With a rip-roaring intro, the Rebel Set Are Go! Instantly, you’re hurled into the deviant world of the Rebel Set on their new album Poison Arrow.
Surf music has always held a special place in my chest ever since I was a kid listening to my dad’s old Chantays and Champs 45 speed records in the basement of our house. It would be a cold, snowy, winter’s night in Colorado. But in my mind, with my dad’s ancient 1970’s gigantic headphones on, I would be in the California sand, checkin’ out the waves and all those tan beach bunnies.
Fast forward a couple of years and I’m in my first of many ‘basement’ bands, playing underground punk rock to my small town’s ramshackle scene. I don’t recall playing in many garages those days, it was too cold probably. Every home built out there and to the east of it had a basement anyway that suited our needs just fine. No matter what you may call it though, “basement” or “garage,” it was definitely rough around the edges and got us many a strange stare from the more moderate crowds.
The Rebel Set bring all of these sounds together on Poison Arrow. One minute you’re gettin’ down on the classic surf feel of the band, the next minute, you feel as though the drugs have kicked in just a little too hard and everything’s all distorted and real. Think of the Ghastly Ones mixed in a cocktail with Iggy Pop. Dick Dale in a blender with the Ramones. Or when Man…or Astroman? actually sings chopped up and served with a side of Reverend Horton Heat.
Joe, Chad and Jeff do a great job of bringing these hooligan sounds together. While Joe is strumming away a wicked Spanish lead, Chad is slogging a swampy cool bass line with Jeff banging out his swingin’ surf rhythm to your heart’s content. And talk about lo-fi. This album sounds like it was recorded out in my garage. Which is to say it sounds perfect. The slurred, brackish vocals stand atop a mountain of distorted reverb guitar, slap-happy tambourine, not-quite-there bass and an overall feeling of openness. The album has been on constant rotation for me since hearing it. I can’t get on with my day unless I hear the chorus on “Teenage Killer” or the riff on “14th Floor.”
So all you beatnik bums and go-go ghouls, do what you can to get a copy of the Rebel Set’s Poison Arrow into your hot little hands. You’re sure to be able to snag a copy at one of their upcoming shows around the valley. Or if you’re ready hit the street and beat the heat, the Rebel Set gang will be playing up in Prescott twice in the next two weeks. So go ahead! Grab your peach, storm the beach, and shimmy, shake and shiver with the Rebel Set all summer long.
