Countrypolitan Favorites
Label: Yep Roc Records
Length: LP
Website: http://www.scots.com
Release Date: 2007-02-20
Media: CD
Format: Album
WorkNameSort: Countrypolitan Favorites
This North Carolina ensemble were doing their kitsch & roll long before other junk-shop surfers started hijacking the aesthetic. As is true for all garage sale patrons, early birds reap the rewards. Rick Miller and his loyalists have turned out plenty of ‘wackyâ?� releases over the years and what’s always saved them from the novelty pile has been a sworn allegiance to making their shit rock. The cutesy-poo dressing is secondary, which is why a cover such as ‘I Never Promised You a Rose Gardenâ?� doesn’t come off as post-ironic schtick, but as a genuinely melodic pop tune that given the right arrangement would never seem as cloying as its potential. T. Rex, the Byrds, early Creedence, Don Williams’ ‘Oh Lonesome Meâ?� â?¦ their list is eclectic and treated equally to their blend of garage rock surfabilly. They’ve never possessed the psychotic energy of the Cramps, but they’ve never been confused with a revival act either.
This article appears in Feb 28 – Mar 6, 2007.