Poison Boys

Reviews

Poison Boys Headed for Disaster LP

Compilation of odds-and-ends from these Chicago long-haired rockers. If you like your jeans too tight and your hair unkempt, then this may be the snotty little record for you. This mob worships at the altar of STIV BATORS, and they are preaching their little winklepickers off on this release. More keys than a gaoler’s back pocket, and daft solos are the name of the day. STOOGES and NEW YORK DOLLS influences abound, presumably powered by industrial levels of Silvikrin and leopard print. Will it change your life? Not unless you’ve literally only started listening to music in the past two months, but it is an awful lot of silly business and, shock horror, a laugh? It’s not been made illegal yet mates, so enjoy it while you can.

Poison Boys Don’t You Turn on Me LP

This is catchy enough that you almost want to call it power pop, but it’s got a lot of heavy guitar work that makes you want to say glam. It’s also very much just straightforward punk. Mid-tempo and steady, it keeps your head bouncing. I like it, but do find the recording a little fuzzy for my liking. And I don’t mind some lead guitar, but I do feel like it’s the kind of thing that needs to be controlled. On a lot of these tracks, they’re not exhibiting that control. And you know I always love backing vocals. Lots of that here. Good stuff when you take that all into account.

Poison Boys Out of My Head LP

You wouldn’t get any arguments calling this punk, but you could for sure make an argument that this is pub/street rock’n’roll. It’s catchy and mid-tempo and solid. Certain cuts bring a classic rock’n’roll/bluesy element that reminds me of stuff the Chiswick label was putting out in the late 1970s. Nice.

Poison Boys Poppin’ Eyes and Flashing Feet 7″

A two-song 45 from these Chicago boys. Straight out of the STOOGES and JOHNNY THUNDERS school of rock’n’roll. This came out a year back, and they’ve since put out a full-length. Back in the day, they would have fit right in with that CBGB’s sound. Good stuff.