Scott H. Biram
The Dirty Old One Man Band (Bloodshot)
After three albums of lo-fi, scratchy, and distorted, Austin’s Scott H. Biram has his sound upgraded somewhat on his debut for Chicago indie Bloodshot. Biram continues at the crossroads of blues, punk, hillbilly, and through his twisted vision, it all makes sense. This time, however, some of the lyrics are actually intelligible. Emblematic of Biram’s unruly sound is “Raisin’ Hell Again,” a delirious mix of ZZ Top, Motörhead, and Mississippi John Hurt that’s so full of life it’s difficult to imagine it all coming from just one man. Some might consider his favored topics of chickens, murder, Satan, devil women, barbecue, Jesus, and trucks on the far side of sanity, especially since most of the time he’s singing into what sounds like a megaphone, with his stomping left foot amplified for accompaniment. But Biram is sure to find converts in folks who like their psychobilly and gutbucket blues tempered with the occasional love song; the country waltz “Sweet Thing,” for example, features an appearance by his pals the Weary Boys and is played straight up and irony free. Longtime fans will recognize a couple of tracks from previous releases, but that shouldn’t discourage anyone. Biram still sounds like he needs the money. (Wednesday, March 16, 10pm @ Red Eyed Fly)
This article appears in March 11 • 2005.