Groovie Ghoulies

Re-Animation Festival (Lookout!)
by Scott Hefflon

Yup, I needed this. Just when your faith starts to weaken in the potential of this wacky punk rock thing all the kids are raving about (which, to me, kinda defeats the purpose of being a fuck-all punk in the first place, but that’s another issue), there comes along a record that makes you feel warm all over. Re-Animation Festival is definitely a warm record. Recorded at Sonic Iguana and produced by Mass Giorgini, the Groovie Ghoulies have never sounded fuller, richer, or more addictive. Keeping the Ramonesian simplicity mixed with Misfitting graveyard kitsch (what, no aliens?), this is just an amazing sounding record. Simple, sweet, huge and loud without being over-produced arena rock, yet entertainingly odd and immediately recognizable. The addition of Danny Panic (Screeching Weasel/Riverdales) on drums is one of many leaps forward for the Ghoulies, really bringing them into their own. As always, a few covers grace this record, my fave being Daniel Johnston’s “To Go Home” – just beautiful.
(PO Box 11374 Berkeley, CA 94712)