The Golden Boys

Scorpion Stomp #2 (Hook or Crook)

The Golden Boys love to make noise. The Canyon Lake trio spends most of its time out in the middle of nowhere, clanging and banging as loud as they can. The trebly results are debut Scorpion Stomp #2, 30 minutes of brain-damaged garage rock. Opener “Happiness” is a Rawhide coyote ride through Willy Wonka’s Tunnel of Terror, equal to the psychedelic chills from a drunken tumble through “Whisky Bottle.” While “Waiting for You” necessitates a bit of patience wading through the trash-can drum tracks, the lethargy strung along by John Wesley Coleman’s nightmarish guitar is all but physical. With the cow-punk of “Walkin n’ Talkin” and the blues of Lee Hazlewood’s “Cold Hard Times,” the Boys complete a circuit of Southern genres like they were raised on tour. The opiate of “Slow Down” even pulls a little MBV into the Stonesian groove, but again, the muffled guitar and flimsy-metal drum sounds are a hindrance. Closer “She Likes to Party” is really what the Boys are about: Just play the damn album and have a good time.

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This article appears in July 15 • 2005.

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