Once and Future Punk Kings

">Mick & Kim
Mick & Kim, originally uploaded by Theresa K.

Detroit and Memphis always shared a musical relationship that was not a rivalry, but a call-and-response game that resulted in the creation of superb music in that Midwest to MidSouth corridor. Does LA fit in? Its where the business was.

Mick Collins and Kim Fowley stand in here for Detroit and for LA.

Kim Fowley has a musical pedigree that goes back at least four decades and you can read all about his accomplishments and exploits on his website.

Mick Collins was seminal in the creation of a post-punk proto-garage rebound when he was a member of The Gories, which included Dan Kroha, who now fronts the Demolition Dollrods.

Now, here's where Memphis comes in ... in the 1990's, along with The Gories, The Oblivians completed the new Detroit-Memphis contiuum with their own brand of rock we could call punk. The Oblivians were Greg, Jack and Eric Oblivian, and like the Gories, did not have a bass player. They were a power trio of pure guitar fury, noise and fuck-you attitude... not unlike punk bands of the 70s that got together because they really dug some other punk band but couldn't quite pull it off and in so doing, pulled off something different and just as cool.

What all these bands have in common with each other and cool bands that came before was a true love of music and an undying love of seeking out obscure records simply for the love of hearing what's out there. Hear it, know it, throw it back out in your own way.

Where Are They Now?

Mick Collins fronts The Dirtbombs, and instead of no bass, he's got two! And two drummers as well. Greg Oblivian fronts The Reigning Sound whose line-up has fluctuated from a four-piece with organ, to a trio, and may well include organ again real soon. The Reigning Sound made my favorite record of 2004 - "Too Much Guitar." Jack Oblivian fronts The Tearjerkers, and Eric Oblivian runs Goner Records, which releases some awesome stuff.

It is all JUST Rock.

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