Blue Suede News Fall 2003
Dragstrip Riot
Go-Kustom GKR 012-2
This Seattle quartet sticks to hard driving hot rod rock - DragStrip Riot's mix of Psychobilly, Punk, Instro-Rock and Neo-Rockabilly. The CD starts off with a roaring engine sound and the hot rod theme runs through most of the 13 self-written songs. Many tracks are super fast with distorted guitars, the few slower ones often featue cool twangy guitar sound. "Hell-Bound and Happy" is a mean blus rocker, "Suspicions" a melodic modern Rockabilly. All songs are bursting with energy and I'm sure it shows in thei live shows. -GMB
Cosmik Debris Magazine
DRAGSTRIP RIOT
self-titled (Go-Kustom)
Reviewed by Alan Wright
Most recent release from local Seattle label Go-Kustom (which is also a cable access show called Go-Kustom T.V.). These guys are some cool hyper-blues-rockabilly-punk mutation. Fast tempos, hard-edged guitar work and great Rockabilly style singing. There's songs about "Fast Cars and Fast Women," "Showbiz," death ("Rest In Peace"), racing cars ("Dragstrip Riot (Let's Go Fight)") and more. Their lyrics show a sense of humor, and also a level of smarts. "The Damage Done," although the simple story of love gone bad, has really cool lyrics, with lines like "now there's nothing left, our relationship's been wrecked of any dignity we tethered." They also do a good job of instro surf-hot rod tuneage on "Afterburner" and ""Watery Grave." "Hell-Bound And Happy" showcases some nice slide guitar work. This is really rockin' stuff, and I bet these guys are great live!
© 2003 - Alan Wright
Seattle Punk.net
Drag Strip Riot (Self-Titled LP)
Reviewer: aridnea (aridnea@seattlepunk.net)
Review:
Cars, broads and pomade.
That sums up most rockabilly. Throw in a little murder and you've got
DragStrip Riot.
But looking at the cover art of DSR's self-titled album, you would think
they were just about the cars. On the front, their logo is painted on
pavement; on the back, two fifties-era monsters are gunning their engines at
the starting line. A kid in Tower looking for something new is going to
pass right by this cd without a second thought – so if you're reading this,
it's your job to spread the joys of cars, broads, pomade and killing.
Of course, just listening to the first song, "Fast Cars & Fast Women" I
would've passed right by this album, too. Don't get me wrong, it's a good
song. It opens like an illegal street race and keeps that punk energy all
the way through, but it didn't do a good job of distinguishing DSR from any
other rockabilly band or hooking me.
Then I heard "36 Inch Wheels of Death" and fell in love. What a great song
about killing your girlfriend with a train – definitely the best I've heard!
Knuck's voice is velvety smooth (with a touch of Elvis' "uh-huhs") and
you realize he's found the perfect outlet for his talents. Yeah, I try to
be a feminist, but I can't help but dance around my living room to this
song.
To say DragStrip Riot is full of machismo is being nice; sometimes, their
songs are just plain misogynistic. But there's something about rockabilly
that excuses that kind of thinking, something about the time when men were
men and women weren't womyn. And it just sounds so darned happy – DSR has
concocted the perfect blend of punk and classic rockabilly, throwing in some
surf, blues and lunacy to sweeten the mix. So if you're expecting to hear a
politically correct collection of popabilly, go talk to the cashiers at
Barnes & Noble.
But don't deny yourself this gem of a cd, with smart lyrics and catchy,
energetic arrangements, just because it's a little vulgar and demented.
Yes, there's "American Sick-O," an eerie, surf-rock influenced song about a
stalker that ends up getting knifed by his prey (gives me the shivers every
time she screams). But there's also "The Damage Done," one of the prettiest
and smartest songs I've heard about a breakup. When I think of all the
vapid lyrics pumped out by pop idols and boy bands, I am a little in awe of
this one: "So just walk away, I regret every day, we ever spent together.
Now there's nothing left, our relationship's bereft, of any dignity we
tethered." Greaser poets, I worship at your feet.
You have that quizzical look on your face that tells me I gave you the
wrong idea. Don't worry, the boys of DragStrip Riot may be smart, but
they're still fun. They drink and whore ("Showbiz") and race and fight
("Drag Strip Riot (Let's Go Fight)"). They make living as a dead-end
greaser sound like every boy's dream ("Hell-Bound & Happy" and "Waste") and
killing a girlfriend sound justified ("36 Inch Wheels of Death" and "Rest in
Peace"). Like I said – all about the cars, broads, pomade and murder.
Shredding Paper #16
Dragstrip Riot - s/t CD 14/ 45:25
This Seattle quartet serves up rootsy rockabilly spiked with punk energy but occasionally creeps (or bolts, depending on the song) into psychobilly territory. In addition, there are a couple of surf instrumentals as well as an acoustic bonus track. A commendable debut. Oh, and for those who care, yes they use an upright bass. Lily
Sacramento News and Reviews
Dragstrip Riot
Dragstrip Riot
Go-Kustom
By David A. Kulczyk
Rockabilly is not dead. Do you hear me? Rockabilly is not dead because Dragstrip Riot is alive, performing and recording. Booze, sex, fast cars and crime are the themes explored by this Seattle-based quartet, and if you expect anything other than that, then you're as slow as an AMC Gremlin three-speed. Lead singer and lead guitarist Knuck has a voice made in rockabilly heaven, if there is such a thing; it's part Gene Vincent, part Buddy Knox and all Knuck. Drummer Jason "Frosty" Frost tippy-taps his drums like a foothills tweaker waiting to find out if he passed his handgun permit test. This isn't a pretty CD; you can smell the engine grime on it, and every member of the band probably could and would kick your ass in three seconds. In short, it's just like rockabilly should be.
Delusions Of Adequacy
Dragstrip Riot
S/T
Go-Kustom
Rockabilly. It's one of the oldest & most enduring forms of rock n' roll, and yet there are very few bands out there making a go of it today. Perhaps that's why the brave few that keep the legacy going are so damn good. Let's face it, rockabilly (the music and the culture) are just plain fun. It reminds us of the pleasurable (and maybe a little bit naughty) things in life like hot rods, alcohol, tattoos, retro clothes, and more. I love rockabilly and if you do too, you'll surely dig Dragstrip Riot and their recently released self-titled debut.
Absolutely everything about this Seattle band screams rockabilly. They infuse just the right mix of country, blues, and a little bit of punk into their rock n' roll - complete with vocals that move from crooning to all out bellow, surf-rock boogie guitar, the slap of an upright bass, and bouncing drum work. Even though Dragstrip Riot has only been together since 2001, these boys do their predecessors more than proud. I haven't heard anything this fun since the last time the Reverend Horton Heat whirled through town!
One of the best things about modern rockabilly is that no subject is taboo. You won't find all sorts of political correctness bull in any of Dragstrip Riot's songs. Besides the normal odes to boozing and fast cars, you'll find lots of tunes about good girls and bad women. Most of the lyrics here are just oozing with dark humor, like "36 Inch Wheels of Death" and its tale of a man tying his lady to the railroad tracks and the "American Sick-O" saga of a stalker getting knifed by his victim. It's all done with tons of swagger, some high-octane fuel injection, and a sneer that you can't help but love.
For a debut album, Dragstrip Riot has outdone themselves, but they've clearly got enough energy to keep this up for a long time to come. It's unfortunate that modern rockabilly only lives on as a small musical niche and this band, like so many others, will likely never be a mainstream hit, but as long as there are fans out there I imagine Dragstrip Riot will be rocking their socks off. If you love good rock n' roll, you won't want to miss this band. Kudos to these guys for keeping it alive and fun! - Jennifer, 2/17/03
Hot Rods+
Heathens+
Hair Grease=
Drag Strip Riot
If you think this has anything to do with the late-50s film flick or even a pull- quote from "Infinity Over Zero", guess again. Drag Strip Riot is alive, breathing, and kicking ass in the form of a Seattle-based Rockabilly band. Rockabilly? Yeah, but don't expect anything like that bubble-gum-pop shit that the Stray Cats put out two decades ago. Nope, DSR is fat with R&B, Punk, Surf and good-time rock & roll influences, fused with a heavy dose of testosterone-laced lyrics that would make Tipper Gore cringe. Clean-cut, politically correct are clearly what DSR are not, nor do I believe they want to be or care. Bad boys to the bone, and I like 'em.
Formed in 2001, DSR riot consists of Steve "Knuck" Bostick-lead vocals & guitar; "Sickboy" Dan Rivera-guitar & vocals; "Motor" Mike Ririe-upright bass & vocals; and Jason "Screamin' J. Frosty" Frost-drums & screams. DSR's self- titled debut effort kicks the door open with the raucous "Fast Cars & Fast Women", and speeds through 40+ minutes of sexy guitar riffs ("Afterburner" and "Watery Grave"), dark humor ("36 Inch Wheels of Death"), tales of good girls ("Showbiz") and bad women("She's All Talk" and "Suspicions"), while blending odes to boozing and hot rods. DSR is fun, rowdy and comical, and I'd place bets that they're a blast to see in person. DSR has it all.
While I did enjoy this debut effort, I was disappointed to discover that there were more than a handful of songs listed on the DSR web site that fell short of the CD line-up. However, DSR was sneaky enough to include a 14th song (not listed on the CD jacket) at the end of the 13th track. "Waste" fades out to 34 seconds of silence and then breaks into 'We Drank 'Til You Got Pretty'. Pretty clever, guys. Hopefully, they'll include the sidelined tracks on future projects. If you want to hear a few tracks from DSR, check out their web site at www.dragstripriot.com where you'll find a few songs available in MP3 format. If you like those, you can buy a copy of the CD for 10 bucks, which does include shipping. I highly recommend it. -Dawn Mazi-Hovsepian
I-Mockery.com Music Reviews
Artist: DragStrip Riot
Album: "DragStrip Riot"
Label: Go-Kustom Rekords
Genre: Rock
Reviewer: Dave
Review: This is bar-none one of the best albums I've heard in a very long time. It's roots rock, it's punk, it's blues, it's so many things in one place. Imagine if Eddie Cochran came back from the grave pissed off and started recording again and you might have some idea of what's going on here.
The album kicks off with the riff-heavy 'Fast Cars & Fast Women' and proceeds to blow your mind with fast neo-rockabilly (36 Inch Wheels Of Death), blues stompers (Showbiz, Hell-Bound & Happy), surf instrumentals (Afterburner, Watery Grave), pure rock (The Damage Done), vintage roots rock vibe (Suspicions, She's All Talk), psychobilly (Rest In Peace, Drag Strip Riot) and abrasive punk (Waste). All the songs either ooze with a festering anger, chest pounding tough-guy lyrics, or a dark humor with tongues planted so firmly in cheeks it hurts. The musicianship and lyrical proficiency displayed here is top notch; there's not a single filler track on the album.
Having been an avid fan of punk, psychobilly, and roots rock n roll for some time, this album still stands out as something different. It's more eclectic than most albums in my collection, and more raw than a good half of them. The world should prepare because DragStrip Riot is coming and from the sounds of it, they're going to be pissed.
Originality: 10
Lyrics: 10
Sound Quality: 9
Musicianship: 10
Album Art: 10
Overall: 10
