Legendary Shack Shakers - The Southern Surreal

  by Maarten Schiethart

published: 8 / 10 / 2015

---

Review

Contrary to Britain, street pub culture in the USA is a no-go area. The Legendary Shack Shakers go to show on 'The Southern Surreal' how inexpansible Britpop was right from the beginning. Given the right amount of radio exposure, their album could include five Top-40 hits. Better than The Pogues or Dexy's Midnight Runners, and flirting with Mud and Brinsley Schwarz, the Legendary Shack Shakers carry the torch. Has Britain gone the way of Texas? This is almost the best of worlds and of both sides of The Atlantic. In almost cabaret style, 'The Southern Surreal' write of truck stops and godawful American butt-kickings somewhere along a deserted road towards the border with Mexico. It is probably no surprise, but the Legendary Shack Shakers count amongst their fans Jello Biafra, the Black Keys and The Reverend Horton Heat. Where the ramshackle skiffle of 'Christ Alrighty' paves the path for the freewheeling ragtime of 'Demon Rum' marks a moment of genius. Slash tunes like 'Cold' and 'The One That Got Away' rate among this year's finest. If you don't like this LP, you ain't got no soul.

Track Listing:-

1 Cow Tools
2 Mud
3 MisAmerica
4 The Grinning Man
5 Cold
6 Dead Bury the Dead
7 The One That Got Away
8 Young Heart, Old Soul
9 Fool's Tooth
10 The Dog Was Dead (feat. Bill
11 Down to the Bone
12 Christ Alrighty
13 Demon Rum
14 The Buzzard and the Bell
15 Born Under a Bad Sign

Band Links:-

https://www.facebook.com/legendaryshac
http://www.legendaryshackshakers.com/
https://twitter.com/theshackshakers
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkK3s

Label Links:-

http://www.alternativetentacles.com/
https://twitter.com/AltTentacles
https://www.youtube.com/user/alternati
https://www.facebook.com/AlternativeTe