Wednesday, October 06, 2004


This month's releases from Ace Records.
I just got this press release from Jamie at Rough Trade Records. It's not like most releases I get these days though because it actually tells the whole truth. Testify then to a fine bit of writing and to a group that's worthy of such words...

"Rough Trade Records are delighted to announce the birth of ‘Baby’, the new album from The Detroit Cobras. Weighing in at an extremely healthy thirteen tracks in thirty one minutes and forty seconds, it is the third release from this exceptionally fertile quintet. Those of you fortunate enough to witness their recent blistering UK shows, might have noticed a particularly rosy glow about the band, and wondered why they were restricting their on stage alcohol and nicotine intake to one drink and cigarette at a time. Now you know why. As with their previous two albums ‘Life, Love and Leaving’, and ‘’Mink, Rat or Rabbit’, The Detroit Cobras remain coy about paternity, although tests might discover traces of DNA from Percy Sledge, Bert Burns, Lowman Pauling and er..Irma Thomas. They were also spotted doing the ‘Cha Cha Twist’ with Hank Ballard, and ‘Slippin’Around’ with Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham. But, let’s forget about petty morality. We don’t care who the father is, just as long as Baby is healthy, happy and strong. It certainly sounds like they had a lot of fun making it. Anyway, it is now up for adoption - so here’s the sell.

The album starts with four hi hat hits before exploding into life – like the ignition kicking over on a stolen motorcycle in a backstreet garage. Recorded in Detroit by Greg ‘the Memphis Mastermind’ Cartwright, the sound is classic, vintage valve warmth. As raw as neat tequila or as sweet as molasses. The only pro tools in evidence here are called Gibsons and Fenders. There’s a ballad, a love song and numbers you can do the Twist, the Shake, and the Hully Gully to. What more could any sane person require? The recent single ‘’Cha Cha Twist’ was employed by the Coca Cola Corporation of America to help sell it’s popular whisky and vodka mixer – Coke. ‘Hot Dog ( Watch Me Eat)’ proves that the band are capable of writing their own great material when they feel like it.

The Detroit Cobras have taken a collection of songs, customised them, chopped them down, chrome plated them and given them an exquisite new paint job. All serial numbers have been filed off, and the engine super charged to out run the self-righteous, pious covers cops. If the original owners ever did turn up they’d be thrilled. Like reporting your old bicycle missing from the shed, then discovering it’s been used in a bank heist. You’d be proud.

The Detroit Cobras are Rachel Nagy - Vocals, Mary Restropo – Guitar, Steve Nawarra – Guitar, Joe Mazzola – Bass, and Kenny Tundrick – Drums."