Throw Rag

In this age of lo-fi and joycore, it's nice to know that some indie bands can still be dangerous, scary and offensive (or at least purposely obnoxious and annoying)! From Shauna Farnell's Vail Daily News review of a Rev. Horton Heat show in which they opened:

Throw Rag, which defines its sound as "sailor rock," unleashed screeching, yet oddly harmonious vocals reminiscent of the Joykiller and punchy, power-chord laden guitar choruses not unlike The Sex Pistols. The singer, who was a deadringer for that old man with the toothless underbite and wide-eyed stare you see on postcards, wailed under his yachting cap and strutted across the edge of the stage like a lounge singer throughout the show. It was less scary to have him amble across the stage than his half-naked back-up vocalist, whose bare gut wobbled threateningly along with every King-Kong-like thump he delivered onto the instrument hanging around his neck. That instrument, ironically, was a washboard that he played with a spoon, complete with a cowbell attached for that well-timed clank between riffs.

Early on, when the guy - who had clearly gotten into glue or some other significantly mind-altering substance before the show - grabbed some girl in the front row and shoved her head into his crotch, I decided it was time to take a couple steps away from the stage. After the microphone disappeared inside his pants, I hoped, for the Rev's sake, that all the equipment would be changed out if not disinfected before Reverend Horton Heat took the stage. Regardless of this nastiness, Throw Rag put on a great show.

• The Throw Rags website (above photo is courtesy of this website)
• Download their Dickies vs. Sex Pistols (via BYO Records) cut entitled "Hang Up"