The Flamin’ Hellcats

Well, I thought these guys were pretty much toast, and had put ’em in the Band Graveyard, but it turns out that not only are they still together, but they released a new CD, Goin’ to Your House, with all new stuff on it, and they even had a song on the soundtrack to that “Dawson’s Creek” guy’s movie, Varsity Blues. Not bad for a band I thought had called it quits…sigh. Anyway, here’s the deal: loud, punkish “vato-billy,” played by three really big, scary Hispanic guys with lots of tattoos and enough hair goop to grease a kitchen full of pans. These guys have the frightening, nasty side of rockabilly down (you know, like Elvis used to be before he got “nice”?). The first time I ever saw ’em play was at a PN Awards Showcase many years back at Emo’s, and when they finished their set they promptly went outside, got in a fight, and got arrested. Damn. If that ain’t rockabilly, I don’t know what is. When I’ve seen them in the past, they’ve been pretty mesmerizing live, catapulting themselves all over the stage and playing with wild, reckless energy — a band you really have to see to get; although if you couldn’t, you can hear them on one of their albums, either the new one or their apparently hard-to-find debut Speedfreak, as well as the Pinche Flojo comp Scene? What Scene?. Laurence, their bassist, has also played with a few other bands, including the Jack-Onz and Donkey Punch…

• Yr. Weekend, Pt. 1: The Whigs + Alkari + Flamin’ Hellcats + A Sea Es + B.E. Godfrey + Ugly Beats + More
• The Wild Moccasins
• Yr. Weekend, Pt. 3: Chadd Thomas Memorial + Binarium + The Wrong Ones + DJ Jazzy Jeff + More
• Yr. Weekend, Pt. 1: Weird Party + The Mahas + Dex Romweber Duo (MP3!) + Woozyhelmet + Cancellations/Reschedulings + More
• Balaclavas
• The Literary Greats
• Scale The Summit
• Muhammad Ali
• Lisa’s Sons
• Update: Ghost Mountain (Tonight!) + Searching for Signal (9/26) + J. Tillman (11/26) + New/Old Films + More
• American Fangs
• Update: Pete Yorn (Tonight!) + New Featured Bands (Tambersauro & B L A C K I E)
• Tambersauro
• B L A C K I E
• the last place you look