PSYCHOBILLY

I was in New Orleans last week and read your magazine. I love your city and, in lieu of a proper alt-weekly, your magazine is the best.

However, there’s something one of your writers clearly does not understand. In the review of the new album by Johnny Angel & Helldorado, said writer [Nick Pittman] presumes that the putative reader has never heard of psychobilly, but finds it to be a useful reference. If the only self-described psychobilly band you’ve ever heard is Reverend Horton Heat, it’s not unreasonable to assume that said genre is a form of country music. However, this is not the case. Psychobilly is, in fact, the music inspired by the Cramps. The sound varies widely but simply put it’s rockabilly with power chords and lyrics inspired by classic horror movies, plus lots of tattoos. Notable psychobilly bands include the Meteors, Mad Sin, Tiger Cats, the Phenomenauts, and the Horrorpops. In fact, just listen to the Horrorpops and, in the future, do your research.

—Isaac Hudson, Portland, Oregon

 

Although I can see your point that psychobilly descended from the Cramps, I don’t find it to be a pure genesis. You also divorce rockabilly from its country origins. The psychobilly bands I have heard—not even including Reverend Horton Heat—have definite country roots, albeit funneled through a Cramps style. One of my favorites—Austin’s the Flametrick Subs—regularly covered country or rockabilly songs, again with a Cramps skew. Even the Cramps themselves took their genre’s name from Johnny Cash’s “One Piece at a Time.” These bands are absolutely influenced by the Cramps but their country roots cannot be ignored. In Louisiana terms, it is akin to arguing that modern zydeco is derived strictly from Clifton Chenier and not the Creole sounds that came before him.

—Nick Pittman

BRASS BANDS

I read your article [Jan Ramsey’s May 14 blog post, “Where do the brass bands go?”] on brass bands on Frenchmen Street and completely agree with your position. I was on the corner of Frenchmen and Chartres Monday evening and heard the brass band playing on the corner. It’s the second time I’ve seen them in the last five weeks. I assume it is not the Young Fellaz Brass Band referred to in your article. We are from Breaux Bridge and my wife and I love New Orleans. We went there for our honeymoon in 1988 and have been regular visitors since. Here lately, with the kids older, we have been listening to music and love the selection of music available. I’m not a New Orleans music historian but every time I hear these young folks playing on the street, I think damn, this is a huge part of the New Orleans culture started long ago. Monday evening we were eating at the Praline Connection and when a customer would walk in we could hear the music outside. I asked the manager if they could prop the door open so we and the other customers could hear the music. She said no, but offered us to sit outside. We moved outside and really enjoyed the band playing on the corner. It was great. I hate that real estate is so expensive, because one day we want to have a place in or near the French Quarter.

I like your suggestion to have a Brass Band Alley; that’s a great idea. And I agree it needs to be well lit, have access to food, drinks and restrooms. It seems like the adjacent restaurants/businesses would gain by having these bands playing in close proximity to their businesses as food and drink sales would certainly go up.

Thanks for all you do to maintain the music culture in New Orleans. I don’t understand why so much resistance. I can understand some resistance but it seems everyone would recognize the value of music to this city and common ground would be an easy thing to achieve.

As a side note, last summer I spent four nights in Amsterdam for work. When I returned, we spent the weekend in New Orleans. As my wife and I were riding our bicycles in the French Quarter that Saturday afternoon, I thought, Amsterdam was nice but I would pick New Orleans over Amsterdam every day of the week. Amsterdam had many pubs and bars, but essentially no live music or even a jukebox to play music. No comparison, in my opinion.

—Aaron Mestayer, Breaux Bridge, Louisiana

 

We got back from New Orleans a couple months ago after three weeks on Frenchmen Street. I saw more people panhandling than any other time down there. Your article reflects what we saw. I hope the powers realize what the music industry means to tourism and addresses the problem with housing. What was that song? Oh yeah—“they paved paradise to put up a parkin’ lot” [Joni Mitchell, “Big Yellow Taxi”].

—Paul and Suzanne Wills, Melbourne, Florida

CROWN ROYAL ISLAND

My husband and I are always so excited to get the OffBeat Weekly Beat e-newsletter.

My name is Gayla Pixley and my husband is Calvin Pixley, Jr., the only son of Shirley Goodman. Shirley was part of the duo Shirley & Lee, the Sweethearts of the Blues, in the ’50s. Their most famous song: “Let the Good Times Roll.”

Shirley sang with Dr. John, Allen Toussaint, Sonny and Cher, Louie Armstrong, etc., and was good friends with Irma Thomas, who sang at her funeral ceremony.

Calvin’s dad, Calvin, Sr., still lives in New Orleans and saves the OffBeat magazines for us to bring back home. We visit New Orleans twice a year from California. I am from Detroit originally, but I feel a deeper connection to New Orleans.

Whenever we visit, we go to Bullet’s on Tuesday nights and listen to Kermit Ruffins perform.

We always get three pounds of boiled shrimp from Cajun’s Seafood on Claiborne. One box of Joyce’s Pralines from a Shell station on Chef Menteur Highway, and shoot pool at Lucky’s on Chef Menteur around the corner from Calvin, Sr.’s house. We always get Sunday dinner from Lucky’s and a Crown Royal set-up. Last, but not least, cigars at Don Leoncio Cigar bar on Canal Street and two hours pulling slots at Harrah’s across from the River Walk for Lundi Gras Fest to see the Indians and the Zulus.

All of this that I’ve just described makes me feel warm inside. I have real love for the city.

I describe New Orleans to my California friends as the “Crown Royal Island” of the United States.

Thank you for helping us keep that deep connection to my husband’s roots. OffBeat’s Weekly Beat e-newsletter and magazine is so “on beat” every month. We love it!”

—Gayla & Calvin Pixley, Jr., Los Angeles, California

CLEVER AND THOUGHTFUL

I love receiving your [Weekly Beat] newsletter! I was just reading it, and telling my daughter, Amanda Gresham [Delta Music Experience] how clever and thoughtful this “More @ A Glance” section is, and she suggested I let you know.

So, here’s my appreciation for your overall work and that I really enjoyed this piece of behind the scenes insight.

I enjoyed our week in New Orleans with the guests on Amanda’s DME trip, and we were able to make it back for French Quarter Festival, but had to miss Jazz Fest this year. Carry on for us, as I know you will. I will live vicariously through your coverage.

—Barbara Gresham Hammerman, CEO, Founder & Director, United by Music North America, Portland, Oregon

CORRECTION

In our June issue we asked four musicians which five funk albums have influenced them the most. The response from Ian Neville was erroneously attributed to Ivan Neville. We regret the error.

—Ed.

OffBeat welcomes letters from its readers—both comments and criticisms. To be considered for publication, all letters must be signed and contain the current address and phone number of the writer. Letters to the editor are subject to editing for length or content deemed

objectionable to OffBeat readers. Please send letters to Editor, OffBeat Publications, 421 Frenchmen St., Suite 200, New Orleans, LA 70116.