SXSW Reviews

The Woggles

Rock and Roll Backlash (Wicked Cool)

For two decades, the Woggles have marched forth from Georgia like Sherman in reverse, leveling nightclubs with their hip-shaking, windshield-steaming garage rock fusillade. Now signed to Little Steven's Wicked Cool label, the quartet's latest moves the scorched-earth party up to the gates of Best Buy. While Rock and Roll Backlash boasts fuller-bodied production than many of the Woggles' early works, this doesn't detract from their Nuggets- and Pebbles-inspired aesthetic. The soulful title track calls to action horns and a Motown backbeat, while "It's Not About What I Want (It's What You Got)" achieves terminal bop with a riff nicked from Dave Davies. "Porridge" revives the bubblegum era practice of appropriating fairy tales for lyrical content, creating an ideal new segue from Sam the Sham's "Li'l Red Riding Hood." Throw in a harrowing cover of the Lords' "The World Is Falling," and this Backlash is ready for some castle storming. (Friday, March 16, Habana Calle 6, 1am)