If one of those great, booze-soaked rock and roll weekends like Garage Shock or the Las Vegas Shakedown were still a going concern (correct me if I'm wrong and one of them still is ) the Bloody Hollies would have been one of those bands that came in unheralded, blew everyone away and sold a ton at the merch table. And anyone who picked this album up would have been plenty satisfied 'cos it's 30 minutes of fire-breathin' punk fury.
The band originally hailed from Buffalo and they relocated to San Diego a couple of years ago. They were a trio at the time of this recording though the press photo on their website suggests they are now a four-piece ( I could find nothing on the site to confirm that ) . The rhythm section of Philip Freedenberg ( bass ) and Michael Argento ( drums, 'natch ) are ultra-tight and swinging and frontman/ guitar hero Wesley Doyle is an axe monster . Production is by ex-Dirtbomb Jim Diamond and it's great, too-punchy and vital, not too slick but not too sludge-y either.
So what about the tunes ? Well, they're quite fine actually. Opener "Watch Your Head" reminds me of early Angry Samoans (loud 'n' fast as oppsed to the later psych-type stuff) , particularly the vocals. I'm hearing a bit of the New Bomb Turks' Eric Davidson as well. In any case, it's a fine opener and it sets the tone for the rest of the set ie. fast and manic.
"Burning Heart" follows and it's another fine blast with some really good slide work by Doyle. "Gasoline" is next and is the catchiest number yet-this one may be the pick to click for your podcast or whatnot. "Infatuation of the Girl" represents a bit of a departure in that it's a little more restrained, a little more twangy- I guess it's the bands' love song. It's back to the fuzz, though, with "Dirty Water" (not the old garage standard ) and a wicked wah solo. The album closes out with "Raised by Wolves " and, at this point, I'm totally bowing to Doyle and his slide prowess - IT sounds like a superior White Stripes song if they had a real rhythm section (no disrespect to Meg White intended ) and took some speed.
"If Footmen Tire You" was recorded over two years ago and the band are poised to release a new album and tour it this coming Spring. I'm guessing the touring will only encompass the U.S., perhaps Europe too, but if they make it anywhere near you check them out because, as good as they are in the studio, I'm betting they take it to another level altogether on the stage.
