Beachkrieg || From Some Other Time || Hidden Rock'n'Roll p.6

Who is Baron Von Krieg?  Let me tell you my opinion.  It reminds me of watching the director's narration of Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and what Amy Heckerling said about Sean Penn, "...he was Spicoli.  He showed up and teased the women, got high, and played the part perfectly on and off the set."  Some say that the Baron is really just the alter ego of one, Andrew Pejack, however I beg to differ.  I think that the Baron is his own individual that has somehow intermittently stolen the soul of Mr. Pejack and appears time to time with Sgt. Pfeffer (Guitar/Uberboard) & Peter Dresden (Drums) in the wonderfully creative outfit, Beachkrieg.  In this day and age it is hard to get people to go out and see live music.  One needs a shtick.  A show.   Just like the name implies, Beachkrieg delivers on all fronts. 

If you are/were fortunate enough to pick up their first album, Surf! you would understand the tales of Beachkrieg.  It's a fable of a submarine crew from World War I, stranded on a deserted island.  With all this idle time they discover a love for surf music.  I cannot think of a more beautiful sequeway into the liner notes of Beachkrieg's debut.

But it is not the album that I want to talk about here.  It is the live performance of these guys that will really get you definitely not  kicking yourself about about missing that re-run of Entourage on the WB.  They dress the part; spiked helmets, medals and Farfisa organs.  They do not speak much, expect to ask for more beer in their german pewtered steins and to tell an occassional French Joke or three.

What to expect?  Great music, no singing but there definitely is some chanting.  French Trivia contests, plastic army-men being flung from a homemade catapult into the audience, a tuba and many a moment of people going "what the hell was that?"

They are secretive.  They don't play out a lot, but they sure are a hell of a lot of fun.  So when you do see their name on a bill, I'd advise you to go see what all the hubbub is about...

NOTE: Don't watch the videos if you are not hip to the schtick. These guys are badass. Pre-admit that fact to yourself before watching these videos; you will enjoy them a lot more!





Here they are on Creepy Kofy Movie Time KOFY TV 20:

This is such a bad ass video. And here I thought The Pinks were all original and what not having it sung in Korean....


Another Gem...

Touch My Rash || More Than Just a Name || Hidden Rock'n'Roll p.5

I first met frontman, Colin Kutch, of the legendary Touch My Rash shoved in back of an old Toyota Corolla hatchback on the way up to San Francisco to see Red Planet open up for Sylvain Sylvain at the Pound.  I don't know if I ever thanked him for the ride, but it sure was worth it (great show!).  Years later, I heard that Colin got himself together a tight little punk band, called (snicker, snicker) Touch My Rash.  I knew that they were going to be my speed due to the long conversation, that I can barely recall, about music we had while driving up to that show in SF.  I knew he was a big fan of The Ramones, a lot of Lookout Records artists as well as a semi-groupie of The Donna's (see him in one of their videos).  So I knew that it would be loud, snotty and in your face.  Throw on a name like Touch My Rash and you will never be forgotten in the San Jose Music scene.

TMR came about when Colin, Olga Safronova and Dave Sokh were all in College at San Jose State.  Bored and looking for an outlet they decided to start a band.  Hey, if the Ramones could do it with three chords, why not three kids from San Jose.  Colin had fooled around with a guitar, with 4th grade do-re-me classes and what not, but Olga and Dave had not played a lick.  They all started getting together in 2002 to "practice".  Turns out that the initial practices consisted mainly of watching T.V. and goofing around.  "Very little playing was involved with our practices for the first three years."  Move ahead to 2005 and they decided to actually try to finish a song, which they did.  This led to a 4 song E.P., that eventually led to them to record, mix and master their full length debut, "Doomed From the Start". It is a fantastic debut with fast, punchy tunes all in the 2 minute range, the way a good song should be!

Looking for work led Dave off to Reno before the recording of their debut album.  However, in came Hong Lam to hold down the low end of the trio.  When  "Doomed From the Start" came available to the public in 2008, this trio played all over & around the bay area clocking over 50 shows in a short time-span.  Playing live this much will make you a better musician, however when prompted to see how Colin feels about his own playing ability the answer I received was, "I still just mainly stick to three chords.  If the Ramones could make a career out of it, I am fine with following that."

So what is on tap for TMR?  Personally, I haven't seen them on many bills as of late.  Turns out that they are deep in the confines of their studio working on their sophomore effort.  Hopefully to be recorded in the fall and ready for public consumption sometime in the beginning of 2012.

Why write about TMR?  Well, first off they are a totally cool bunch that wants to keep with the tradition of DIY maximum rock'n'roll and they aren't caught up in a lot of bullshit that comes with the music scene.  They are real people playing real music.  One of the greatest scenes that I have ever witnessed at the Caravan (of a long list of cool memories) was seeing Colin's Mom sporting a Touch My Rash T-shirt and helping him load out his gear by carrying his Fender amp out to the car.  I loved it.  Everyone has to have a little support.  Why not one's own Mom?  Anyhow, Touch My Rash should be setting up to play a lot of shows coming up this next year.  Be on the lookout and go get entertained.

Here is their video for "Single by Choice"


This song kicks ass live. Beautifully entitled, "Slit our Wrists"

Them Slack Jawed Sons of Bitches || Drinkin' Music || Hidden Rock'n'Roll p.4

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Who would of ever thought that Them Slack Jawed Sons of Bitches original nucleus was formed out of a short-lived band project called Fart-Pod Five?  Imagine that?  When prompted where the original band name came from the only answer I received was, "just put it this way, you wouldn't of wanted to be in the practice studio with us."  I think I got the message.

The formation of this icon of the San Jose drinking scene started between Jeff Okubo (formerly of Platinum Head, Two Headed Turtle & Denial) and Steve "aka Stevil, aka Pickle, aka Sweet Pickle" Laflen (The X-Old Ladies, The Booty Chesterfield Trio & Tropical Leather).  These two men met through a mutual friend who was a friend of both these lads ex-girlfriend (yes, they dated the same woman, allegedly at different times).  They were not sure of what the exact vein of music they wanted to tap into, but their roots kept pulling toward a country sound.  See, Jeff's father grew up on a farm in the southbay area and the family car was always dialed into KEEN, the southbay's country station.  Through transfusion of trips to the corner market, 70s country was infused into the young mans psyche.  Now, Sweet Pickle is from Tuscon, Arizona.  The state where guns laws are loose and outlaws are still hiding.  Country was the way he came out of the womb.


With the addition of Eric "Magnum" Burchfield on bass the 3 played out and about as a trio for sometime.  They still felt that something was missing.  They auditioned banjo players, harmonica players, female vocalists, you name it....but it wasn't until the seasoned pedal steel player, Mr. John Vaughan (former guitarist for The Mind Garage who was famously known as the band who put on the First Christian Rock Service on March 10, 1968 and infamously declined to play Woodstock the following year), came into the mix that the SJSOBs became a complete unit.

From there they just about became the house band at the Caravan Lounge in 2009 and '10.  They played there just about every other week.  Rachel, the main bartender booking bands, took a liking to their raw, upbeat country sound.  With all that playing underneath their belts a pretty tight little quartet formed and started getting local gigs elsewhere and up in the city.  When and nice array of original songs, they went into the studio in 2009 and recorded their debut album "Whiskey and Waffles", which became a local favorite.  When I asked a local fan what draws them toward them SJSOBs he replied, "it is just good toe-tapping music."

This band is definitely a sum of the parts.  There is no doubt that Stevil takes the leads on the musical attributes as well as the amazingly precise and rocking guitar picking.  Still, with out Jeff's steady beat and backing vocals (as well as in-between songs antics), the songs would not be the same.  Then you have Magnum keeping the low end, steady and minimalistic.  I'll never forget the bass-player of Huntinanny saying, "God, I love the way you play.  How do you avoid so many notes?  I feel like I noodle way too much when I see you play."  And last, but not least is the pedal playing on John.  He does a wonderful job of throwing in a layer of tone into the songs that makes them really have a life. 

They are a fun band to go and see on a weekend at your local watering hole.  My advice go grab a cold beer, maybe a shot of whiskey and check them out at a dive by near you.

Here are some videos to further let you know what Them Slack Jawed Sons of Bitches is all about:

Classic Caravan footage:

This is from the now defunct Checkered Flag:

Here they are opening up for Wayne "The Train" Hancock at The Blank Club: