The Sonics should require no introduction, right? Their first two LPs are nothing short of essential. Seriously. There's no other way to put it. A few things to dig about them: one is Gerry Roslie's voice. It's what took them from just another instrumental combo to raw pounding rock 'n' roll riot. It's a medical marvel that he can still speak. It's all there on "Psycho". And that drum sound? The whole kit was recorded with a single microphone. And all of that thrashing and bshing and what not. You don't have to bring all of that proto-punk stuff into the equation. Throw the word out the window. What you still have is really one of the truly great American rock 'n' roll bands. I don't think they ever had a song that made the national charts, regional charts perhaps; they were really hot shit in the Northwest.
I was turned on to them by my friend Frank Gutch, who spent formative years up there in the Northwest. When he told me about them I was nineteen, and he was the twenty-something owner of a record store, A couple years ago, he wrote a thing about a show he went to back in the day, a battle of the bands, the Sonics versus the Wailers. Just reading that pairing gives me goosebumps. Read his account here. Before I get really carried away, the reason for this post is because the Sonics just finished recording thirteen new songs. Naysayers may say that the EP released a few years back wasn't anything special. The Sonics weren't that hot on it either. But, according to Sonics sax man Rob Lind, "on this album we decide to get back to hard fast rock 'n' roll,” Here's hoping. That would be awesome.
I was turned on to them by my friend Frank Gutch, who spent formative years up there in the Northwest. When he told me about them I was nineteen, and he was the twenty-something owner of a record store, A couple years ago, he wrote a thing about a show he went to back in the day, a battle of the bands, the Sonics versus the Wailers. Just reading that pairing gives me goosebumps. Read his account here. Before I get really carried away, the reason for this post is because the Sonics just finished recording thirteen new songs. Naysayers may say that the EP released a few years back wasn't anything special. The Sonics weren't that hot on it either. But, according to Sonics sax man Rob Lind, "on this album we decide to get back to hard fast rock 'n' roll,” Here's hoping. That would be awesome.
~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~
Eat it up:
The Sonics - Psycho mp3 at Bag of Songs
The Sonics - Strychnine mp3 at Gimmetinnitus
The Sonics - The Witch mp3 at Tinyvices
The Sonics - Boss Hoss mp3 at Api.ning.com (?)
The Sonics - Money mp3 at Girl Juke Box
The Sonics - Maintaining My Cool mp3 at Beware of the Blog
Fan club record:
The Sonics - Introduction to the Sonics mp3 at Beware of the Blog
Other audio:
Interview with Sonics guitarist Larry Parypa (1998) at Beware of the Blog This is excellent. Click on blue and white arrow button to hear audio.
Visit:
The Sonics Official site
The Sonics vs the Wailers - Battle of the Bands! by Frank Gutch Jr., at Indie Musicology
