The Revelators

Neo garage punk from Cape Town, based firmly on a template that is one part Pacific Northwest freakout and one part New York attitude. Johnny Tex, named after a local chocolate bar, no doubt, writes, sings, guitars and produces on their debut album We'll Make It Like New, from 2010. The sound is basic heavy trio with a frustrated, hormonal yelp over the top and there is plenty of sharp, concise guitar solos of a kind almost no-onw does anymore. It's like the decades beyond 1976 never happened. This is no bad thing in this time of anodyne soundalike bands who make me feel old, not because they are too loud, but because I just don't get why any of them are in any way popular. They all sound the same to me and that sound is nothing less than crap.

The Revelators may never have learnt how to play more than three chords in a row. Their influences may be bands that roamed the earth long before they were born. The lyrics may be as dumb at the concept they espouse. The Revelators may never progress beyond releasing one album of tasty, short, nasty and visceral rock and roll. Who cares. This is all good. They do make it new. Not much updating, just contemporising.

I would dearly love to see them share a bill with Shadowclub. Both trios, both highly energised. Both kick out the jams and both are instantly addictive. Neither can ever be too loud.

Although The Revelators are not overtly bluesmen, they do make a valiant attempt at making "If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day" their own. Never mind Pacific Northwest punk influences, Robert Johnson is seriously retro and was never quite a godfather of punk. This version is not blues. The original is almost unrecognisable in the way it gets the shit kicked out of it.

Okay, maybe the blues connection is via Jack White. On "You Missed It" Johnny Tex does an unnervingly accurate White imitation, or is it piss take?

Whatever. I love this record!