Spokane Psychobilly Rock & Rollers The Dead Channels are doing their hard earned part in keeping the spirit of true Rock & Roll alive. With equal parts hot rod Rockabilly, Horror Punk, Classic Punk Rock, and Modern Psychobilly, The Dead Channels are a refreshing take on the sound without being derivative. Their debut album Midnight Matinee, released in September, is a blend of fight songs, cruisin’ songs, drinking songs, and rockin’ good times.
While more along the lines of Modern Psychobilly(think Rezurex and The Brains) and less true to the blueprint of the classics, fans of classic Psychobilly will still find something to love about The Dead Channels. With Max’s heavy slapping upright bass, Matt’s steady drums, and Tim’s gritty guitar, this bands energy is hard to ignore.
“Rumble Scene” opens the album and has Link Wray tone all over it. Although it isn’t as shocking of a sound as Wray’s 1958 single, this “Rumble” can and will still invoke the same levels of juvenile delinquency. Max’s vocal range gets put on display on “Puesta del Sol” as he goes from the raucous delivery of the verse, to belting out the chorus.
“Raise the Night” is one to get you moving and “Shake our bones!” This one should definitely be early in the live set list. To slow things down a bit, the Western sounding “Ghost Outpost” gives guitarist Tim his first real spotlight of the album. The catchy sing-along chorus keeps this song lingering long after it ends. “Sons of Dust” keeps that Western feel, but picks up the speed. The transition is like going from horseback to motorcycle.
“Gypsy Moonshine” gives an eerie intro, but gives way to such heavy bass, a speaker check might happen more than a few times. However, that doesn’t diminish its urging for that mysterious elixir of its subject matter. The deceptive guitar for the intro to “Lucky 21” makes it feel like a much heavier song, but builds towards a more cruising style groove. So hold a significant other close, keep it in the low gears, and take in the city with “Lucky 21” as your soundtrack.
Like much of the album, “House of Bone” nails the “So-Cal Psychobilly sound. Many notable bands come to mind listening to this one. This feat is made better knowing The Dead Channels are from Spokane. The album’s closer is also its longest running track. “Who’s the Monster?” is the perfect background to creeping and haunting around a long forgotten cemetery. As the pace quickens roughly ¾ of the way through, a live crowd is sure to pick it up and wreck!
Midnight Matinee is out now on all major streaming platforms(and even some other lesser known outlets). The Dead Chjannels are playing live at The Funhouse in Seattle, WA Sunday November 6th.
