For as long as I've run this website (or at least since I started the old GaragePunk Forums in 2002), the Mummies and Gories have always been discussed a lot. And even before that, going back to the mid-'90s, they've also been highly revered on other websites and email lists (like the Bomp list, for example) and I spun the hell out of them on my old radio show in St. Louis. In fact, the Mummies got played more than any other band on my show over the course of more than a decade.

Plus, both of those bands have reformed and started playing out again in recent years.

jamie said:

It is trendy at the moment. Lots of real young "hipsters" come see my two garage style groups. They all like The Sonics, Gories, Mummies, and The Black Lips. Not much beyond that, although these people also seem to be into all sorts of different music genres, alot of gothic sort of stuff and grunge. Basically anything with guitars. I think what it really is, is these people are looking for something more alternative than the generic indie stuff. And it is fun music that you can dance to and have fun. As opposed to the poser synth arty indie disco bands and the people that see them.

 

But then there are other local groups who call themselves garage when although they might know a few garage bands, because they themselves are really indie people, they don't really get it. And you get them saying things like "We are a garage rock band influenced by Joy Division and The Slits and The Jam". But because they play on line ups with actual garage style bands and the crowd of young people is the same, it doesn't really make a difference.

 

What I want to know is why is it The Mummies and The Gories, out of all the 80s garage bands, to be talked about so much now?

It is trendy at the moment. Lots of real young "hipsters" come see my two garage style groups. They all like The Sonics, Gories, Mummies, and The Black Lips. Not much beyond that, although these people also seem to be into all sorts of different music genres, alot of gothic sort of stuff and grunge. Basically anything with guitars. I think what it really is, is these people are looking for something more alternative than the generic indie stuff. And it is fun music that you can dance to and have fun. As opposed to the poser synth arty indie disco bands and the people that see them.

But then there are other local groups who call themselves garage when although they might know a few garage bands, because they themselves are really indie people, they don't really get it. And you get them saying things like "We are a garage rock band influenced by Joy Division and The Slits and The Jam". But because they play on line ups with actual garage style bands and the crowd of young people is the same, it doesn't really make a difference.

What I want to know is why is it The Mummies and The Gories, out of all the 80s garage bands, to be talked about so much now?

we got pointed here by you because we are trying to sell out but nobody's buying. seriously though (one eyebrow up /slanted smiles) this brings up something that is probably one of the hardest things a band must do. describing yourself. giving yourself a label that will attract people who might otherwise pass you by. this is loathesome to all of us bands as we are unique. that is what we must believe in order to keep going. we worry that maybe strictly speaking we do not belong on gph. we have heroes and inspirations that are firmly in the canon but we do not really sound like them. kopper is there a gph tribunal that passes judgement on who is really gp? we firmly believe in such a thing as good music and bad music. it is not a matter of opinion. it is a fact. facts (despite what the republicans think) are solid and immovable objects. they exist and there is nothing you can do about it. most of those whiny sensitive bear shit bands on pitchfork are BAD MUSIC. there is a terrible pretense to having soul that just makes us fucking angry. having said all that  probably none of it belongs here. just forget it.

kopper said:

Hell yeah, it's trendy as fuck right now. And it's really annoying. I keep hearing or reading of "garage" sounds or influences in bands that sound NOTHING like garage rock (or "garage punk," for that matter). I think it's just the state of the music scene right now. Bands like the Hives, White Stripes, and Black Lips (amongst others) really put "garage rock" in the mainstream, and then you had labels like Vice Records jump on the bandwagon with lots of money to promote it with the help of corporations like Scion, and BOOM. It's the "next big thing." Problem is, too many of these bands are just plain BORING, and I bet most of 'em wouldn't know a Sonics or Oblivians tune if it hit 'em on their heads.

Oh, and by the way, I never could stand the Strokes. As far as I'm concerned they were the "Pearl Jam of Garage Rock," a fabricated band, totally fake, with crappy music that might be OK when compared with the rest of mainstream "rock music," but pales in comparison to most of the real garage rock/punk out there.

for 22-piastepirkkko. according to this thread I see your point at first sight. but the description of the bands somehow says there's more then just "garage". and a soundsample was choosen, which is far from this part of the labeling. but nevertheless garage has always been an integral  part of the band's sound and heritage.

http://soundcloud.com/bone-voyage/22-pistepirkko-save-my-soul/
http://soundcloud.com/bone-voyage/22-pistepirkko-big-bed/
http://soundcloud.com/bone-voyage/22-pistepirkko
http://soundcloud.com/bone-voyage/22-pistepirkko-frankenstein

the band gonna play a off-venue show in reykjavik on 12.10.  at Bar 11, garage-style for sure. They are not hardcore, and are not the pure garage band you might be looking for. maybe at heart they are a quirky pop band. or homemade r'n'r. stubborn and  adventurous. it's not for everyone. 

rumble ouwee!

the silverttone may be a 1484

I don't know REALLY what effect the guitarist is using, but it sounds a heckuva lot like the British Stack effect on my Digitech pedal.

Gruesomania by the Gruesomes. 

At the time I was listening to lots of American blues as well, bluesy British bands like the Yardbirds as well as punk/alternative music. I'd always wished for something that combined the toughness and speed of punk with the style and instrumentation of bands like the Animals (harmonica, fuzz, organ) and The Gruesomes delivered!

The only problem was that while I was hot for garage rock 'n' roll thanks to the Gruesomes, all the girls I knew were hot for the Smiths (at best) or Platinum Blonde (at worst). 

Do now!

Hey, you do know that you can listen to archived "Wayback Machine" episodes, don't you?

Andy O.B.O. said:

Easy, Songs the Lord Taught Us. It also got me really into rockabilly. Then I read about how they'd listen to local dj's playing music in Ohio, so I thought I'd try to do the same where I lived, in St. Louis. That's when I found the Wayback Machine. After that came stuff like the Oblivians, The Makers, etc.

Easy, Songs the Lord Taught Us. It also got me really into rockabilly. Then I read about how they'd listen to local dj's playing music in Ohio, so I thought I'd try to do the same where I lived, in St. Louis. That's when I found the Wayback Machine. After that came stuff like the Oblivians, The Makers, etc.

Eric Hisaw--"Johnston County"

The F'n A-Holes--"Bartender"

The Hootowls--"Depart From Me"

Mercury Dime--"Dog Star"

The Pinetops--"Birds Of Prey"

Them Slack Jawed Sons Of Bitches--"Something's Gotta Give"

Eddie Spaghetti--"Killer Weed"

Powder Mill--"The Devil In New Orleans"

Junior Brown--"Moan All Night Long"

Green On Red--"Time Ain't Nothing"

Dolly Parton--"The Bridge"

Homer & Jethro--"I Crept Into the Crypt and Cried"

Hugh X. Lewis--"War Is Hell"

Lester Flatt--"I Can't Tell the Boys From the Girls"

T. Texas Tyler--"Just Like Dad"

Marvin Rainwater--"The Haircut"

Hal Ford--"Skid Row Blues"

thanks kopper! Painting in my studio has taken on a different meaning now after tuning into GP.com

one cover band really grates on my nerves, and i realize they probably have a lot of fans here, but who cares? i'm talking about the FUZZTONES. i can stomach maybe Bad News Travels Fast (their best moment), but the covers they recorded are pretty consistently lame.

now, the DIRTBOMBS, on the other hand, know how to cover songs and do it well. see Ultraglide in Black and If You Don't Already Have a Look as perfect examples. some outstanding covers there.

take that did smells like teen spirit live in like 96 or sumin ! arguably not what kurt died for

the two at the top of my head are also not garage, but Alien Ant farms cover of Smooth Criminal and then there was this ska version of Iron Man that didn't go so well (can't remember the band). On the flip side I love Hugo's cover of 99 Problems.

Great topic!

I'm sure I can come up with more if I think long and hard about this, but one that comes to mind would be Smash Mouth's cover of ? and the Mysterians' "Can't Get Enough of You Baby." That one would irritate me to no end. Luckily, I haven't heard that cover in years! That band was also responsible for butchering The Monkees' "I'm a Believer." Ugh...

Others off the top of my head:

Not garage related, but Duran Duran covered Public Enemy's "911 Is a Joke," too. Unforgivable.

Motley Crue doing "Anarchy in the UK"

Michael Bolton's complete awful cover of Otis Redding's "Dock of the Bay"

Limp Bizkit murdering the Who's "Behind Blue Eyes"

And I'll leave it at this:

I always hated the Mudhoney version of hate the police -

the original by the dicks is far superior, but good on em for trying

There is a show on the local community radio station that I listen to during the morning drive.  The show is usually pretty good but the hosts seem to go out of their way to play rotten covers of well known songs.  They're usually so bad that it almost ruins the original.  Today it was Lost In The Supermarket (Clash) covered by the Afgan Whigs ... execrable!  What lousy covers have gotten you angry?

Mel = funny because it's true!

No doubt! If anyone knows how one goes about making money from music, please share.

Shanks!

FNS

The best way to make a small fortune in music is to start with a large one.

Mick Collins (the Gories) said he wouldn't take a guitar worth more than $100 on the road.  Jeff Beck said he'd play any guitar and be able to get a good sound out of it (but at the Les Paul tribute he switched back to his Fender Strat).

IMO, I wouldn't spend the big bucks if you want to sound rough.  For my natural overdrive crunch (early Kinks/Sonics/Mummies) I got a new Hofner Club reissue for under $400.  A good budget alternative to a Fender is a Squire.  I'd get a Tele unless you wanted a twang bar.  If you wanted to sound more clean and slick for surf/rockabilly twang or a nice jangle, then a higher dollar guitar would seem more worth it to me. 

How much does a Burns go for in the UK?  I'm looking at a Bison but I think the Cobras may be pretty affordable.

NEIL HAMBURGER! Wow.

Dr Ross the harmonica boss did play drums too.

http://youtu.be/g2BDVjoq1nw

http://www.facebook.com/pages/One-Man-Band-Club/118032478296415