Licorice Tree Records -- South Filthy!

South Filthy features Walter Daniels (Jack O'Fire, Big Foot Chester), Msr.Jeffrey Evans (Gibson Bros., '68 Comeback), Jack Yarber (Oblivians, Compulsive Gamblers), Rice Moorehead (Big Foot Chester) and Mike Buck (Fabulous Thunderbirds, Doug Sahm). With big talent like this, everyone’s second favorite label, Sympathy for the Record Industry, couldn’t say no, and their first album was born- "You Can Name It Your Mammy If You Wanna".

You can’t quarantine these slippery suckers… South Filthy will treat you to a country ballad, then slap you silly with a 50s rocker complete with backup “eeews” and “aaahs”, then bash in your door with a Chester Burnett blues stomp, with the dirtiest, nastiest wish-I-had-a-bar-of-Ivory-soap kinda trash harp that only Walter Daniels can truly pull off.

When the second South Filthy offering was made, Licorice Tree Records was lucky enough to get our grubby little paws in the works, and “Crackin Up” is OUT NOW! Your ears will be pleasured to another heapin helpin’ of whacked out covers and story telling originals…

Insert into the star studded cast a list of special guests, like Jimbo Mathus (played with Buddy Guy & Elvis Costello plopped down some tracks at his studio), Eugene Chadbourne (all around musical nut played with John Zorn, They Might Be Giants, Camper Van Beethoven), and Earl Poole Ball (honky tonk piano tinkler played with Johnny Cash, The Byrds, Buck Owens)

OH! and did we mention three live ditties are tacked on to the end of the album? Consider yourself blessed in the muddy waters of the South Filthy River. AMEN!

also- giant & belated THANKS to Dirk Kars and Silke Deschle for providing the amazing sweaty snapshots used in the Crackin Up booklet- buy em some beers!

Discography

Crackin' Up LP/CD (Rockin Bones 2005/Licorice Tree Records 2006) BUY!
Soul Of A Man 7" (Wrecked Em Records 2003)
Root Damage Compilation LP/CD (Sympathy For The Record Industry 2003)
You Can Name It Yo Mammy If You Wanna (Sympathy For The Record Industry 2002)

REVIEWS!!

Under The Volcano
South Filthy “Crackin’ Up” (Licorice Tree, POB 92783, Austin, TX 78709). South Filthy is a five-man musical dervish that brings it all home in a jug of whiskey and a pouch of chewin’ tobacco. Theirs is the swaggering, barrel-fisted sound of low-down dirty deeds, broken unfulfilled promises, and fading blurry-eyed visions of a brighter, more hopeful tomorrow. It’s equal parts misery-swathed, honky-tonk heartache and sweaty, sexually charged voodoo-redneck grit with a shot of backwoods bull-nettle Blues, a dash of goodtime ‘50s-style Rock ‘n’ Roll, and a jigger of steamboat jugband Cabaret, all thoroughly saturated in plenty of rowdy ass-kicking Country twang. South Filthy vividly conjures an impressive image of Howlin’ Wolf, Waylon Jennings, and Tom Waits knockin’ the snot out of The Band on a rickety, chicken wire-screened stage in a Mississippi juke joint. I’ve especially enjoyed the bluesy, devil-shuffle numbers with the fiery, hellhound harmonica that wails for mercy and the redemptive qualities found only in a bottle of booze on a Saturday night. And now I must imbibe the entire contents of said bottle while South Filthy twists my soul and blackens my heart. (CD)-Moser

Ear Candy ( Licorice Tree Records)
I haven’t even had breakfast yet and after a few minutes of listening to this amazing cd I have an almost indescribably huge craving for jalapeño’s and Budweiser and an uncontrollable urge to expose myself. “Crackin’ Up” has the honky-tonk feel that the Rolling Stones have been trying to put on tape for years. I’d love to hear these guys cover “Far Away Eyes” or “Before They Make Me Run” or better yet the whole “Some Girls” album. This is down home plate of Americana served up by an underground supergroup comprised of members from Jack O’Fire, Big Foot Chester, Gibson Bro.s, ’68 Comeback, Oblivians, Compulsive Gamblers, Fabulous Thunderbirds, and Doug Sham. Amust have in my book.

Next Big Thing
Inebriated is the condition that South Filthy’s "Crackin’ Up" was very possibly conceived in. The exit stage left of any inhibition which has resulted in a kind of gung-ho bizarre world take on something like The Highwaymen. A malcontent supergroup, sozzled and out for kicks as they loosely interpret a set-full of hugely enjoyable runs though a jungle of covers (Marvin rainwater, Ian Hunter, Tom T. Hall) and originals. They fall on their bahookies a couple of times too but that all adds grist to the rabble-arousing mill. This latest Licorice Tree release and continues that label’s high-scoring batting average. SF include Msr Jeffrey Evans, and Jack Yarber who corral in a seasoned bunch of reprobates like Mike Buck and Eugene Chadbourne amongst many others. Their interpretation of "Wimp" isn’t a patch on The Nomads but that said it must be a helluva sight to hear and behold the Filthy in a roadhouse or similar such establishment. I imagine that’s where it really comes intae it’s own. Their take on Gino Washington's "C'mon Let's Monkey" sounds like it was culled from the Venusian pressing of the Grease soundtrack. With extra grease.

The Crutch
By: Matt Sanford
Jack Yarber's name is synonymous with Southern garage rock, and he proves why on South Filthy's sophomore release, Crackin' Up. Flanked by a quartet of a few known, self proclaimed rock yokels – Walter Daniels, Msr. Jeffrey Evans, Rice Moorhead and Mike Buck – Yarber has laid down an array of gritty, blues-injected honky-tonk tracks designed to make your heart jump out of your chest and dance slowly across the floor. Crackin' Up wastes no time on trivial introductions, as it quickly lights a fire under your ass with "(So You Think) You Have Trouble". The song is an even keeled, low-fi garage romp showcasing Yarber's scratchy vocals and flair for songwriting. And on "Screwdriver", a blue-soaked song punched up by Daniels' fuzzy harp, the frontman's voice sounds growled out through a cheese grater. It's all delivered in the vein of Tom Waits, with a lowbrow swagger and a
whiskey-soaked slap in the face to any Nashville-sound purist. Backwoods, dirty-ass honky-tonk is Jack Yarber's specialty. If you're looking for this complete with a discourse on white-boy blues (and such heavyweight guests as Jimbo Mathis, Eugene Chadnourne and Earl Poole Ball, to boot!), this is your album. If you’re looking for a run-of-the-mill, Southern-rock album to play after your latest Skynyrd re-issue, look somewhere else. ♫

Terminal Boredom
South Filthy "Crackin' Up" CD
Monsieur Jeffrey, Jack Yarber, Walter Daniels, Jimbo Mathus, Mike Buck, Eugene Chadbourne, Ron Franklin, Earl Poole Ball and other Texas and Memphis legends and semi-legends get together for one big party. They do a few Evans originals, some Chess catalog classics, and throw some obligatory curveballs in there with Ian Hunter, Warren Zevon, and Zeroes covers. A real good time, and something both the kids and the old folks can dig. The one-two punch of Gino Washington's "C'Mon Let's Monkey" and The Hickoids "Brand New Way of Living" goes down pretty good, and with this cast everything obviously sounds great. Basically an all-star bar band, and probably one hell of a good time live.