The Blowtops Zero Dance Singles 1998–2009 2xLP

The BLOWTOPS spew forth 27 blasts of industrial-tinged psychobilly, with vocals that sound just like an ELVIS from hell wrestling a microphone away from Lux Interior’s mummified corpse. Demented and fuzzed to oblivian (sic), there is indeed zero here to dance to. I imagine this is what PUSSY GALORE would’ve been like if Jon Spencer was on an actual homicidal rampage during the recording of Dial “M” for Motherfucker—I recently learned that the original title for that album (mysteriously rejected by Caroline Records) was Make Them All Eat Shit Slowly, which I’m convinced is what the BLOWTOPS desire for their listeners. Courtesy of Big Neck Records, Zero Dance compiles all of the band’s singles from an eleven-year span between 1998 and 2009, which is fitting considering that Big Neck’s inaugural release was the BLOWTOPS’ Voodoo Alley EP. The band’s trajectory goes from gnarly and blown-out to more gnarly and more blown-out, trading melody for mechanical noise along the way. Gross, disturbing, and quite possibly brilliant.

• Reviewer Matt Casteel
• Label Big Neck
• Issue MRR #482 • July 2023