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"Note: red lens should be worn over left eye" that's a quote from the liner notes of the Tremors latest release "Invasion of the Saucermen" and for good reason too; the CD comes with 3-D glasses. The artwork all over the fold out and the CD itself are all retro looking 3-D "tremorvision" with rockets, spacemen" planets and all. Very cool to look at and the fun doesn't stop there... the record is good to listen to as well. Fourteen tracks of true rockabilly from another planet is what this three piece from North Carolina deliver; from the first guitar riff through the last crescendo the record covers it all. The instrumental "World War III Boogie" has a fast paced and all too familiar guitar riff that the drums and bass have to run fast to keep up with. Then on to the title track of the record with it's campy B-movie style horror intro that leads right into their trademark high-octane rockabilly. The slap bass is upfront and oustanding through out the tune and the guitar keeps pace right with. i'm not to sure what the song "Atomic Jesus" is about and it's kinda hard to catch all the lyrics (plus there's no lyric sheet with the record) and I'm quite frankly sure if I like the song either but I still wanna listen to it over and over. I am however a big fan of the song "Jungle Fever" it's got a cool drum beat intro with a subtle bass line complimenting it, and the vocal and guitar kick in to make it all complete. I also dig the tune "The State Patrol" with its cool stop and go verse about a state policeman with "an itchy trigger finger" and the troubles had from being pulled over by him. The swamp boogie song is compliments of "Late Night Drive-in Monster Show" this is modern rockabilly at it's best; the bass is great, the backing vocals are spot on (with the monster growl). The simple and minimaslist guitar on "Devil's Eyes" really lets the drum and bass shine on this one, not to take away from the guitar at all, it's just a well written no fluff song. It's got a Big Blue (Lee Rockers old band) sound to it kinda bluesy and definitely danceable. My favorite track on the record by far would have to be "Workin" Overtime" a funny story about a guys "Gal" that keeps him in the red and he needs to work overtime to keep with her and her needs. I'm thinking that the "gal" is more than likely a "gal-axie" or some other form of automobile.
Over all the Tremors are a great example of modern rockabilly with a huge retro/roots rock'n'roll influence, they probably grew up listening to the likes of Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Dickey Lee & the Collegiates, and the whole Sun Records line up from back in the day. If your looking for a rockabilly band that doesn't stretch outside of the roots style and get too deep into zombies, blood and whiskey like a lot of the new psychobilly groups, give the Tremors a shot they deserve it!
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Something fell out of the sky today and it wasn’t part of a dilapidated space station. It wasn’t some object from a rickety old plane. It was truly a UFO. That is what I thought until I ripped it open. There I was holding an object with hints of the past, yet laden with futuristic visions. Yep, it was the new Tremors CD, Invasion of the Saucermen. The Tremors have stepped up to the microphone and taken their upbeat, grownup punkabilly mixed with retro-horror rockabilly to a new level. Saucermen kicks off with World War III Boogie. In traditional Tremors style, Slim, Jimmy and Stretch reintroduce themselves to the masses with this hopped-up instrumental. The self-entitled track invades the airwaves next. Invasion of the Saucermen is a doghouse driven, fear for you life, ass-kicking testament to the little men in the sky. Somatose makes it’s way through the cosmos knocking you out of your chair. This drug-laden ditty pays tribute to all the things, legal and illegal, that make us all feel good and giddy about life. This is just one of many songs that really make this CD a must-have! Let me introduce you to the infamous Tremors. Slim Perkins is one of the Southeast’s most notorious and notable doghouse destroyers. Stretch Armstrong stands tall and strong as one of the best drummers on the circuit. Rounding off this cult of personalities is the mastermind of this futuristic, 1950’s crowd-eating band, Jimmy Tremor. Jimmy’s unmistakable, frantic voice and manic style make this band a powerhouse of subhuman proportions. Catch them live and you’ll know what I mean. Slim takes control of the situation with, Atomic Jesus. This double-time anthem plays tribute to a nuclear savior destroying and saving lives at the same time. Slim does an excellent job for his debut behind the mike and the boys pile in for the joyride. (I Ain’t No) Two Timin’ Man spins by as very upbeat explanation of the touring lifestyle and the devotion to keeping the little man in your pants when you have a little Bettie at home. “We keep blasting out our crazy rockin’ songs, I’m having fun but just can’t wait to bring myself back home”, Jimmy clarifies. This is one of the standout tunes on this saucer. This gang of degenerates brings it down a notch with the rockabilly ditty, Treat Me Right. Treat Me Right captures the rhythm and stylin’ that the Tremors bring to the scene and the superb songmanship that goes on at their planet. Shaken’ From Seizures is one of my faves as Jimmy and the boys get into the groove of the music and gives you the album’s toe-tapping icing on the cake. I’m not going to ruin the rest of this CD for you. I will say that it is a rare occasion that a band can top their debut CD. But the Tremors pull it off, keeping it real and in that same loveable Tremor’s fashion, all the way down to the 3-D artwork on the album. Somewhere, Hank, Elvis and Joey are all standing around nodding to the rocking sounds of Tremors.
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