Wednesday, December 07, 2011

It Came From Nashville!!!

You know, as much as I loved Jason and the Scorchers, my favorite pioneering indie-rock band from Music City U.S.A. was....The White Animals.

And here they are, on their hometown local TV in 1982 -- a clip I did not know existed until yesterday -- with a great song about "Girls."


The White Animals are the great lost American rock band of the 80s -- a ferocious live act (any band that shared a stage with them did so at their peril) and true musical visionaries whose ahead of its time mix of 60s garage-punk energy, British Invasion song structures, and dub reggae soundscapes by way of Lee Perry still sounds utterly fresh and contemporary. Perhaps the world wasn't ready for the Animals back when, but with the release of their long overdue career retrospective, "3000 Nights in Babylon," we've been granted a second chance. Don't blow it, world
I wrote that blurb back in 2000, but I first met these guys -- who basically ruled the college alt-rock/frat party scene down South in their heyday -- in the late 70s while interviewing the redoubtable Marshall Chapman.

Years later, my skinny tie band had the great pleasure of opening for them on one of their infrequent trips to NYC.

I should add -- as I suggested in the blurb -- that they blew my band off the stage. In the nicest and most supportive way possible.

[h/t Ray Crabtree]

7 comments:

mister muleboy said...

Billy Joe should pay the bass player a royalty of some sort for the "look."




And I'm always a sucker for a guitar hero who spent ten years wanking in his basement, and then emerged only to NOT join some metal wank band, but instead opt for power pop / new wave / rock. . . .

joe p said...

hunh...is that a nashville accent?

buzzbabyjesus said...

The accent made me go to the top and see if I'd read it correctly.
I like it better than "Some Girls".

TMink said...

Ray, their drummer, is a family friend, and a fine guy truth be told. Our kids have known each other since they were three. He got an extra ticket to U2 and took my daughter, not me. But we are still friends. 8)

Trey

Anonymous said...

This song is hilarious, lyrics, vocal, and guitar solo included. I remember, way back when, they did a seriously kick ass version of So You Want To Be A Rock'n'Roll Star. I wanted to hate them, but couldn't. They were too good and nice.

AP

Laura said...

I loved hangin' with these guys during my time in college (Sewanee,University of the South) dancin' on stage, lunch at The Gold Rush, Kevin's HUGE record collection, pool on the roof and the music! Rockin'hairswingin'neckachin'FUN FUN FUN MUSIC!!! It was great to see them last October for Steve's party. I am honored to call them my old pals and had such a blast seein' them EVERY time!!!

Haik Mendelovich said...

Great track - thanks for turning us on to TWA!

Another great lost 80s band, live...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swXqa_jkfvs