Them Wranch

Big Noise from East (Ground Swell)
by Craig Regala

Lodged firmly in the “gruesome roots rock as booger” movement given its identity by Columbus, Ohio’s stupe Gibson Bros. in the ’80s who inherited it from The Cramps’ ethos and shot it through pre-rock hillbilly and blues influences, devoid of any pretensions concerning culture or purity, these guys build their rock’n’roll out of those commonly-held few chords and rhythms that’ve been around 70 – 80 years in “popular/folk” culture. Why? Well, because they work. They’re probably sick of getting the ole compare/contrast to the Bassholes, but fuck, ya know? They have the same psychedelic/psychotic take on those “roots.” Not too far off the map as long as the borders go from In The Red Records to Fat Possum Records. Plus the tunes are strong and hummable (but not icky, never icky). If you like the taste of straight strychnine (after Hasil Adkins gargled with it), well, here you go. Best Columbus record of the millennium.
(www.myspace.com/themwranch)