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Various Artists
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Who knew there was a garage-punk scene in Vermont?! Apparently so, as evidenced by this fun comp, which pulls together 19 old-school rockers from the Vermont and southern New York State circa ’61-’65. The majority of the tunes lean heavily towards pre-British Invasion pop-rock—Northfield’s Mike and the Ravens, with their tight-as-a-prom-queen Fender licks and high harmonies best sum it up on cuts like “Goodbye To Mary Jane” and “Oobie Doobie Do”--but there’s a handful of hardcore garage stompers in the lot, primarily from “Wild” Bill Kennedy and the Twiliters. Air Force serviceman Kennedy had gotten an earful of UK rawk while stationed in Europe, and brought back that raw sound for his own outfit when he returned to the States in ’63. The Twiliters drop the hammer on five cuts on Heart So Cold, including a ferocious rip through “Shakin’ All Over,” the relentless “Move It,” and the too-cool-for-school “(Everbody’s Goin’ To) Rollerland!” a live shot soaked in 100% frathouse raunch (check out the screaming girls in the audience). There’s also heapin’ helpings of slop rock from the Persuaders (who put the hurt on a live take of the venerable “Mojo Workout”) and the fuzz-tinged “I Gotta See Her” by the Falcons (who included the Persuaders’ former bassist). Far from frosty, Heart So Cold has enough retro-punk heat to warm the hearts of even the chilliest vintage vinyl freak. |
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