Have a nice evening, nervous young people! Today I want to introduce you to several cycobilly albums released over the last decade. They are united by modern and high-quality sound, and they are all from the “tenth” and “twentieth”. The new 50s are already much closer than they were before, so we need to prepare for the revival of all kinds of rock and roll, including the wildest and toothiest.
I want to address this article primarily to those who are still young in mind and body, but have not seen the last millennium at all. After all, it’s up to you, my dear Generation Z, to arrange the new Fifties! All the records on this list don’t sound archaic. You don’t need to know the music history and listen to a million discographies to understand why it’s cool. Older boys and girls can and should also get acquainted, of course. We don’t have any serious age restrictions or other ageism, but the “used to be better” attitude won’t work.
And the selected records will perfectly fit into the playlist or recommendations of fans of all kinds of informal alternative music heavier. Modern saika makes great friends with mismatched metals and bark, with the exception of the most obscure options. And no aesthetic dissonance! The albums are arranged chronologically, and, for added convenience, they are available in one extremely popular streaming service. Like it and let’s go!
Reverend Horton Heat – Rev (2014)
Let’s start with the parting words of the clergy! Reverend Horton Heath, “the godfather of modern cycobilly,” along with Jimbo Wallace, the ever-present double bass player, blesses us. This is not the most recent work of the Reverend, but it won my heart with its incredible variety: there are enough rockabilly things here, and frankly evil punk themes too. And of course there is a sea here, even an ocean of amazing guitar solos, melodies and all kinds of tunes. That’s someone who can compete with Brian Setzer in virtuosity! And I can’t mention the charming dynamics of Churilla’s Cattle (it seems so right) behind the drum kit: there are just as many wild breaks as needed.
The tracks here are great to remember, but most of all I want to highlight the downhill Schizoid, the half-bent-legged Spooky Boots and the Victory Lap/ Smell of Gasoline dilogy.
Graveyard Johnnys – Dead Transmission (2015)
Fast forward to the year of flying cars that never happened. But the most powerful full-length album of the British Graveyard Johnnys happened. At the moment, this is the only full-length album, but the guys still seem to be fluttering. The incredibly energetic record is filled with hits to the brim! It’s hard to single out the best songs, but perhaps my favorites are the first three tracks: The Poison with its measured intro, For Tonight, which catches on from the first chords, and, of course, the title track Dead Transmission! The stunning chorus of the latter, combined with the work of the rhythm section in the verses, is what is missing to keep the genre alive. It’s ironic that it’s represented in a song with that name. And what a rebellious spirit!
The Zipheads – Z2: Rampage (2016)
Another Brits on the list add even more tin in sound and variety in arrangements. In the tracks on this album, swing elements merge with elements of hardcore punk and much more. The Lightning Heads skillfully reworked everything they could reach in our beloved culture and it turned out amazing. The songs are fast, wild, and varied. I really like the rushing forward and upward energy of Ill Repute, the life-affirming After All with a sudden saxophone. But most of all on this album, I like the country vibe songs Instead with spontaneous harmonica and Patron Saint – just my favorite track of these guys.
Rezurex – Skeletons (2020)
The Los Angeles-based band Rezurex was one of the first saykobands with whom I began my personal acquaintance with such music. They are very melodic, stylistically designed in the American Gothic aesthetic, with the Mexican Day of the Dead and other similar things. This record is capable of conquering many women’s hearts under black corsets. And men’s ones, too. I would like to mention separately, perhaps, the bilingual (well, relatively) track Mi Calavera de Amor and wow, what a frightening Scarecrow.
Bloodsucking Zombies from Outer Space – Shock Rock Rebels (2021)
Actually, I think Toxic Terror Trax is the best album by bloodsucking zombies, but I have a separate detailed article about it, so why repeat myself? On the 2021 album, the sound has become even more dense and saturated, and it’s more often horror-punk than good old-fashioned cycobilly, but great melodies and downbeat rhythms do their job, so you can forget about labels. I really like the tracks Belial and The Dentist for their unbridled power and Stop Writing Songs About Your Girlfriend because someone finally said it!
We’ll leave it at that for today, but we have a lot of things ahead of us in this bouncy and wild style. I also recommend reading the previous collection on the topic of saykobilly.
Happy New Year, dear ones! The year 2025 has officially arrived according to all calendars, which means that the new 50s are only 1/4 of a century away. May a lot of new and diverse rock and roll be with us for the centenary of the era!
