Coyote Shivers
1/2 a Rock & Roll Record
Go
If Jonathan Richman were reincarnated as Lou Reed and born in the late 60’s, he might be making the whacked out, distinctly New York City-flavored rock and roll music that Coyote Shivers (his real name) turns out. In 1996, Shivers released his self-titled, critically acclaimed (honest!) debut album and got all kinds of attention for his contribution of the sublime “Sugar High” to the otherwise forgettable Empire Records soundtrack. Shivers spent the past few years acting in weird movies like Johnny Mnemonic , directing videos and collaborating on eclectic projects like drummer Jack Pedler’s dark, conceptual solo album, Fairlyand It Ain’t .
Now Coyote Shivers is on the scene again with 1/2 a Rock & Roll Record ; a five song EP that could just as easily have been entitled A Half Naked Rock & Roll Record since he is, in effect, naked on the cover. Let me put the fine point on it right now and suggest that the cover photograph alone is worth the price of this EP: Shivers body is absolutely slamming! But the songs are pretty good too. “There will be sluts and drugs and fags and rock & roll!” Shivers joyously proclaims on the opening cut “Plus One,” a simply delightful journey into a night on the NYC club scene that pays homage to the late great rock venue, Coney Island High. The “colored girl” chorus of Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side” makes an appearance on the acid-tongue-in-cheekiness of “Secretly Jealous,” which reveals a suicidal rock star’s final regret is that he didn’t steal the fire from Kurt Cobain and blow his own brains out first.
Also contains the bordering-stalker obsessive love song “You’re Mine,” the endearingly spastic “Something Happens” and the straightforward lyrical refreshment of “You Piss Me Off.” Rocking hard enough to crack a few skulls, 1/2 a Rock & Roll Record bodes well for the full length.
Go Records, 140 S. Gardner, Los Angeles, CA 90036; http://www.coyoteshivers.com
