When considering the current wave of
garage rock revival
bands, it seems important to remember this stuff was never meant to be stylish or pretty; back in the day, the best
garage rock
was being produced by acne-ravaged thugs who wanted to strike fear into the hearts of their parents, teachers, and authority figures while impressing youthful fellow misanthropes. California's
the Lords of Altamont
, bless their grimy souls, understand this implicitly, and on their second album,
Lords Have Mercy
, they've created a howling fusion of
the Music Machine
and
Davie Allan
that isn't afraid to let the sweat flow and get their clothes dirty in the manner of more muscular influences such as
the Stooges
and the
New York Dolls
.
Jake "The Preacher" Cavaliere
's roiling keyboards and gale-force vocals push these songs forward while guitarist
Shawn "Sonic" Medina
adds high-impact raunch, and the rhythm section of
Spencer "The Dealer" Robinson
Max "Sicko" Eidson
aren't afraid to hit it hard and make a groove. The best originals here --
"Cyclone,"
"$4.95,"
"Action"
-- are a fair match for the covers, and when they play other people's songs (like venerable
garage
classics
"Project Blue"
"Buried [From the Knees Down]"
they do it with enough fury to fill 'em up with their own personality.
The Lords of Altamont
ain't pretty, they aren't likely to end up on
MTV
, and they don't care about charming you. They want to rock, and that's just what they do on
, which will do you a lot more good than whoever is trying to make like
the Vines
this week. Liner notes include an enthusiastic endorsement from
MC5
bassist
Michael Davis
, a man who ought to know about such things. ~ Mark Deming