “Eight-Track Mind” would feel at home on a Cramps album. My top picks are the garagey opener “Dark Room,” the raucous punk’d out “Drag House,” the Hendrix-ish “Doll in a Dress,” plus the ass-shakers “Stuck in a Cave,” “Lo-End Buzz” and the vinyl-only closer “Party’s Over.”

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The Honeymoon Killers “The Honeymoon Killers From Mars”

sfilzen — Tue, 02 May 2023 16:30:10 +0000

The Honeymoon Killers “The Honeymoon Killers From Mars” 1984. Fur Records. The debut album from noisy punk blues rockers; “recorded in four track horror fidelity beneath the Sixth Street Butcher Shop NYC” (liner notes). Proto-Boss Hog/JSBX, this early Honeymoon Killers features constants Jerry Teel (guitar/vocals) and Lisa Wells (bass/vocals) but not Jon Spencer Blues Explosion’s Russell Simins on drums (he played from about ’85-’91) or Boss Hog’s Cristina Martinez (she is on their fourth LP Turn Me On, ’87). Jon Spencer joined the band for the Honeymoon Killers ’91 release Hung Far Low. It’s lo-l0-fi horror film styled punk blues and sparse experimental noise rock that feels pretty much the opposite of most music recorded in ’84 (which was mostly big, glossy and highly produced with lots of synths). Tracks like “Shake” are hypnotic and psychedelic, others feel like they really could be on a horror movie soundtrack (“Cat People” and the disturbing “Rooms of Doom”), and some are just messy messy noise with a steady beat (like their theme song “Honeymoon Killers”) or really rough Cramps-eseque psyschobilly (‘Cornbread Fed”). The two cover songs are…interesting. “Ubangi Stomp” is almost unrecognizable as compared to the original and one reviewer states that The Honeymoon Killers From Mars has “the world’s worst version of Bo Diddley’s ‘Who Do You Love?'” He’s not entirely wrong, but it’s also so gloriously terrible that it’s….good?!

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Honeymoon Killers “Kansas City Milkman”

sfilzen — Wed, 09 Nov 2022 17:48:47 +0000

Honeymoon Killers “Kansas City Milkman” 1991. Insipid Records. Sludgy noise rock from Jerry Teel (guitar/vocals; Chrome Cranks, Knoxville Girls, Little Porkchop), Jon Spencer (guitar, trombone!!!; JSBX, Pussy Galore, Boss Hog), Russell Simins (drums; JSBX, Butter O8, SERVICE) and Lisa Wells (bass, vocals; Little Porkchop). The single appears on their ’91 LP Hung Far Low. Side A’s “Kansas City Milkman” is dark and grungy, with some Ministry-esque industrial noise-rock thrown in for good measure. Side B’s “Nothin'” is less beaty, more chaotic noise rock, still really dark and sludgy. While I can’t find a link for “Nothin,'” I did find a shitty-quality concert video from a ’92 Honeymoon Killers show in Germany in which they perform a bit of “Kansas City Milkman” and instead of Jon on guitar, Judah Bauer (JSBX) is playing.

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Honeymoon Killers “Live”

sfilzen — Wed, 04 May 2022 17:56:25 +0000

Honeymoon Killers “Live” 1991. Munster Records. Three live noise rock tracks (one from O’Cayz Corral in Madison!) featuring all three of the members of the soon-to-be Jon Spencer Blues Explosion: Jon Spencer, Judah Bauer and Russell Simins. Also listed are founders Jerry Teel and Lisa Wells are on guitar/vocals and bass/vocals, of course, as is Marce on guitar. (I believe Marce is Marcellus Hall, also from Railroad Jerk.) I’m pretty sure not all of those credited played on all of the tracks but maybe? Side A is “Who’s Driving Your Plane,” a Rolling Stones cover, that was recorded at CBGB’s in NYC. It’s fucked up blues, with squealing harmonica and trashy guitars and vocals. Side B has “Training Wheels,” which is the track from O’Cayz. I was living in Madison in ’91 but I definitely did not go to this show. From the sound of the audience at the end of the song, I don’t think many other people did either. “Training Wheels” is distorted heavy punk blues and sounds the most like the future JSBX of the three songs so I’m guessing Spencer, Judah and Russell may be playing. The last track, “Madwoman Blues,” from The Old Miami in Detroit, sounds exactly like its title: totally insane noise rock with Lisa Wells likely on vocals. The recording quality is shitty but with noise rock, it really doesn’t matter. I’m so happy to have found this limited edition gem.

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Workdogs “One Night Only!”

sfilzen — Mon, 07 Mar 2022 18:45:17 +0000

Workdogs “One Night Only!” 1995. In the Red Records. Heavy heavy punk blues, a “live in the studio” recording on August 9th and 11th, 1992 by Workdogs main members Rob Kennedy (bass, vocals) and Scott Jarvis (drums) who had a revolving door of guest musicians throughout the years. One Night Only! guests are none other than Jon Spencer (on guitar, theremin; Boss Hog, Pussy Galore and Jon Spencer Blues Explosion) and Jerry Teel (on guitar; Chrome Cranks, The Honeymoon Killers). The guest-star aspect of Workdogs was by design, humorously noted in the liner notes on One Night Only! “It is the principal that the Workdogs were built upon: every guest shall has his or chance to blow the ‘dogs into another dimension – each and every one of them bringing something special and unique to the stage – for one night only!…I never mention the perverse Workdogs’ penchant for pairing improbable sideman combos like slim trombone and lap steel guitar, or inviting ten musicians to participate in a karaoke cover band…I have had to take out restraining orders against more than one fanatical sideman to discourage their obsessive behavior. Fortunately this did not apply to the two sideman represented here. They understood instinctively that this was…one night only!” (Yves Bisquet*). Well, that’s not actually true as both Spencer and Teel recorded with Workdogs on Old (1995) as well as the single “Electric Mutt” (1992) and Spencer also performed on A Tribute to Sonny Boy Williamson (1994, 7″ featuring “Too Young To Die” and “Our Goodman“).

One Night Only! is raw and grainy, rough and lo-fi. My top track is the sole cover on the LP “Insane Asylum” originally by Willie Dixon. It is crazy, of course with the beats all over the place, weird starts, stops and yelps, and feels the most Jon Spencer exploding the blues. I also like “Unbroken” and “Roberta” which are both fairly epic in length and have a Stooges protopunk scuzzy strung-out dirge vibe, though “Roberta” eventually evolves into an all-out blues freak fest.

*I was curious to find out who Yves Bisquet was/is and found this interesting tidbit posted by Rob Kennedy on King Dog Biscuit Records’ Facebook page this past January:

In the evil pantheon or rock management (Col. Parker, Alan Klein, Peter Grant, Malcolm McLaren) never forget the Workdogs manager, Yves Bisquet, who had the audacity to:

>Keep the Workdogs addicted to drugs during the making of Workdogs In Hell.

>Steal the master tapes to Workdogs In Hell from the Workdogs

>Sell the incomplete master tape to Sympathy For The Record Industry who released Workdogs In Hell without the Workdogs approval.

>Steal the advance from Rob and Scott.

>Declare the Workdogs dead in a bid to boost sales.

>Never pay the Workdogs one cent for their work.

On Tuesday you will finally be able to hear Workdogs In Hell the way Rob and Scott wanted: Workdogs In Hell – The Cassette Mixes. Remixed and remastered by Rob and Jim Waters this is much more the In Hell that the Workdogs intended.

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Honeymoon Killers “Turn Me On”

sfilzen — Thu, 25 Apr 2019 20:45:57 +0000

Honeymoon Killers “Turn Me On” 1987. Buy Our Records. Noise-rock via New York/New Jersey, Turn Me On is the band’s fourth studio LP, this one particularly notable for Cristina Martinez on guitar (and some vocals). She must have been only around 16 years old at the time; a couple of years she later joined Jon Spencer to form Boss Hog (their EP Drinkin’ Lechin’ & Lyin’ from ‘89 also features Honeymoon Killers’ founder, guitarist and frontman Jerry Teel). As noise rock, Turn Me On is definitely noisy, full of distortion and growling, but it also has a dark psychobilly/campy horror movie vibe, especially on tracks like “Dolly w/a Dick,” “You Thrill Me,” “Fingerlickin’ Spring Chicken” and “Octopussy,” making the album far more melodic – catchy at times even! – than a lot of other noise rock albums. “Choppin’ Mall” is particularly great, with a Bo Diddley-esque rhythm and a harmonica solo that portends the punk blues sound of Jon Spencer Blues Explosion (Mr. Judah Bauer!). Punk blues with a lot of crazed feedback and distortion is also present on “Dazed ‘n’ Hazey” (a great track!). I’m not as fond of the less melodic noise rock track “Flophausen” but other than that I’m super-psyched to have this record in our collection (it’s a recent acquisition, found on Record Store Day when our local record shops bring out the really cool stuff).

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The Chrome Cranks “Love In Exile”

sfilzen — Mon, 11 Jul 2016 21:12:45 +0000

The Chrome Cranks “Love In Exile” 1996. PCP records. Chrome Cranks third and final studio LP. Dirty punk blues and a “deconstructive bastardization of garage rock,” the Cranks feature founding members Peter Aaron on vocals and guitar and William Weber on guitar as well as former Honeymoon Killers bassist Jerry Teel and Bob Bert, formerly of Sonic Youth and Pussy Galore, on drums.

Love in Exile is lo-fi and sleazy, sort of the sound you hear while in the nasty bathroom of the local dive bar at 1:30 a.m. (granted, it is a very hip dive bar). “Lost Time Blues” is a perfect example of this vibe: churning rhythm, shrieked and strained vocals with an undercurrent of real danger. “See That My Grave is Kept Clean” is a cover of one of Blind Lemon Jefferson’s tunes, recorded in 1927 on Paramount. The Cranks version is dirgey, a Cramps-esque creepy lament, traditional blues deconstructed and then rolled through an ashtray or two.

Well, there’s one kind of favor I’ll ask of you
Well, there’s one kind of favor I’ll ask of you
There’s just one kind of favor I’ll ask of you
You can see that my grave is kept clean

And there’s two white horses following me
And there’s two white horses following me
I got two white horses following me
Waiting on my burying ground

Did you ever hear that coffin’ sound
Have you ever heard that coffin’ sound
Did you ever hear that coffin’ sound
Means another poor boy is under ground

Did you ever hear them church bells tone
Have you ever hear’d them church bells tone
Did you ever hear them church bells tone
Means another poor boy is dead and gone

Well, my heart stopped beating and my hands turned cold
And, my heart stopped beating and my hands turned cold
Well, my heart stopped beating and my hands turned cold
Now I believe what the bible told

There’s just one last favor I’ll ask of you
And there’s one last favor I’ll ask of you
There’s just one last favor I’ll ask of you
See that my grave is kept clean

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Cheater Slicks “Don’t Like You”

sfilzen — Thu, 30 Jun 2016 19:20:02 +0000

Cheater Slicks “Don’t Like You” 1995. In The Red Records. Garage-revival punk blues/trash rock, produced by Jon Spencer whose “zonked out stoner” vocals appear on “Sensitive Side,” a creepy-swampy growler. Spencer became a fan of the band when Cheater Slicks opened for Boss Hog around ‘90; they then played shows with Jon Spencer Blues Explosion in the early-to-mid 90′s. (Cheater Slicks, like JSBX, are also bass-less. In interesting trivia: the original lineup of the band included Merle Allin, brother of G.G. Allin, on bass. Wonder why that didn’t work out?!) “Motherlode” is another awesome track: a raucous rocker with insane harmonica by Jerry Teel of the Honeymoon Killers, who was also responsible for recording Don’t Like You. “Mystery Ship,” the album’s final track, is low-down dirty trash blues, sparse and sad and a bit scary.

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