Music Reviews

HorrorPops -wt Hell Yeah! -wl Hellcat -wf Given the insane amount of press that HorrorPops is getting, coupled with the fairly attractive ladies in the band, I prejudged these guys as untalented hipsters before I even put Hell Yeah on. I was much more than wrong, in about a million different ways! -wm Hell Yeah is actually a wonderfully produced, exciting, powerful and driving album of indie-flaired rockabilly. My first inclination is to say that HorrorPops is the perfect marriage of The Cramps and Siouxsie and the Banshees. However, whereas The Cramps were basically unskilled rockers, the members of HorrorPops show strong songcraft abilities, and their delivery is every bit as fevered as The Cramps at their peak. Lead vocalist Patricia sounds very much like early Siouxsie throughout most of the album; although at times, she sounds shockingly like Gwen Stefani of No Doubt (Yuck!). She uses Siouxsie’s vocal styling (such as the “Ohhh, Ohh, Ohh”s) on songs like “Girl In a Cage,” and it’s wonderful considering Siouxsie Sioux’s voice has been shot for years (did you see the Banshees on their reunion tour? Yikes!). The music itself can be likened to rockabilly champions The Stray Cats, although HorrorPops’ arrangements are more challenging and exciting than anything Brian Setzer has ever done. Most of the songs are up tempo, rockin’, melodic and instantly catchy. -wm These guys are the real thing, without a doubt. They’ve got a cool look, this album rocks out from start to finish and they’ve got a stalwart press machine putting their picture everywhere! These guys are unstoppable, and I’m really glad I got the chance to hear this album for review; otherwise, I might have avoided it, due to the “hip” factor. I highly recommend Hell Yeah! to anyone who likes their rock hard, driving and heavy. -wd Hellcat Records: http://www.hell-cat.com/ -wb Daniel Mitchell


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