Pegstar presents: Shannon and the Clams * Cool Ghouls * Mikey and the Drags

Rudyard’s presents Pegstar presents: Shannon and the Clams * Cool Ghouls * Mikey and the Drags.

Shannon and the Clams (Oakland, CA)
http://shannonandtheclams.com/

Channeling doo wop, Buddy Holly-like early rock rhythms, 1960s girl groups, and garage psych bands, with a dose of R&B, surf, and punk all thrown in, too, Oakland, California’s Shannon and the Clams are led by the woops, yelps, and impassioned, powerful vocals of bassist Shannon Shaw, with Cody Blanchard (vocals, guitar) and Ian Amberson (vocals, drums) rounding things out.

Known for wild, off-kilter, and exciting live shows in the Bay Area (one reviewer described the band as sounding like “a brawling Etta James backed up by the 13th Floor Elevators singing Shangri-Las tunes…”), the group has released three albums, 2009’s I Wanna Go Home, 2011’s Sleep Talk, and 2013’s Dreams in the Rat House. ~ Steve Leggett

Cool Ghouls (San Francisco, CA)
https://www.facebook.com/coolghouls

First things first: Cool Ghouls are not a retro act. If you seek musical salvation in the form of mop-topped mannequins with vintage riffs and hand-me-down rags, please stop reading. Yes, the Cool Ghouls borrowed their name from George Clinton’s Funkadelic-era pre-show banter. Yes, they dwell penniless in the storied hills of culturally resurgent San Francisco. But these boys have their feet firmly planted in the soil of the now.

They look not backwards for approving nods of hipster forebears, but rather skyward, hoping that the “supernatural forces” they yodel for, guide them to all corners of a half-deserving world. Truth be told, this being their first official release, they may even be a bit naïve in their dogged pursuit of the true-blue, home-spun, rock and roll lifestyle.

If one were to ascribe to them a 60’s-reverent description, as one often does in the case of San Francisco bands, one would most likely find an artistic kinship with some the most inimitable, idiosyncratic, yet unmistakably influential bands of the retro-fitting oeuvre. The Troggs, The Monks, Sir Douglas Quintet come to mind immediately.

(Save your Kinks and Rolling Stones references.) Like the aforementioned, the Ghouls are natural heirs to the folkloric lineage which precedes them, adding dashes of weirdness where needed. And despite their mid-fi leanings and natural fit within the current pantheon of San Francisco rock ‘n roll bands (Thee Oh Sees, Ty Segall), theirs is a timeless sound, which will hopefully transcend the descriptors (garage, psych, etc.) that will undoubtedly plague it in the blogosfear. The reason being – they write good SONGS

“Cool Ghouls come at you with so much raw energy and joy, you can’t help but enjoy yourself.” — The Bay Bridged

“The San Francisco-based quartet blends psychedelic and upbeat into their rhythms and vocals to produce a sound that’s wholly unique. And we love them for it.” — FILTER

“Cool Ghouls’ eponymous album hit all the right buttons for spring around here, laying wide open and loose with the kind of breezy pop gems that feel good year after year.” — Raven Sings The Blues

Mikey and the Drags (Houston, TX)
https://www.facebook.com/mikeyandthedragsband

“A return to FUN! You can tell in an instant that these guys know how to get it done. Dick Dale guitars, harmonies, cool organ, Sonic styled vocals ,great dance or sing along songs. Mikey & The Drags are proof that garage rock is alive and well.” – Scott Rex