The Rodeo Carburettor: The Rodeo Carburettor

Take seedy rock and roll or punk, send it to the land of the rising sun, and have them toss it back at you. Such is the case with Japanese trio the Rodeo Carburettor, which would give Jon Spencer Blues Explosion a definite run for their money on the opening song. The White Stripes are another strong touchstone on this record, as the lead singer’s voice seems to reach deep down for screams and howls like Jack White. Just as tasty and beefy is the rockabilly-based “Taxi Driver”, which would light a fire under anyone’s derriere. A perfect garage rock hellraiser! The trio doesn’t change their sound for change’s sake, with the tight, short and crisp “Mink Oil” also being a surefire rocker. Fans of Guitar Wolf would also revel in the rave-up that is “Bonnie”, which is performed half in Japanese (the lyrics, not the guitar parts!). The same thing goes for the punishing, frantic and maniacal “I Love R&R”, dirty and fabulous all at the same time. Perhaps the highlight on the album, which clocks in well under 30 minutes, is the old-school Brit rock feeling fuelling “R.B.B. (Rude Boy Bob)”. And the band closes things out with “Motor Head”, no doubt in honor of the British legends of the same name.