NASHVILLE PUSSY: THEY NEVER SAID DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME
Friday, February 27th, 2009 at 12:00pm by Anso DF
Years ago, high-speed southern rockers Nashville Pussy almost made me miss this killer Motorhead gig. This is hard to admit, but in my mind, the handful of NP gigs by which I’d been dick-punched were so awesomely raucous, punishing, and relentless that a seed of doubt began to grow in me that Motorhead may not be able to follow them as the tour’s headliners. After the Pussy set, I almost made it to the doors, but a series of surprised frowns turned me back near the coat check. And then Motorhead tore my fucking head off. It felt great to be wrong.
The point is not that I’m a moron (though true), but that Nashville Pussy were the recipients of the pretty high praise that night, if only in the head of one silly dude. A better high-octane rock ‘n roll live band than Motorhead? Impossible. But does a balls-out AC/DC-meets-Ramones quartet fronted by a frothing outlaw and backed by frequently nude and/or fire-breathing chicks justify pause for thought? Hell yes.
That was ten years ago, so it’s possible that after four albums and a lot of post-9/11 dourness, Nashville Pussy could slip across the defining line between incorrigibly addled party animals and creepy old people who arrive to bars at an intimidating level of intoxication and pick fights with each other. (Ever been to Milwaukee? Sheesh.) And while it’s awesome that 2009’s From Hell To Texas shows a matured (musically, at least) Nashville Pussy deftly navigating honest-to-god harmonies, call-and-response choruses, and a pace suggesting an threatening biker motorcade (not Grammy-nominated debut Let Them Eat Pussy’s careening hot rod that just lost a wheel), it’s not like the band’s appeal is rescued by melody. Shit no; frontman Blaine Cartwright is as crudely hilarious as ever, taking shots at good-fer-nothing objects of worship (“Lazy Jesus”), duplicitous women (“Why Why Why”), and sobriety (“I’m So High” featuring Danko Jones channeling Dave Wyndorf).
Composition-wise, the NP of old was more solid than spectacular, but with sophomore bassist Karen Cuda (get it?) adding Humble Pie-esque hooks atop Cartwright’s degenerate rasp, they now boast a third offensive option after lead guitarist Ruyter Suys and Cartwright’s hedonistic funny bone (“I wanna get high in the stratosphere/And take a shit on the moon”). By album closer/road dog chronicle “Give Me A Hit Before I Go,” they’ve dropped no fewer than five rock classics and nary a dud.
To a band who provides such good, irresponsible fun, I feel like a dickless stating that they should be proud of themselves; after all, isn’t the idea to shun straight morals and remain alive merely to discomfit squares (“Drunk-Driving Man”), be a nuisance to authority (“Ain’t Your Business”), and get really, really fucked up (“Dead Men Can’t Get Drunk”). Yeah fuck that, they should be proud.
(four and a half out of five horns)
-ADF
[Anso DF is fully engorged about the Faith No More reunion tour on the daily metal news column Hipsters Out Of Metal!]
This sounds absolutely awful.
i thought nashville pussy was in the same vein as insane clown posse?
this is an odd article
ICP?! Uhhh, no…. HELL NO
The article is actually very accurate in it’s description of the band. And while musically it may not be METAL enough for everyone here, they are serious, irresponsible FUN live.
Cmon, how often do you get to see a 6′-plus tall hot (in a sleazy way) chick breathe fukkin fire in a club? LITERALLY.
I’d rather not see an extremely tall sleazy lady breathe fire. It sounds… well… Sleazy. And redneck-ish. Something a dude in a cowboy hat that drinks beer while waving a Confederate flag shouting “Yee-haw!” would want to see at a rodeo in between the horse riding.
Nashville Pussy kicks ass. I haven’t bought an album since High as Hell, but I will probably check this album out. Their cover of Foghat’s Slow Ride is pretty good too if you can find it.
People that discriminate against red neck fun without even knowing what red neck really is or even knowing why they dont like it are just missing out on a lot of fun sometimes. All red necks dont wear cowboy hats and plenty know how to have a good time without spitting tobacco or hating black people….lots of mis conceptions in that area.
@ceth
A lot of people have that knee jerk reaction when they see or hear any band that could be associated with the South or southern rock/culture. They see an image and put a label to it that allows them to write if off without looking into the actual substance of the band.
Much like people who don’t understand Metal write it off as a bunch of pissed off devil worshippers that make loud noises.
Knee jerk reaction?? Damn right. Guilty I am…..AND I LIVE IN BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA. That southern rock thing turns me off IMMEDIATELY. For the most part, I can’t stand it.
But this…..I will check out.
that’s the beautiful thing about Nashville Pussy. they’re not good ol’ boy-Southern Rock. they’re fuck the world Southern Rock.
big difference.
I fucking love metal, but I fucking hate metal fans. Well, most of them. This review is spot on.
FYI, The Sleazy Fire breather left a LONG time ago- The band is straight up rock n roll with a southern twist. We did tour with ICP and it was one of the most trying moments of our lives. We are NOTHING like them, but they too are fans of our band it seems to asked us along. As much as we’d like to just keep touring with Motorhead – sometimes you gotta play with other people. Somehow we got a METAL tag when we were nominated for a Grammy years back in that category (but short haired Metallica won..) And I guess they didn’t have a Rock N Roll category. No one waves a Rebel Flag on stage while swigging from a beer- but if one was thrown on stage while I’m drinking from my bottle of Jack I’d be proud to get it off the ground and drape it over my amp. Nothing wrong with being from the South- besides I’m from the South of Canada – and I’m still proud of living in Georgia – btw Birmingham rocks too- especially when we’re in town. Enjoy!
I always confuse this band with Alabama Thunderpussy….