Know Your Subgenres: Rockabilly

Philip LaRose, KEXP — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 18:31:18 +0000

The 2007 Rockabilly Ball
photo by Jim Bennett

by Philip LaRose

Before sitting down to write this article, I believed that rockabilly was a relatively recent genre, a reworking of the classic rock ‘n’ roll style from the 1950s mixed in with punk rock. I was surprised to learn that it’s not simply a reworking, it is one of the original subgenres of rock, dating from the earliest days of rock ‘n’ roll. The term itself was invented back then as a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, referencing the country music influence on this style of rock ‘n roll; it was first intended as something of an insult, but quickly adopted by the musicians themselves.

And who were those musicians? You’re already familiar with many of them. Bill Haley’s “Rock Around the Clock” was the first national hit for rockabilly. Better known as a country musician, Johnny Cash also played rockabilly in his early career. “Great Balls of Fire”? Jerry Lee Lewis. And of course the King himself, Elvis Presley. But while Elvis may be the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, even he would pay homage to the King of Rockabilly, Carl Perkins. Elvis’s version of “Blue Suede Shoes” may now be better-known, but it was originally written, performed, and made into a number-one hit by Perkins.

^{Carl Perkins - “Blue Suede Shoes” (The Perry Como Show 5/26/56)}

What distinguished rockabilly from rock ‘n roll? Musically, rockabilly drew more upon country, Appalachian folk, and boogie woogie. Acoustic stand-up bass viol was often used rather than bass guitar, and it was played with a snapping percussive style called slap-back. Culturally, rockabilly musicians were predominantly Southern and white; black musicians tended to draw more upon rhythm ‘n blues and gospel, and were considered rock ‘n roll but not rockabilly.

The heyday of rockabilly was relatively short: by the start of the ‘60s, popular taste had shifted in favor of rock ‘n roll, and rockabilly went dormant for years. By the mid-‘70s though, a wave of nostalgia began a rockabilly revival that’s lasted to the present day. Los Angeles punk band X incorporated rockabilly into their sound, while New York punks The Cramps swirled in sex, horror, and humor to create psychobilly (borrowing the name from a Johnny Cash song). And Brian Setzer and the Stray Cats went for straight-up old-school rockabilly. Today bands such as Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers, The Reverend Horton Heat, Deke Dickerson, and Seattle’s own Billy Joe & the Dusty 45s, The Donettes and Dragstrip Riot are keeping the scene alive—not just from nostalgia, but from true appreciation of the music.

^{Rocky Velvet - “Rock and Roll Guitar” (2008 Shake the Shack Rockabilly Ball)}

This week, KEXP is proud to sponsor the 22nd annual Shake the Shack Rockabilly Ball, Thursday through Saturday, September 24-26, at the Tractor Tavern in Ballard. Don’t miss DJ Leon Berman and the Shake the Shack crew hosting the longest running rockabilly festival in the United States. See the Events page for more details.

photo by Andrew McDonald

photo by Jim Bennett

photo by David Frank

photo by Andrew McDonald

photo by Jim Bennett

photo by David Frank

photo by Jim Bennett

Know Your Subgenres: Shoegazing

Philip LaRose, KEXP — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 13:00:30 +0000

Last month when Asobi Seksu visited KEXP, I mentioned on Facebook that I was watching their in-studio performance. One of my friends responded by asking not, “Who is Asobi Seksu?”, but rather, “What is shoegazing?” — a question that I thought perhaps many people would have. Hence the first in this series of articles, Know Your Subgenres.

Like many subgenres of rock, shoegazing originated as a label slapped by the music press on a small group of bands who happened to develop a similar sound at the same time. In this case, the bands were based in London and the Thames Valley region of England, and the label was a slightly derisive reference to their performance style, as the guitarists tended to stand motionless and stare down at their effects pedals. Although not the first to be called shoegazers, My Bloody Valentine built upon the influential style of the Cocteau Twins and The Jesus and Mary Chain to create the seminal shoegazing sound. The label was first applied to a band called Moose, following in My Bloody Valentine’s footsteps, and then extended back to My Bloody Valentine and associated acts. Other prominent bands from this era associated with shoegazing included Ride, Lush, and Slowdive.

The bands had good reason to focus on the effects pedals, as the shoegazing style uses distortion, delay, and echo on the guitar parts to create a shimmering wall of sound. Vocals tend to be subsumed into the mix as well, used as part of the overall soundscape, and the lyrics though present are usually unintelligible and almost irrelevant. However, the music is not wispy and ambient but rather heavy and driving, often with a strong melodic line running beneath the guitar washes. “Only Shallow,” from the defining album Loveless by My Bloody Valentine, amply demonstrates this style.

^{My Bloody Valentine - “Only Shallow” live in London on June 13, 2008}

The first heyday of shoegazing was in the late ‘80s to mid-‘90s; as many of the founding shoegazers broke up, the explosion of grunge in the U.S. and Britpop in the U.K. overwhelmed the style’s presence in the music scene. However, no good musical style is ever completely forgotten, and today a new set of bands continue to take inspiration from the sounds of 20 years ago. Among these bands are Airiel, Film School, and the aforementioned Asobi Seksu. Although Asobi Seksu’s latest album, Hush, has moved more toward an open dreampop sound, the shoegazing influence can be clearly heard in such songs as “Red Sea” from their 2006 release, Citrus.

^{Asobi Seksu - “Red Sea” live in Aberdeen on November 28, 2008}

Not all the original shoegazers are gone, either. In fact, My Bloody Valentine reunited in 2007, and are playing this Monday evening at the WaMu Theater in Seattle at 8 PM (doors at 6:30). You can read our interview with Kevin Shields in which he discusses the reunion here. Also by coincidence, Asobi Seksu will be in town, so if you missed when they were here last month, you can catch them this Tuesday at Neumos, opening for Yann Tiersen (doors at 8 PM).

The KEXP Blog » Know Your Subgenres

Know Your Subgenres: Rockabilly

Know Your Subgenres: Shoegazing