Archive Review: The Yayhoo’s Fear Not the Obvious (2001)

Among contemporary rock bands, you’d have to look far-and-wide to find one that is as gloriously unconcerned about “hipness” or “commercial potential” as the Yayhoos. A loose-knit collaboration between former Georgia Satellite Dan Baird, Eric Ambel of the Del Lords, drummer Terry Anderson, and bassist Keith Christopher, the Yayhoos are the ultimate pick-up band. A throwback to a simpler, more pleasing rock era, the foursome genuflect towards a musical altar that rejects modern rock style in favor of classic Chuck Berry riffs and Rolling Stone rhythms. The band features four distinctive vocalists, songwriters and multi-instrumentalists and the whole motley bunch look a little too scruffy to be accepted by the MTV crowd or snobbish big city elitists.

The Yayhoo’s Fear Not the Obvious

The Yayhoos’ brief mid-‘90s existence resulted in a handful of tracks placed on alt-country compilations and their full-length Fear Not the Obvious LP, shopped around to major label indifference before emerging on the Bloodshot Records label. On this fine collection of songs, the Yayhoos deliver shameless roots-rock and electric twang, served straight up with no chaser for the unabashed blue collar headbanger who wants his musical tonic loud and uncluttered by fleeting fashion. Call Fear Not the Obvious “town and country” music, the songs here mixing Ambel’s Del Lords-inspired NYC guitar riffs with Baird’s country-styled redneck rock.

The four Yayhoos divvy up the songwriting duties, creating tunes that range from the dark-hued swamp rock of Baird’s “Wicked World” or Anderson’s British Invasion influenced “Hunt You Down” to the ‘60s-styled pop of Ambel’s hilarious “Baby I Love You.” “Monkey With A Gun” is a big beat rock ‘n’ roll tale of madness on the road complete with twin guitars and Ambel’s understated vocals while “Oh! Chicago” is a rollicking 90mph romp through Little Feat territory. The band closes Fear Not the Obvious with an inspired cover of Abba’s “Dancing Queen,” offering a different spin on the EuroPop origins of the classic radio hit.

The Reverend’s Bottom Line

If your idea of rock ‘n’ roll cheap thrills includes the Faces, the Stones, CCR, the Georgia Satellites, and similar outfits, then the Yayhoos are right up your alley. Blazing guitars, foot-stomping rhythms and unpretentious songwriting make up Fear Not the Obvious in its entirety, the Yayhoos a welcome respite from manufactured pop and cookie-cutter modern rock. (Bloodshot Records, released August 7, 2001)

Review originally published by Alt.Culture.Guide™, 2001

Buy the CD from Amazon.com!

Spotlight on The Del-Lords

The Del-Lords photo by Jeffrey Scales, courtesy Enigma Records

The Del-Lords Discography:
• Frontier Days (EMI America Records, 1984)
• Johnny Comes Marching Home (EMI America Records, 1986)
• Based On A True Story (Enigma Records, 1988)
• Howlin' at the Halloween Moon (Restless Records, 1989)
• Lovers Who Wander (Enigma Records, 1990)
• Get Tough: The Best of the Del-Lords (Restless Records, 1999)
• Elvis Club (GB Music, 2013)

The Del-Lords remain one of my personal fave bands and one of the tragic rock 'n' roll stories of the 1980s. The band's imaginative mix of roots-rock, blues, folk, and country music went over big with college radio listeners, and the Del-Lords' electric live performances won them a loyal following from coast to coast. Due to label mismanagement and management woes, however, they never got the support needed to break through to mainstream rock audiences via commercial radio. Still, the Del-Lords – singer/guitarist Scott Kempner, singer/guitarist Eric Ambel, bassist Manny Caiati, and drummer Frank Funaro – released four incredible studio and one live album during their too-brief tenure.

The Del-Lords reunited in 2010 to perform a handful of shows, later recording a 2013 album titled Elvis Club. Scott Kempner, who can brag of being a member of two legendary bands in the Del-Lords and the Dictators, has released a handful of critically-acclaimed solo albums over the years. Eric Ambel also continues to make new music, most recently releasing the 2018 album Lakeside, and has made his mark as a producer, working on albums by artists like the Bottle Rockets, Sarah Borges, Steve Wynn, and Jimbo Mathus, among many others. Frank Funaro is currently beating the cans for Cracker and has played with Joey Ramone and Nils Lofgren while Manny Caiati wisely got out of the business, got his law degree, and currently works as a child advocate.   

Also on That Devil Music: The Del-Lords' Based On A True Story CD review

Archive Review: The Del-Lords' Based On A True Story (1988)

The signs all indicate that spring is in the air: rising temperatures, falling motivations, random thunderstorms. Everybody’s got a snootful o’ pollen, and the songs on the radio are getting braver and bolder. And with a righteous jam like the Del-Lords’ “Judas Kiss” blastin’ across the airwaves, pumpin’ up the adrenalin – and those sneaky hormones – can summer be far behind?

Based On A True Story is the album for consumption this summer, kiddies, a nasty slab o’ PVC-byproduct so funky, so rockin’, so damn baaaaad that you can just forget about all those wimpy art-rockers, flaming dancefloor poof-boys, and wanna-be troglodyte spandex-clad foo-foos with their funny haircuts. As the great Foghorn Leghorn once said, “listen, I say listen to me boy, I’m talkin’ to ya!”

From the opening squeals and crashing chords of “Crawl In Bed,” the wonderful “Judas Kiss” (surely the tune of the summer, a hook-filled lament for a lost lover and a convincingly great anti-drug song), and the hauntingly ethereal “Poem of the River” (featuring sweet, soulful vocals from Pat Benetar) to the humorous “Whole Lotta Nothin’ Goin’ On” and the right Reverend Mojo Nixon’s fire and brimstone sermonette intro to “River of Justice,” and a half-dozen other scorching numbers, Based On A True Story is a hard-drivin’, King Hell rock ‘n’ roll delight.

This sucker cuts to the bone, chock full o’ sonic screaming guitars, Mephistophelean drum beats, and hot, sweaty throbbing rhythms that are guaranteed to induce frenzied, ritualistic movement of the limbs and pelvis. This disc will set ya to foot-shufflin’ and finger-snappin’! Perfect for the beach, the back yard, or cruisin’ to and fro in the car, it’s the perfect rock ‘n’ roll soundtrack for the summer of ’88…and ya know, summer’s not so far away! (Enigma Records, 1988)

Review originally published by The Metro (Nashville), 1988

New Music Monthly: January 2017 Releases

Welcome back to That Devil Music's "New Music Monthly" column! Life begins to get back to normal  in January after a lengthy hiatus for the holidays, and while there's still a smallish slate of releases for the month, how can one complain about a new year that kicks off with a new Brian Eno CD? Throw in new albums from bluesman Ronnie Baker Brooks, the Flaming Lips, and the Dropkicks Murphys along with the reissue of a classic album from Cream and it's a good month, indeed!

JANUARY 1
Brian Eno - Reflection  BUY!

JANUARY 6
Cream - Fresh Cream [deluxe]  BUY!
Dropkick Murphys - 11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory  BUY!

JANUARY 13
Eric Ambel - Lakeside   BUY!
The Flaming Lips - Oczy Mlody   BUY!
Sepultura - Machine Messiah   BUY!

JANUARY 20
Bash & Pop - Anything Could Happen   BUY!
Ronnie Baker Brooks - Times Have Changed    BUY!

David "Honeyboy" Edwards - Live at the G Spot   BUY!

JANUARY 27
Chicago - Chicago II (Steven Wilson remix)  BUY!
John Mayall - Talk About That   BUY!
Ty Segall - Ty Segall   BUY!

Album of the Month: Bash & Pop's Anything Can Happen, the first album in 23 years from Replacements' bassist Tommy Stinson. After the Replacements broke up in 1992, Stinson grabbed a guitar and formed Bash & Pop with guitarist Steve Brantseg, 'Mats drummer Steve Foley, and Steve's brother Kevin on bass. The four released a single album, Friday Night Is Killing Me, in 1993 but broke up the following year. Stinson had been inspired to write new material during the past two years and after a PledgeMusic campaign, reformed the band to record the long-anticipated Anything Can Happen.