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.

 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).

Here is the new album of Rocket From The Tombs

– Is it a punk band? – No. It pre-dated punk rock.
– Is it alternative? – No. It aspired to the mainstream.
– Is it legendary? – No. It’s mythical.

It was formed in 1974 by e.g. David Thomas and Cheetah Chrome in Cleveland, where – they say – everything was doomed. The band did not reach its first birthday, and never went into a studio. But it left behind such songs as Sonic Reducer or 30 Seconds Over Tokyo for its descendants. The first would be a Dead Boys anthem, the second one a Pere Ubu hit.

The originals were released in 2002. Almost the original line-up reunited in 2003. Their first studio album was released in 2011, and now here is the second. The Black Record has been made in co-production with the members of This Moment In Black History. Where the drummer is Bim Thomas, aka Obnox, who is the drummer of Bassholes, one of the best blues punk band.

A bloody actual song from the album

The band is on tour now in US, UK, NL, Belgium and France.

And `you want to know something? We are still in the Dark Ages. The Dark Ages — they haven’t ended yet.` This is the end of Deadeye Dick by Kurt Vonnegut.

One year in penitentiary and bad conduct discharge was the sentence of Navy’s Court Martial in the fraudulent enlistment case of 15 years old Andre Williams, who was born in 1936, Alabama. „Kiss-my-ass-mother-fuckers!” was his response. Right after his discharge he went to Detroit with 25 dollars in his pocket. The day of the coming he entered for a talent show, afternoon wrote a song and won. His first hit was Bacon Fat in 1956 on Fortune Records

Then he worked with Motown Records as a producer too. Wrote and recorded songs together with Stevie Wonder, The Contours, Ike & Tina Turner and more, and also wrote some songs for Parliament and Funkadelic. In the 80s he became a homeless because his hard r’n’b lifestyle. He came back with a rap album in 1990. Since he has made amazing albums in various style: garage rock, blues, country, funk and soul. These were released such labels as In The Red, Bloodshot or Norton Records.

One of his early songs, Jailhouse Blues from 1958 has been covered by Obnox (aka Bim Thomes, drummer of blues punk band Bassholes)

The new Obnox album Boogalou Red is coming this month on 12xU Records (US). Gospel trash

Obnox on RNR666

Bim Thomas, the drummer from blues punk duo Bassholes (were a main influence for The Black Keys), some years ago he makes excellent harsh blues music under the name of OBNOX. His brand new song, Infinite Trash

His latest album was released this year on 12XU Records (US)