LAMONT THOMAS is maybe best known as the drummer of blues punk legend THE BASSHOLES, but he has started a very own project as OBNOX some years and eight albums before. „His approach to punk is well… punk as fuck. Thomas doesn’t care about rules and he certainly isn’t afraid to experiment, blending his sound with noise rock, hip-hop, garage, soul, and hardcore. It’s usually abrasive and often pretty steeped in political and social consciousness, he speaking as a voice for the oppressed without gimmick or pandering” – as Post-Trash Mag wrote about him and I just could write the same.

A few years ago Monofonus Press head Morgan Coy had that crazy idea…why not ask OBNOX to make a free jazz record? And he has made one. Morgan says about it: Although it may not directly sound like it, to these ears it’s an updated take on some of the late 70’s free jazz LP’s that, at the time, were panned by critics but now are being rediscovered… think Albert Ayler’s „New Grass”, Archie Shepp’s „Attica Blues,” Larry Young’s „Fuel”, even reminds me of Tony Williams Lifetime at times. OBNOX has infused „templo del sonido” with that same sense of urgency and protest.  Like the 70’s, we are once again in a time of protest and discontent with the world around us – as Thomas so elegantly states in the first lyrics of the album:

„wake up… wake up… America… wake your punk ass up!”

Perhaps you are afraid of jazz, even more free jazz, but this album is so much punk than jazz. It needs your open mind only:

Anyway his previous recordings were released e.g. on punk rock’n’roll label Slovenly or noise rock one 12XU.

Inauguration song by traditional blues-punk duo BASSHOLES

All Bandcamp donations will go to the American Civil Liberties Union or to legal defense for protesters arrested on Jan. 20.

but We The State

„We must not forget anything. We must know our history, know it as it really is, draw lessons from it and always remember those who created the Russian state, championed its dignity and made it a great, powerful and mighty state.

We shall preserve that memory, and we shall preserve that tradition through the ages. We shall hand down to our descendants all that is best in our history – all that is best.

Esteemed citizens of Russia, we believe in our strength, in our ability to really transform and transfigure the country. We have common goals.

We want our Russia to be a free, prosperous, rich, strong and civilized country, a country of which its citizens are proud and which is respected in the world.  (…)

We believe you. We are counting on you. Don’t deceive us. I can assure you that in my work I will be guided only by the interests of the state but there may well be mistakes. But I can promise you, and indeed I do promise, you that I will work openly and honestly.

I consider it my sacred duty to unite the people of Russia and to gather citizens around the clearly-defined tasks and aims and to remember, every minute of every day, that we are one nation and we are one people. We have one common destiny.”

Putin’s inauguration speech as president, 2000

 from blues punk Bassholes‘ Don Howland solo album

Shitty Shitty Bang Bang coming soon on In The Red (US)

ANOTHER SONG

Happy Happy Joy Joy

I put this

on bandcamp as a single b/w Pope Innocent if anybody wants to download it. I hope everyone is happier than me.

Don Howland, The Bassholes

Thanx Don.

ps: At first there were the legendary Gibson Bros. in Ohio in the mid-80s. They played a unique mix of American roots music: blues, gospel, hill- and rockabilly with punk attitude. After split of the Gibsons the Bassholes were founded in 1992 by a “Gibson”, Don Howland (guitar) and Bim Thomas (aka Obnox, drums). But now on drums: James Owen (Burning Bus, Doom Ribbons, Wooden Tit) & keyboard: Kim Roney (The Family Swaggards, Rip & Run).

OBNOX. Aka Bim Thomas. Drummer of Bassholes. Maybe the best blues punk band. And from Puffy Areolas and This Moment in Black History.

Special mix of electronic beats, blues, rock, soul, funk, hip-hop with lots of weed. Molecule and How To Rob

from the album „Louder Space” on 12XU Records

OBNOX on RNR666

At first there was the legendary Gibson Bros. in Ohio in the mid-80s. They played a unique mix of American roots music: blues, gospel, hill- and rockabilly with punk attitude. After split of the Gibsons the Bassholes were founded in 1992 by a “Gibson”, Don Howland (guitar) and Bim Thomas (drums). They’re the best blues punk band: crude, rude and harsh

After 4 years here is a new album with three covers: The Groundhogs – Express Man (1969), Wayne County & The Electric Chairs – Paranoia Paradise (1977) and Noh Mercy – Caucasian Guilt (1978). Boogieman Stew LP by Columbus Discount Records

Beside the Bassholes Bim Thomas plays in Puffy Areolas and This Moment in Black History. His solo project is the Obnox: weird garage blues soul punk with Tricky-like remixes.

 *

Strange Attractor: fuzzy garage punk from a small town in Northern Ontario, Canada

„Total Shit” trilogy on the b-side. „Feel Like Total Shit” / „This is Total Shit” / „I’m Total Shit” – three songs that give you a 360 degree views from the dregs of modern life : making bad choices, feeling powerless against the will of people who make bad choices, and just generally having everything stacked against you and turning those bad vibes inwards. In the Strange Attractor land, when we point fingers we have to remember that we are simultaneously pointing at ourselves.”

Back To The Cruel World LP by Resurrection / FDH / Mammoth Cave Records