Psychobilly is a genre of rock music that mixes elements of punk rock, rockabilly, and other genres. It is often characterized by lyrical references to science fiction, horror and exploitation films, violence, lurid sexuality, and other topics generally considered taboo, though often presented in a comedic or tongue-in-cheek fashion. Psychobilly music is often played with an upright double bass instead of the electric bass more common in modern rock music. Psychobilly gained underground popularity in Europe beginning in the early 1980s, but remained largely unknown in the United States until the late 1990s. Since then the success of several notable psychobilly bands has led to its mainstream popularity and attracted international attention to the genre. Blues music redirects here. ... Country music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains. ... Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. ... This article is about notable bands within the goth scene. ... Hardcore Punk is a subgenre of Punk Rock that originated in North America in the late 1970s. ... Heavy metals, in chemistry, are chemical elements of a particular range of atomic weights. ... Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music often used to refer to bands that are on small independent record labels or that arent on labels at all. ... The term New Wave has been used to describe several movements in art. ... For other uses, see Oi! (disambiguation). ... Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... R&B redirects here. ... Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, and emerged in the early-1950s. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... Speed metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal that spawned in the early 1980s and was the direct musical progenitor of thrash metal[1] [2]. When Speed metal first emerged as a genre, it innovatively increased the tempo of the music template set forth by Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin... ... In the early 1960s, one of the most popular forms of rock and roll was surf rock. ... This page meets Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ... This article is about the genre. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... Side and front views of a modern double bass with a French bow. ... For other kinds of drums, see drum (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... This is a timeline of alternative rock, from its beginnings in the 1970s to the present. ... This is a list of notable psychobilly bands. ... This article is about the genre. ... Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, and emerged in the early-1950s. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... DVD cover showing horror characters as depicted by Universal Studios. ... Exploitation is the name given to genre of films, extant since the earliest days of moviemaking, but popularized in the 1970s. ... For other uses, see Violence (disambiguation). ... This article is about human sexual perceptions. ... This article is about cultural prohibitions in general; for other uses, see Taboo (disambiguation). ... Sarcasm is the making of remarks intended to mock the person referred to (who is normally the person addressed), a situation or thing. ... Side and front views of a modern double bass with a French bow. ... A sunburst-colored Fender Precision Bass The electric bass guitar (or electric bass[1][2]; pronounced , as in base) is a bass stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers (either by plucking, slapping, popping, or tapping) or using a pick. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ...

History

The evolution of psychobilly as a genre is often described as having occurred in waves. The first wave occurred in Britain in the early 1980s, the second wave took place at the end of that decade and spread through the rest of Europe, and the third crested in the late 1990s with the genre finding international popularity.^[1]

Origins

The Cramps are considered progenitors of psychobilly.

In the mid- to late 1970s, as punk rock became popular, several rockabilly and garage rock bands appeared who would influence the development of psychobilly.^[1] The term "psychobilly" was first used in the lyrics to the country song "One Piece at a Time", written by Wayne Kemp for Johnny Cash, which was a Top 10 hit in the United States in 1976. The lyrics describe the construction of a "psychobilly Cadillac."^[2] The rock band The Cramps, who formed in Sacramento, California in 1972 and relocated to New York in 1975 where they became part of the city's thriving punk movement, appropriated the term from the Cash song and described their music as "psychobilly" and "rockabilly voodoo" on flyers advertising their concerts.^[2] The Cramps have since rejected the idea of being a part of a psychobilly subculture, noting that "We weren't even describing the music when we put 'psychobilly' on our old fliers; we were just using carny terms to drum up business. It wasn't meant as a style of music."^[2] Nevertheless, The Cramps, along with artists such as Screamin' Jay Hawkins and the Stray Cats, are considered important precursors to psychobilly.^[1][2] The Cramps' music was heavily informed by the sound and attitude of 1950s American rockabilly, and they recorded numerous covers of songs from the Sun Records catalog. Their 1979 album Songs the Lord Taught Us is considered influential to the formation of the psychobilly genre.^[3] The Cramps are a punk rock band originally formed in 1972. ... Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, and emerged in the early-1950s. ... Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. ... Country music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains. ... One Piece At A Time is a humorous song by Johnny Cash. ... For the song of the same name, recorded by Tracy Byrd and later by Jason Aldean, see Johnny Cash (song). ... Cadillac is a brand of luxury automobile, part of the General Motors corporation, produced and mostly sold in the USA; outside of North America, they have been less successful. ... This article is about the genre. ... The Cramps are a punk rock band originally formed in 1972. ... Sacramento redirects here. ... Midtown Manhattan, looking north from the Empire State Building, 2005 New York City (officially named the City of New York) is the most populous city in the state of New York and the entire United States. ... A 1990 hand-drawn flyer advertising a Goa trance party from Israel. ... For other uses, see Carny (disambiguation). ... Screamin Jay Hawkins Jalacy Hawkins, best known as Screamin Jay Hawkins (July 18, 1929 – February 12, 2000) was an African-American singer famed for his wildly theatrical performances of songs like I Put a Spell on You and Constipation Blues. // Some sources believe that Hawkins is the long-lost brother... The Stray Cats are a rockabilly band formed in 1979 by guitarist/vocalist Brian Setzer (Bloodless Pharaohs/Brian Setzer Orchestra) with school friends Lee Rocker (born Leon Drucker) and Slim Jim Phantom (born James McDonnell) in the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York. ... Label of the fourth Sun Records Sun Records has been the name for four 20th century record labels. ... Songs the Lord Taught Us is an album by psychobilly rock band The Cramps, released in 1979. ...

First wave in Britain

The Meteors are considered the first verifiable psychobilly band.

The Meteors, formed in South London in 1979, are considered the first verifiable psychobilly band. Their albums In Heaven (1981) and Wreckin' Crew (1983) are recognized as landmarks of the early years of the genre.^[1][3] The Meteors blended elements of punk rock, rockabilly, and horror film themes in their music. They also articulated psychobilly's apolitical stance, a reaction to the right- and left-wing political attitudes which divided British youth cultures.^[1] Fans of The Meteors, known as "the Crazies", are often attributed with inventing the style of slam dancing known as "wrecking", which became synonymous with the psychobilly movement.^[2] The short-lived Sharks, formed in Bristol in 1980, followed closely behind The Meteors with their influential album Phantom Rockers.^[1][4] Another significant British band were the Guana Batz, formed in Feltham, Middlesex in 1983.^[4] Their first album, 1985's Held Down to Vinyl at Last, has been described by Tiger Army frontman Nick 13 as "the most important release since the Meteors' first two albums."^[1] ... ... South London area South London (known colloquially as South of the River) is the area of London south of the River Thames. ... “Horror Movie” redirects here. ... For other uses, see Politics (disambiguation). ... This article or section should include material from mosh pit. ... This article is about the English city. ... The Guana Batz are an English psychobilly band that were formed in 1983 in Feltham, Middlesex. ... , Feltham is a suburban town in the London Borough of Hounslow. ... The Middlesex Guildhall at Westminster Middlesex is one of the 39 historic counties of England and was the second smallest (after Rutland). ... Tiger Army is an Alternative rock band that was formed in 1995 in Berkeley, California. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

The Klub Foot nightclub, opened in 1982 at the Clarendon Hotel in Hammersmith, served as a center for Britain's emerging psychobilly movement and hosted many bands associated with the style. Johnny Bower of the Guana Batz describes the club as "the focal point for the whole psychobilly scene. You'd get people from all over at those gigs. It built the scene. Record labels like Nervous were there, signing bands all the time."^[1] A live compilation album entitled Stomping at the Klub Foot was released in 1984, documenting the club's scene and the bands who played there.^[1][3] Laser lights illuminate the dance floor at a Gatecrasher dance music event in Sheffield, England A nightclub (or night club or club) is a drinking, dancing, and entertainment venue which does its primary business after dark. ... Hammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, England, approximately 5 miles (8km) west of Charing Cross on the north bank of the River Thames. ... Nervous records is an independent record label based in the UK born out of years of DJ work on the Rockabilly scene. ... A compilation album is an album (music or spoken-word) featuring tracks from one or multiple recording artists, often culled from a variety of sources (such as studio albums, live albums, singles, demos and outtakes. ...

Second wave in Europe

The second wave of psychobilly is noted as having begun with the 1986 release of British band Demented Are Go's debut album In Sickness & In Health.^[2] The genre soon spread throughout Europe, inspiring a number of new acts such as Mad Sin (formed in Germany in 1987) and the Nekromantix (formed in Denmark in 1989), whose 1991 album Curse of the Coffin is also considered a landmark of this era.^[3] The Quakes became the premier American psychobilly act after forming in Buffalo, New York in 1986, but had such difficulty building a following in their hometown that they moved to London the following year, where they released the influential album Voice of America in 1992.^[1][2][3][4] Another significant release of this era was the compilation album Rockabilly Psychosis and the Garage Disease, which acknowledged the genre's roots in rockabilly and garage rock.^[3] Demented are Go are a Welsh psychobilly band that was formed around 1982 in Cardiff. ... For the BBC sitcom, see In Sickness and in Health In Sickness & In Health is the debut album of Welsh psychobilly band Demented Are Go. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... Mad Sin is a German Psychobilly/punkabilly group that began in 1987. ... Nekromantix is a psychobilly band that was formed in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1989. ... Curse of the Coffin is psychobilly band, Nekromantix, second album, released in 1991. ... The Quakes are a psychobilly band from Buffalo, NY. They were formed in 1986, and were one of the very first American psychobilly bands. ... Nickname: Location of Buffalo in New York State Coordinates: , Country State County Erie First Settled 1789 Founded 1801 Incorporated (City) 1832 Government  - Mayor Byron Brown (D) Area  - City 52. ...

The second-wave bands broadened the music's scope, with an "anything goes" attitude that included bringing new and diverse musical influences into the sound.^[2] Record labels such as Nervous and Crazy Love helped the genre to expand, although it still remained largely unnoticed in the United States, where the albums were poorly distributed and most psychobilly bands preferred to play "weekenders" than to tour.^[2] Nick 13 notes that, while other European trends such as scooter riding, the skinhead movement, and two-tone ska crossed over to America during the 1980s, psychobilly did not: "Why psychobilly is the only [import] that didn't come over here [back then], I really don't know."^[2] One American act that did emulate the style, however, was The Reverend Horton Heat, formed in Dallas, Texas in 1985. Their 1990 single "Psychobilly Freakout" helped introduce American audiences to the genre. The band was heavily inspired by The Cramps, and original Cramps members Lux Interior and Poison Ivy have both identified The Reverend Horton Heat as the latter-day rockabilly/psychobilly band most closely resembling the style and tone of The Cramps.^[5] Look up scooter in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Skinheads, named for their close-cropped or shaven heads, are a working-class subculture that originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1960s, and then spread to other parts of the world. ... Two Tone (or 2 Tone) is a style of music created by fusing elements of punk rock and ska. ... This article is about the genre. ... The Reverend Horton Heat is both a three-piece psychobilly/rockabilly band from Dallas, Texas and the stage name of its singer/songwriter, Jim Heath (born in 1959 in Corpus Christi, Texas). ... For other uses, see Dallas (disambiguation). ... Psychobilly Freakout is a 7 single by The Reverend Horton Heat. ... The Cramps are a band whose only permanent members have been Lux Interior (Erick Purkhiser) and Poison Ivy (Kristy Wallace), the lead singer and lead guitarist respectively. ... Kristy Wallace (b Kristina Marlana Wallace February 20, 1953, Sacramento, California) better known as Poison Ivy, is a founding member of the band The Cramps. ...

Third wave internationally

Tiger Army, shown here performing on the 2007 Warped Tour, are one of the most significant American psychobilly acts.

The third wave of psychobilly began in the mid-1990s and continued the genre's evolution, with many acts expanding their musical pallette by experimenting with influences such as hardcore punk, indie rock, heavy metal, new wave, goth rock, surf rock, country, and ska and adding them to psychobilly's punk/rockabilly mix.^[2] It was during this era that psychobilly became popular in the United States, particularly in southern California, where punk rock had thrived and remained popular since the 1970s. The area's large Latin community, which revered early rock and roll icons, also played a part, as did the popularity of bands like the horror-influenced Misfits and country/rockabilly-inspired Social Distortion, as well as a celebration of hot rod and motorcycle culture.^[2] Tiger Army, formed in San Francisco in 1995, became the dominant American psychobilly act following the release of their 1999 self-titled debut.^[2][3] Their touring in support of the album helped to establish a foothold for psychobilly across the United States.^[1] Los Angeles-based Hellcat Records, run by Rancid's Tim Armstrong, became a home to many psychobilly acts including Tiger Army, Devil's Brigade, the Rezurex, and the Danish groups Nekromantix and HorrorPops, both of whom relocated to southern California in the early 2000s.^[2] Guana Batz members Pip Hancox and Johnny Bower relocated there as well, moving to San Diego where they sometimes perform with Slim Jim Phantom of the Stray Cats under the name Guana Cats.^[4] Other notable southern California psychobilly bands formed in the 1990s include the Rocketz and The Chop Tops. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2576 × 1932 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2576 × 1932 pixel, file size: 1. ... Tiger Army is an Alternative rock band that was formed in 1995 in Berkeley, California. ... Warped Tour is a touring music and extreme sports festival. ... Hardcore Punk is a subgenre of Punk Rock that originated in North America in the late 1970s. ... Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music often used to refer to bands that are on small independent record labels or that arent on labels at all. ... Heavy metals, in chemistry, are chemical elements of a particular range of atomic weights. ... The term New Wave has been used to describe several movements in art. ... This article is about notable bands within the goth scene. ... In the early 1960s, one of the most popular forms of rock and roll was surf rock. ... Country music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains. ... This article is about the genre. ... Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... This article is about the band. ... Social Distortion (sometimes referred to simply as Social D) is a seminal punk rock band formed in 1978 in Orange County, California. ... T-Bucket hot rod Hot rods are older, often historical, cars. ... For other uses, see Motorcycle (disambiguation). ... Tiger Army is an Alternative rock band that was formed in 1995 in Berkeley, California. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... Hellcat Records is a vanity record label based in Los Angeles, California. ... Rancid is a punk band, formed in 1991 in Albany, California, by Matt Freeman and Tim Armstrong. ... Timothy Lockwood Armstrong (born November 25, 1966) is a American musician and songwriter best known for his work with punk rock bands Rancid, Operation Ivy, and Transplants, and the Dance Hall Crashers. ... Devils Brigade is a psychobilly band and side project formed by Matt Freeman of Rancid fame. ... Rezurex is a psychobilly band from California. ... HorrorPops are a Danish psychobilly band that formed in 1996. ... San Diego redirects here. ...

The Living End share many of psychobilly's characteristics and have experienced international success.

The genre remained vital in Europe, where new acts continued to appear. Asmodeus formed in Amsterdam in 1992, the same year the Kryptonix emerged in France, while the Godless Wicked Creeps formed in Denmark the following year.^[2][6] The Sharks also re-formed in Britain, releasing the album Recreational Killer.^[4] Other psychobilly bands and scenes emerged in other countries, such as Battle of Ninjamanz in Japan (formed in 1994) and Os Catalepticos in Brazil (formed in 1996).^[6] Australian act The Living End formed in 1994 and scored a hit with the double single "Second Solution"/"Prisoner of Society" in 1998, which peaked for several weeks at #4 on the Australian charts and became the country's highest selling single of the decade. The Living End generally describe their style as "punkabilly" rather than psychobilly because they do not share the genre's fascination with horror imagery, though they do share the characteristic of blending punk rock and rockabilly at fast tempos with a double bass and share much the same fanbase. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... This article is about the Australian band. ... For other uses, see Amsterdam (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Australian band. ... Second Solution/Prisoner Of Society This is the 3rd EP from The Living End. ... Side and front views of a modern double bass with a French bow. ...

Style

Music

Musically, psychobilly is rooted primarily in two genres: late 1970s punk rock and 1950s American rockabilly. Tiger Army frontman Nick 13 has described how the style is based in rockabilly, yet distinct from it: "The number-one misconception people have is that psychobilly is the same thing as rockabilly. Rockabilly is on the family tree, but it's a totally different sound and attitude."^[1] Psychobilly progenitors The Cramps acknowledge their music's deep roots in American blues, rhythm and blues, and traditional rock and roll.^[2][5] Critics have noted that present-day psychobilly also draws from a number of other rock genres and subgenres. Alternative Press writer Ryan Downey describes the sound as a mix of styles: "Driven by the rhythmic pounding of a stand-up bass, the music swings with the snarl of punk rock while sometimes thrashing alongside speed metal or crashing headlong into country icon Hank Williams."^[1] Downey also acknowledges that modern psychobilly's roots extend into two-tone ska, garage rock, and the punk subgenres hardcore punk, street punk, and oi!.^[1][2][6] Hilary Okun, publicist for Epitaph and Hellcat Records, notes that "The music appeals to fans of punk, indie, metal, new wave, goth, rockabilly, surf, [and] country."^[2] The influence of heavy metal on the psychobilly style resulted in the Nekromantix's 1994 album Brought Back to Life being nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of "Best Heavy Metal Album."^[8] The Cramps are a punk rock band originally formed in 1972. ... Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, and emerged in the early-1950s. ... Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... “Horror Movie” redirects here. ... Songs the Lord Taught Us is an album by psychobilly rock band The Cramps, released in 1979. ... The Sharks is a band founded in November of 2005 by Bridget Love, Paul Guilianelli, Benny Farahkhan, and Max Brooks. ... // The Teddy boy youth culture first emerged in Britain (starting in London, and rapidly spreading across the country) during the early 1950s, and soon after became strongly associated with American rock and roll music of the period. ... ... This article or section should include material from mosh pit. ... Psychobilly Freakout is a 7 single by The Reverend Horton Heat. ... The Reverend Horton Heat is both a three-piece psychobilly/rockabilly band from Dallas, Texas and the stage name of its singer/songwriter, Jim Heath (born in 1959 in Corpus Christi, Texas). ... Side and front views of a modern double bass with a French bow. ... Smoke em if You Got em is the first album by The Reverend Horton Heat. ... Nekromantix is a psychobilly band that was formed in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1989. ... Side and front views of a modern double bass with a French bow. ... Curse of the Coffin is psychobilly band, Nekromantix, second album, released in 1991. ... This article is about the Australian band. ... Second Solution/Prisoner Of Society This is the 3rd EP from The Living End. ... The Living End is the eponymous debut album by Australian punk/rockabilly band The Living End. ... Tiger Army is an Alternative rock band that was formed in 1995 in Berkeley, California. ... Blues music redirects here. ... Country music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains. ... Tiger Army III: Ghost Tigers Rise is Tiger Armys latest release. ... HorrorPops are a Danish psychobilly band that formed in 1996. ... The term New Wave has been used to describe several movements in art. ... This article is about the genre of popular music. ... This article is about notable bands within the goth scene. ... Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, and emerged in the early-1950s. ... The Cramps are a punk rock band originally formed in 1972. ... Blues music redirects here. ... R&B redirects here. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... This article is about the genre. ... Alternative Press is a music magazine focusing on goth and punk music. ... Side and front views of a modern double bass with a French bow. ... Speed metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal that spawned in the early 1980s and was the direct musical progenitor of thrash metal[1] [2]. When Speed metal first emerged as a genre, it innovatively increased the tempo of the music template set forth by Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin... Country music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains. ... For other persons named Hank Williams, see Hank Williams (disambiguation). ... Two Tone (or 2 Tone) is a style of music created by fusing elements of punk rock and ska. ... This article is about the genre. ... Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. ... Hardcore Punk is a subgenre of Punk Rock that originated in North America in the late 1970s. ... ... For other uses, see Oi! (disambiguation). ... Epitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. ... Hellcat Records is a vanity record label based in Los Angeles, California. ... Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music often used to refer to bands that are on small independent record labels or that arent on labels at all. ... Heavy metals, in chemistry, are chemical elements of a particular range of atomic weights. ... The term New Wave has been used to describe several movements in art. ... This article is about notable bands within the goth scene. ... In the early 1960s, one of the most popular forms of rock and roll was surf rock. ... Nekromantix is a psychobilly band that was formed in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1989. ... Brought Back to Life is psychobilly band Nekromantix third album, released in 1994. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

HorrorPops frontwoman Patricia Day plays an elaborately decorated double bass, a common instrument in psychobilly.

Psychobilly is commonly played with a simple guitar/bass/drum/vocal arrangement, with many bands consisting of only three members. Frequently the guitarist or bassist will serve simultaneously as vocalist, with few acts having a dedicated singer. An upright double bass is frequently used instead of the electric bass more common in modern rock music, an influence drawn from 1950s rockabilly and rock and roll groups. The bass is often played in the "slap" style in which the player snaps the string by pulling it until it hits the fingerboard, or hits the strings against the fingerboard, adding a high-pitched percussive "clack" or "slap" sound to the low-pitched bass notes. Some acts have made the upright bass the centerpiece of their arrangements, constructing large and elaborately decorated bass guitars which draw the audience's eye or match the visual imagery of the band and music. An example of this is the "coffinbass" used by Nekromantix frontman Kim Nekroman, a double bass with a body in the shape of a coffin and a headstock in the shape of a cross. Nekroman created his original "coffinbass" from an actual child-sized coffin, and has since designed new models to achieve better acoustics and collapsibility for easier transportation.^[9] Another notable act to use a coffin-shaped bass is the Brazilian psychobilly band Os Catalepticos.^[6] HorrorPops frontwoman Patricia Day also uses an elaborately painted and decorated double bass which reflects the visual style of her band. Not all groups use the upright bass, however. The Cramps performed without a bass player in their early career, using two guitars instead. They did not add a bass guitar to their arrangement until 1986, and have used an electric bass since that time. Cramps guitarist/bassist Poison Ivy sees this as one of the distinctions which separates the band from the psychobilly movement: "I think psychobilly has evolved into a gamut of things, but I don't think of what people think of, as psychobilly doesn't describe what we do. It seems to involve upright bass and playing songs extremely fast. That's certainly not what we do."^[2] Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2592 × 1944 pixel, file size: 2. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2592 × 1944 pixel, file size: 2. ... HorrorPops are a Danish psychobilly band that formed in 1996. ... Patricia Day, born July 3, 1976, is the bassist and lead singer for the Danish Rockabilly Band HorrorPops. ... Side and front views of a modern double bass with a French bow. ... For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... A sunburst-colored Fender Precision Bass The electric bass guitar (or electric bass[1][2]; pronounced , as in base) is a bass stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers (either by plucking, slapping, popping, or tapping) or using a pick. ... A drum kit (or drum set or trap set) is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as a cowbell, wood block, chimes or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single drummer. ... Harry Belafonte singing, photograph by C. van Vechten Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, which is often contrasted with speech. ... For the UK magazine, see Guitarist (magazine). ... Deon Rexroat of Anberlin. ... For other uses, see Singer (disambiguation). ... Side and front views of a modern double bass with a French bow. ... A sunburst-colored Fender Precision Bass The electric bass guitar (or electric bass[1][2]; pronounced , as in base) is a bass stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers (either by plucking, slapping, popping, or tapping) or using a pick. ... Side and front views of a modern double bass with a French bow. ... Kim Nekroman is the bassist and lead singer for the psychobilly band Nekromantix and the lead guitarist of HorrorPops. ... For people named Coffin, see Coffin (surname). ... A reliquary in the form of an ornate Christian Cross Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope... HorrorPops are a Danish psychobilly band that formed in 1996. ... Patricia Day, born July 3, 1976, is the bassist and lead singer for the Danish Rockabilly Band HorrorPops. ... Kristy Wallace (b Kristina Marlana Wallace February 20, 1953, Sacramento, California) better known as Poison Ivy, is a founding member of the band The Cramps. ...

Lyrically, psychobilly bands tend to favor topics and imagery drawn from horror and exploitation films, violence, lurid sexuality, and other taboo topics, usually presented in a comedic or tongue-in-cheek fashion reminiscent of the camp aesthetic. Most acts avoid "serious" subjects such as politics. Original psychobilly act The Meteors articulated a very apolitical stance to the scene, a reaction to the right- and left-wing political attitudes dividing British youth cultures of the late 1970s and early 1980s.^[1] This attitude has carried through later generations of psychobilly. Nekromantix frontman Kim Nekroman describes: "We are all different people and have different political views. Psychobilly is all about having fun. Politics is not fun and therefore has nothing to do with psychobilly!"^[2] DVD cover showing horror characters as depicted by Universal Studios. ... Exploitation is the name given to genre of films, extant since the earliest days of moviemaking, but popularized in the 1970s. ... For other uses, see Violence (disambiguation). ... This article is about human sexual perceptions. ... This article is about cultural prohibitions in general; for other uses, see Taboo (disambiguation). ... Sarcasm is the making of remarks intended to mock the person referred to (who is normally the person addressed), a situation or thing. ... Camp is an aesthetic in which something has appeal because of its bad taste or ironic value. ... ... For other uses, see Politics (disambiguation). ... Nekromantix is a psychobilly band that was formed in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1989. ... Kim Nekroman is the bassist and lead singer for the psychobilly band Nekromantix and the lead guitarist of HorrorPops. ...

Fashion

Psychobilly musicians and fans often dress in styles that borrow equally from 1950s rock and roll and 1970s punk fashions as well as other influences. Men often wear brothel creepers and Dr. Martens boots and shave their heads into high wedge-shaped pompadours or quiffs, military-style crops, or mohawks.^[1] The Sharks song "Take a Razor to Your Head" articulated the early psychobilly scene's code of dress, which was a reaction to the British Teddy Boy movement:^[1] "When your Mom says you look really nice / When you're dressed up like a Ted / It's time to follow this cat's advice / Take a razor to your head".^[10] Women of the psychobilly movement frequently model their fashions after B-grade horror films and hot rod culture.^[1] Tattoos are common among both sexes.^[1] Overall, psychobilly fashion mixes aesthetics from the scooter boy, skinhead, punk, and rockabilly subcultures, though not all performers or fans choose to dress in these styles.^[1] Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... Punk fashion is the styles of clothing, hairstyles, cosmetics, jewelry, and body modifications of the punk subculture. ... Creepers or brothel creepers are a type of shoe that gained popularity in the 1950s with the rise of rockabilly and the teddy boy youth culture in the United States and the United Kingdom. ... Dr. Martens is a brand of shoe, often known as Doc Martens, Docs, or DMs. They have a characteristic air-cushioned sole, dubbed Bouncing Soles, developed by Dr. Klaus Maertens (note the different spelling). ... Boots is the name of at least five different albums and singles: Boots by Nancy Sinatra (1966) Boots by Mighty Gabby (1984) Boots by Condemned Eighty Four (2001) Boots by KMFDM (2002) Boots by Noe Venable (2003) It is also the name of a large chain of chemists in the... In geometry, a wedge is a polyhedral solid defined by two triangles and three trapezoid faces. ... A man wearing a pompadour hairstyle Pompadour is a style of haircut which takes its name from Madame de Pompadour. ... A 2000s youth wearing a 1950s-style Teddy Boy quiff Another, perhaps more extreme, version of the quiff The quiff is a hairstyle that combines the 50s pompadour hairstyle, the 50s flattop, and sometimes a mohawk. ... The famous Mohawk leader Joseph Brant wearing a scalp lock. ... The Sharks is a band founded in November of 2005 by Bridget Love, Paul Guilianelli, Benny Farahkhan, and Max Brooks. ... // The Teddy boy youth culture first emerged in Britain (starting in London, and rapidly spreading across the country) during the early 1950s, and soon after became strongly associated with American rock and roll music of the period. ... The King of the Bs, Roger Corman, produced and directed The Raven (1963) for American International Pictures. ... “Horror Movie” redirects here. ... T-Bucket hot rod Hot rods are older, often historical, cars. ... For other uses, see Tattoo (disambiguation). ... Originating in the United Kingdom in the 1980s, scooterboy culture emerged from mods and skinheads, although it became a distinct and separate subculture. ... Skinheads, named for their close-cropped or shaven heads, are a working-class subculture that originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1960s, and then spread to other parts of the world. ... Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, and emerged in the early-1950s. ... In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a set of people with a set of behaviors and beliefs, culture, which could be distinct or hidden, that differentiate them from the larger culture to which they belong. ...

See also

• Timeline of alternative rock
• List of psychobilly bands

This is a timeline of alternative rock, from its beginnings in the 1970s to the present. ... This is a list of notable psychobilly bands. ...

References

General references

• Downey, Ryan J. "Psyched to Be Here." Alternative Press, November 2004, 76–82.

Alternative Press (or commonly referred to on the website and in the magazine as AP) is a music magazine based in Cleveland, Ohio which primarily focuses on pop rock, post-hardcore, indie rock, ska, hardcore and rock music and their attendant subgenres, providing readers with band interviews and photos, information...

Footnotes