The difference between Rockabilly, Neo Rockabilly and Psychobilly + Gate keeping and Image
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- Опубликовано: 10 авг 2023
- What's the difference between rockabilly, psychobilly and neo-rockabilly? I don't really know, but I dig them all! Also, what I meant to say it's ironic that I personally thing double bass is a key feature of psychobilly, yet the meteors have many recordings without double bass... and I like them, yes, I just find the OTMAPP thing kinda funny.
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Really fine video :)
In my ears the big difference between Rockabilly and neo/psychobilly is also in arrangements are the guitar-sounds, the latter use more effects and distortion. You'll hear a chorus-pedal on some of the neo/psycho tracks. Neo- and psycho also don't rely as much on the blues progression and are often faster in tempo.
But the best identifier between Rockabilly and Psychobilly is lyrical.
If it's about cars, romance and/or dancing and the guitars have some overdrive and reverb/echo: Rockabilly... if played with heavier distortion and extra guitar effects pedals (chorus, phaser, flange, WAH): Neo-Rockabilly
If it's about (cars), violence, horror, sex and/or drugs (an heavy distortion): Psychobilly
I really should have mentioned the lyrical themes, that is a stellar point you make! I did mention overdrive but of course the other effects you mention too- spot on!
This is one of my favourite topics to discuss about 😅
As I'm 36 years old now and listened through all kind of billies, rocka- psycho- neo whatever the billy is, for me the main keys to define what genre we are talking about, are usually lyrics and vocals, the way music is performed. For example, It ain't psycho if it ain't a bit loud and weird. Kim Nekroman once said (or someone said he said or made him say) "Remember, if it's psychobilly, it's gotta have some psycho in it somewhere. It ain't just rockabilly played faster."
I was about 15 when the Stray Cats came out with their 1st album, I was instantly hooked. As I grew older I embraced other styles of rock music, especially NWBHM and Motörhead, then punk, and eventually found myself in the mid-80's at the Klub Foot in London attending insanely fun psychobilly shows. I think what differentiates psychobilly from the other 2 more traditional styles (which I also love, who in their right mind wouldn't) is the punk element, whether in the use of power chords and simpler licks, or a harder sound, but definitely also in the clothes and exaggerated hair styles, as well as the horror/sci-fi themes and, lastly, "wrecking" in the pit. No wonder Screamin' Jay Hawkins is such a regular in psychobilly compilations.
Yep. Finally someone who agrees with me on the Meteors. Always thought that “a billy” feel was missing because of lack of double bass. I feel the same about modern country as well. The lack of double bass makes it just sound like pop music with a southern accent
Yeah I think it’s not so much the bass but the more forward, driven feel that comes with it. It really does feel more like the sex pistols with some twangy guitar!
I actually like that the Meteors played around with electric bass and uprights. I only saw them once and it was an upright bass they used for the gig. Definitely gives the band a different feel.
Really enjoyed this mate. “I am me” perfect! I think the identifying with a certain genre comment was bang on “this is who I am”. This is why people buy & wear band T-shirts! Being passionate is great regards music or anything, hence the gate keeping kicks in, but gate keeping over image, the guitar you use, “how dare you use a compressor”, “you have a beard? And play Rockabilly?” etc can stagnate any genre. If the guy next to me wants to be a copy of Carl or Setzer, It’s cool. If the other guy loves rockabilly and also has a love of other genre’s, those influences are likely going to creep in, as it’s in their DNA. And if it sounds good and works, that’s great! I think we’re on the same page 😀 Oh, and for me, when the bass player turns up with a upright bass, it just makes the gig a bit more magical 😁 Though, I wouldn’t complain if they brought an electric bass to save space 😂
Cheers Dean, yeah- better they do that than quit!!!
Btw, keeping doin what you do! You are doing great!
I think of psychobilly and neo-rockabilly (to the extent that I think of them as distinct genres) simply as subsets of rockabilly. The labels give you some idea what you're in for when you go to the show,. Any kind of art is going to tend to challenge easy categorization, so labels are best understood as "suggested expectations."
That said, my old band (Ottawa's Hot Snake Handlers if anyone cares or is, like me, an insomniac trawling RUclips at 3am) got together planning to be a rockabilly band--I'm the upright bass player and that's why they brought me in. But as our song catalog and style emerged, with a punk drummer, a couple of country guitarists and me (a not-very-technically-proficient new upright player coming from rockabilly-in-the-sense-of-the-whole-gamut-of-stuff-you-hear-at-Viva space) I was uneasy describing us as a rockabilly or psychobilly band. We definitely played with/opened for bands that were clearly rockabilly or psychobilly acts, but we ourselves were far enough outside of whatever makes that genre that I thought people coming to hear a rockabilly band would be disappointed or misled. Ultimately I think we described ourselves on posters as psychobilly/cowpunk. Even that would probably confuse people.
I do think the upright bass is important enough to rockabilly to be almost a defining element (recognizing that there will always be exceptions.) When I hear otherwise-rockabilly music played with an electric bass, to me it feels (at worst) like "ugh, here's another amateur Oldies Night band at the local pub" and, at best, "these guys clearly love rockabilly and want to play it but don't have the resources for an upright." Some of Teenage Head's tracks come to mind.
I would like to think that rockabilly as a label is as expansive as jazz--you hear either word and you have a pretty good idea of what it won't be, but without more information about the band/artist you might be surprised. But jazz, as a genre, is confident enough that it doesn't get hung up on these questions (I'm trying and failing to imagine someone insisting that jazz has to have wind instruments for instance.) One interesting thing I've found about rockabilly as a expansive genre label is that it provides a haven to people who like old-school country but would never describe themselves as country music fans for fear of being associated with that stuff that is currently marketed as country music.
This is a great read.. but I have to highlight how poignant your description of jazz and the question of how instrumentation does not describe it.. now that poses a really interesting questions about the way the genre has been defined! I would think it would have to be something to do with the fact that the rockabilly genre gave way to rock and roll and didn’t really get a big chance to evolve, and by the time it was bought back by the stray cats there was, still is and may always be a novelty to the sound. Kinda like Queens crazy little
Thing.. great song, cool, for sure .. but I find it on the nose and I just don’t care to hear it. It’s not discrimination, just my taste! But anyhow, that’s my wondering on that!
@@AdrianWhyte Yeah "on the nose" is the right word for it. It's the arrangement and the cleanliness of the bass that makes me not think of it as rockabilly. It's missing the loose, scrappy, about-to-tip-over-rounding-the-cornerness that to me makes my favourite rockabilly tracks so exciting.
Actually I think of rockabilly as, itself, a subgenre of rock and roll and I'm always a bit puzzled by the distinction.... unless it's because some rockabilly feels like a subgenre of country. So maybe rockabilly is the white daddy who got together with Sister Rosetta Tharpe one night...
Awesome vid man ! Hope for more like this!
Interesting to hear that, make some more then! They are way easier to make than tutorials 😂
@@AdrianWhyte haha !dude anyone who can go forward about our music,teach and speak on it will always be a must ! Keep doing what your doing musicians like myself will always be appreciative keep on rockin 🤙🎇
Happy Sunday Adrian! I guess in your case it’s Monday now so happy Monday and have a great week!
Spot on 😉
Thank you for your videos Adrian, I play a lot of surf music and want to play some rockabilly. Your channel is perfect !
That’s lovely of you to say, thank you!!!
As someone who grew up as a metal kid, i would say a comparison might be that Metallica is rockabilly and Slayer is psychobilly. That being said, I've grown tired of defining and defending labels. It's moslty marketing by now. I mean, music I've been doing now is part rockabilly, part surf, part garage rock on the ukulele with horror/B-movie inspired lyrics. (Yes, I am a fan of The Cramps. Why do you ask?) I feel the need to use all three genres because one just won't cut it.
And speaking of The Cramps, they are considered by many to be psychobilly, but I've heard they never embraced that label. Which makes sense because they have more of a surf/punk sound.
A lot of people are talking about electric bass vs. Stand-up bass. What about the Cramps? They don't have any bass in a lot of their early stuff.
I read a interview with Lux and he said they didn't know qhat that clicking sound was. They thought maybe the drummer was just tapping on the rim of one of his drums.
Matchbox has a song called Rockabilly Rebel I've seen them play a lot with a electric bass.
I really think bottom line it's about the feel of the song. Having said that I do like the sound of the stand up bass. This makes for a good conversion.🤔
Good to See you Adrian thanks for youre Great Job and lesson 😎 TCB 😎 Rockabilly Rules 😎 TCB 😎☕☕☕☕
Have a great weekend Dennis!!!! TCB!!
rockabilly rebuild is awesome, man! Nice discussion. Tribalism definitely seems to be the core of gate keeping for most cultural for sure...beyond anything music or clothes. Humans love to group things and organize them, and then associate with that organization. In the US, social scientists are using a new term called workism (read that carefully). It starts with the fundamental behavior of a person identifying closely (too closely) with their job. This makes me think that humans are pretty good at this at all levels.😂
Lol that’s an interesting nugget right there, workism.. I am what I do.. for a living! Yeah, I mean.. maybe it’s a good thing, if it makes people feel comfortable I’m ok with it! Sorta.. hahah. But, like I said it’s weird when bands label their music something without much homework, and it doesn’t sound like that thing. Maybe it’s not gate keeping to call it out, just being irritated by surface level attempts to garner the cool of a genre. I don’t know anymore Ev lol
I really enjoyed the imagine rant. It's probably the same for every genre but it reminded me so much of the punk rock scene back in the day when I was growing up. SO much, poser this poser that. If you didn't have the right studs on the right jacket you weren't the real deal. C'mon man! I will say, if dressing like that is how you TRULY feel, go for it! I'm like you though, nowadays.. I'm older, I AM very particular about what I wear, but it's what I want to wear. Not something that's dictated to me from a culture. Although.... you could really argue about the term culture there, cause if you take a step back and look at ALL OF US who are western culture, we all basically wear the same stuff. I don't see many girls wearing kimonos. Haha! AND, as far as the gate keeping. Yeah I get it. Totally understandable in that situation you talked about with the guys who did one KIND OF psychobilly song. Sometimes you just gotta say something.
Always love your thoughts Jeff, we might be similar in that we want to diplomatically speak our minds! When I first got into psycho billy I got the hair cut, went to the store that sold the hot rod shirts and it was awesome, I loved it! Until I went to a gig and realised I was now dressed the same as everyone else. I felt silly! So when the Vaudevillains got going we used to just where black slacks, black shirts in a semi formal manner, almost like man in black style, really to not come in wearing the brand stuff. People loved it! Also, my next video I might wear a kimono!
@@AdrianWhyte man, I didn't see this comment until just now. My bad. But totally man! You shouldn't have to wear a uniform. One idea me and a friend came up with a long long time ago though, was to start a death/ grind core band (though this fashion would work for a lot of other musical genres too including rockabilly) where all the members dress up like Doc Holiday and Wyatt Earp did in Arizona in the 1880's. Haha, think of the movie Tombstone. I can just see it now how cool that would be...
I definitely lean into the dirtier driven side of rockabilly. So I guess that makes me neo/psycho. I don't mind. My first musical love was AC/DC and then came my love for Stray Cats/Setzer. Mash the punch of the Young brothers and the musicianship of Setzer together and you get me. Though I just call it rockabilly or just rock n roll for simplicity's sake.
Yeah I get ya! Hillbilly casino give me that vibe you speak of! It’s Gretsch and Marshall tones with rockabilly flavouring
@AdrianWhyte Coincidentally enough, I'm running a Gretsch and Marshall setup too. It's a pairing that needs more attention.
Funny thing about ALMOST all of the original Psychobilly bands is that they tended to have electric bass. Nothing wrong with that but it definitely upends the sentiment that you need to have an upright bass in the band.
Now I spent the last 24 years going down the Rockabilly and Psychobilly rabbit holes. While I really love both styles and play guitar it was a bit of a hard pill to swallow that I am not a Psychobilly or Rockabilly player. Both are definitely in my flavor but I really am much better at the Punk Rock and Garage Rock stuff. For me that stuff is a little more fun to play because I don't feel like I have to stick in a certain box and can't play a lot outside the style.
As for gatekeeping, I grew up in the 80s and 90s and compared to today, the gatekeeping was much heavier. The older I get the less I give two shits about it. But wrapped up in the identity is money and intent and I think that is what reinforces the gatekeeping mentality. Especially when you go out of the way for a niche genre, it's time, money and effort placed in there.
I should say you don’t need an upright, but I did say it’s my personal preference, and I also said it doesn’t really matter.. actually, most of the things I say and think probably don’t really matter 😂😂😂 hope you’re still having a good go mate! Have a good week!
@@AdrianWhyte
You too amigo!😎👍✨
I've listened to a lot of setzer/stray cats and cramps stuff along with all the original rockabilly stuff(elvis, buddy holly, johnny cash, roy orbison, Carl perkins, Johnny burnette etc.) What other rockabilly/psychobilly records should I listen to?
So much good stuff! Try restless and Batmobile first up, really cool stuff! Guana batz, meteors is cool and there’s some great current bands like Radarmen, Flamin’ Galahz and trauma boys, more of that clean psychobilly that I really enjoy. There’s heaps more stuff though.. Lucky jones is Setzerish but has his own thing and is really cool, you’ve also got relax trio, Pat capocci.. checkout my lesson playlists because I’ve done lessons on a lot of different material.
Reverend Horton Heat, Tiger Army
For psychobilly you shoud try Nekromantix, Mad Sin, Demented Are Go, Godless Wicked Creeps, Os Catalepticos etc etc... For neo A few cool neo-rockabilly bands from Finland like Melrose and Francine. Also some great swedish rock and roll/rockabilly bands like the Top Cats and John Lindberg Trio. Just to mention a few bands I like to listen. Let us now what you liked 😉🔥
How about The Sharks and Zombie Ghost Train!😉👍✨
I loved rock n roll since i was ten in 76. Then the Stray Cats came out and they blew me away. Polecats too. Didn't like the meteores. When i left school i got in ACDC and other hard rock. Now i play rockabilly and hatd rock guitar. I just call myself a rocker. Never liked all the lables. Teddy boy, hepcat, rockabilly, psychobilly. Its all rock n roll.
I reckon that’s pretty spot on!! Have a great Christmas man!
I was lucky enough to see the original Meteors lineup and several times since with double bass and electric. It always has to be the acoustic slap of the double for my taste. I feel that way about all rocking genres. The muddy electric sound just ruins it for me. IMO The Meteors have got noisier and less musical as the years have rolled on. Apart from instrumentation and distortion, I think that a big part of Psychobilly is lyrical themes and content. Occult, schlock horror, B movies etc. all feature strongly. First time seeing The Meteors (1981 Royalty, Southgate), Fenech was still gobbing blood at the audience!
I saw the original Meteors a number of times in the early 80s they were often on the bill with many punk bands as were Guana Bats and King Kurt. I never really liked the rockabilly sound back then as I always thought the guitars sounded weak I always preferred the ‘punk’ sound. Nowadays I’m very much into the rockabilly style of playing still do like the punk and rock stuff too however.
The Royalty in Southgate haha I grew up in Finchley as far as I remember though the Royalty crowd weren’t conducive to us young punk rockers
Sounds crazy, I think it all has its place, it’s just silly when someone decides they should own the places.. totally agree with your analysis of the genre, I should have thought to mention that!
Also, regarding your touching upon whether comments really help your videos and channel or not or for that matter other channels, I would really like to know the answer to that. I mainly leave comments to help specific creators grow their channels, I would leave far less comments were it not for that. It’s just not in my nature generally, that’s why I don’t have Facebook and Instagram accounts etc. (well that’s at least one of the reasons 😂).
Lol what are the other reasons Cc?! 😂😂😂😂
I'd rather say something like an uptempo rockabilly, they have a different time feel than x. Beyond that, it is gatekeeping and discrimination, in my opinion. For instance, I have a relative that is wholeheartedly hateful/spiteful of heavy metal. So much so that if we told him that Taylor Swift went heavy metal, he'd quit listening right then and there on the spot and never, ever, give her another listen again. I've run across that many many years, to the point of just giving the most generic label I can.
Per your story at the end, I would offer it up as a critique rather than gatekeeping. He asked your opinon, you gave it. Questions after really determine how to shape the conversation. Maybe it helps clarify what you are hearing, or their intent going forward, or, worst case scenario, you offend the asker and they walk away for good.
I have to say, I am absolutely stoked by the level of conversation coming off of this video. It was a risk to have an opinion, but when you get such constructive answers like this, you get to know the quality of your audience, and so far I’m humbled. Thanks for your response, much to think about! I have seen the same discrimination from rockabilly guys who just won’t listen to anything considered psychobilly, and the level of animosity within certain groups of psychobilly to others has been bizarre at times. Critique - yes, indeed that’s a good way to put it. Thank you!
Interesting stuff. But having never heard the phrase "gate keeping" (probably a youngsters phrase) - I just found myself trying to understand what you were on about! Is it people not letting others into their "club" maybe? ie shutting the gate on people you don't want because they think differently?
For me the 3 genres in purely musical terms, have a certain amount in common, but less than you might think - except the word "billy" ! They are like grandfather, son and grandson, and as the generations move forward each wants to get further away from the one before. The haircuts are similar, and the weird obsession with double basses (is that a "gate keeping" thing?!) 😀😀 I play in rock'n roll, rockabilly, R&B, country and jump blues type bands and it always amuses me that bands with bass guitars get looked down on when Eddie Cochran, Buddy Holly, plenty of Elvis, and lots of others in the 50s, used bass guitars all the time! Usually they quickly moved from double bass to electric bass for sheer convenience, fed up with shunting the flippin' things around.
That’s all very fair- I think the 50s very quickly progressed from rockabilly to losing the hillbilly sound in favour of the rock’n’roll sound, I mean.. it’s all rock really!! I just personally like the clickety sound in rockabilly with the double bass, but I don’t look down upon electric bass, it offers a different feel and sound! Thanks for sharing!
Oh and lol.. yes it’s a bit gate keeperish to be obsessed with double bass, I did try to be gentle about it but it appears I’ve failed.. it’s just a preference! Have a great weekend!!
@@AdrianWhyte Ha ha! Yep, don't get me wrong I too love double bass/slap bass, but also love electric bass! But I don't like the obsession with the big fiddle - and thus (almost) total exclusion of electric bass guitar. I was in a band for about 10 years that had a brilliant bass guitarist. he had an amazing custom built short scale, hollow, fretless electric bass, it sounded very similar to a stand up bass, and could also do any fretless sound, or even a really authentic Hofner bass thump. And to me it was the greatest sounding "rockabilly, rock'n'roll" bass ever. But the rockabilly obsessives just looked down on him and us because it wasn't a stand up bass. (the same folks also said we had the wrong haircuts, trousers, shoes etc which is an attitude I know you don't like!) I think that summed up the "gate keeping" mentality you are talking about. It sounded truly amazing, and more versatile - but looked wrong to them. Also there are sooo many double bass players that are just out of tune as they are not accurate enough! But that's a whole other story...😀
Crazy cavan mostly used electric bass. They are as rockabilly as you can get.
I think I did say it doesn’t really matter, I just love the click of the double bass - I’ll have to check this band out though because I’ve never heard of them! Crazy Cavan? Im on it!! :) thank you!
they are rocknroll teddyboy style early albums better.@@AdrianWhyte
"He's a really, a really, a really rockabilly"- Brian Setzer 😊
Sugar Puff Demons are a Phsychobilly band but always played heavy and fast. The Meteors are terrible live, In Heaven by the Meteors started us out, and Nigel Lewis changed it to more of a Punk/Billy so to speak. I dont agree that double bass is preferred. SPD are at it again nd its gret. There are no rules, and if there are rules, then they came from the so called King Phsycho Fenech, what joke
Just to clarify, I should probably have made it clearer, I prefer that sound with the click of the double bass, but I don’t think it qualifies or disqualifies anything - I think the smartest thing I said was “it probably doesn’t really matter”, just a preference for me! Thanks for your contribution, honestly I’m glad you spoke up!
I never thought the Meteors were bad live. But I haven’t seen them live in the last 20 years so maybe they are now. Certainly they buck the trend of no upright bass or Gretsch guitar, but they are definitely psychobilly. Along with one or two other bands, they kicked the whole thing off. Are they the only pure psychobilly band? Are they the best? Hell no, but they are still great (or were).
Rockabilly is Rockabilly. Neo-Rockabilly is a meaningless marketing tool. Psychobilly is a sub-genre of Punk, not Rockabilly.
And all you young 'uns can GET OFF MY LAWN !
lol alright sir, I’ll get off your lawn!! Can I finish mowing it first though?