0 The Flaming Stars - "London After Midnight - Singles, Rarities and Bar Room Floor-fillers 1995 - 2005" (CD, Big Beat - 2006)

This greasy haired wild bunch of Londoners should have been my fave band ever. I mean, the Flaming Stars are the only 'round the dark and fluid basements that for so many years are able to reflect so perfectly my moods, my influences in all aspects of what people think of as 'art'. They named their-selves probably after the amazing Elvis song (which along with 'Crawfish' belong to the all time faves WTS pantheon) blending brilliantly and uniquely twangy surf, outlaw hardcore country, southern fried Sun/Meteor rockabilly, straight ahead R&B with Rat Pack's brat class, 60s garages original feel, Bukowski oozed lyrics and the Peckinpah originated set up, in a lethal cocktail no real rock & roll admirer could or would like to resist!
Every coin has two sides they say and the Flaming Stars stamped theirs on the penny that has the Godfathers on the other. Forget the easy and for me totally out of place comparisons with the Tindersticks or the Bad Seeds. And if Cave's not that far from them, at least in frame - the Tindersticks look like some 'Brian Ferrys' to my eyes where the Flaming Stars are the Only Ones with Dean Martin on the mic or the Voidoids with Jarvis Cocker. No wonder for a band that had its roots on the Earls of Suave (a legendary outfit with ex-members by the Gallon Drunk, the Headcoats, the Cannibals and the Sting-Rays!).
What amazes me the most though are their guitar dual channeling arsenal. They were handy enough to combine Link Wray with Ennio Morricone and the glam days of  Lou Reed in a way that sounded at least natural to these ears. The creepy organ/piano was squinting with the one eye turned to Jerry Lee and the other to Human Expression's mournful melodies and the hypnotizing (in many cases) rhythms were in dept of the Velvets nonchalant drug addiction minus the art-faggotry element. Their singles and CDs had sleeves with a direct line/tribute to all the cool crime novels and sleazy paperbacks of the 50s (check the permanent link on the blog for Max's AMAZING book, 'Straight from the Fridge, Dad' - proceed without second thoughts!) and it was the main reason for starting buy them when they were a completely uknown act to me. The DRUNKEN night back to the late 90s Athens at An's basement wasn't just a memorable show (Max on the liners seems to have the same opinion as me) but a Dionysian celebration. Here's a perfect compilation, the way such releases should be done. I wonder if they're still around?

Buy it HERE

Pic taken from Ace records website

Detail: The Flaming Stars - "London After Midnight - Singles, Rarities and Bar Room Floor-fillers 1995 - 2005" (CD, Big Beat - 2006)

0 Book of the YEAR! Max Décharné - "A Rocket In My Pocket: The Hipster's Guide to Rockabilly Music" (Serpent's Tail, 2010)

For people not in the hoax, Max Décharné is a multi-talented person, mostly known as a musician. He began as the drummer of the Brit swampabillys, the Gallon Drunk but he played also a key role in the Dean Martin version of the Cramps, the Earls of Suave. Not much after this he created the Flaming Stars, a rare in taste rock & roll band. An original rock & roll street preacher full on (or of) culture. His impecable taste on movies, books and of course music, ranking him as the best of a kind that sadly fades, the last 20 years (at least for me)! 
When he finally tried his luck on writing a book he just topped! Hipster, with a deep knowledge of language, slang, records and facts of what generally called now "Rock & Roll" culture. 
Max Décharné was the last man interviewed by legendary John Peel. Both were mutual admirers. 
"Rocket in My Pocket", is what the title exactly says. "The Hipsters guide to Rockabilly music". I bought it yesterday and i'm SO hooked on this, that i stopped reading it only for going to work or sleep (late). An a few days ago release (in other words FRESH!) that certainly won't let you disappointed! As every other book by Max did. Forasmuch Billy Miller or Miriam Linna don't write a book, Max will be the one and only in the square that really deserves your time and money! Buy "Rocket in My Pocket" NOW!


Max Décharné's Bibliography:

• Beat Your Relatives To A Bloody Pulp & Other Stories, Malice Aforethought Press, 1989
• The Prisoner Of Brenda & Other Stories, Malice Aforethought Press, 1991
• I Was A Teenage Warehouse & Other Stories, Thirst Editions, 1997
• Straight From the Fridge, Dad: A Dictionary of Hipster Slang, No Exit Press, 2000
• Hardboiled Hollywood – The Origins of the Great Crime Films, No Exit Press, 2003
• King's Road: The Rise And Fall of the Hippest Street in the World, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2005
• A Rocket In My Pocket: The Hipster's Guide to Rockabilly Music, Serpent's Tail, 2010

PS: As an accompaniment to this, the great ACE Records, told Max to compile a CD full of rockabilly blasts well chosen and with just one thing in mind, to get WILD! If you don't already own the lot, if not all of these toons, well here's your chance! Take a look here!

Detail: Book of the YEAR! Max Décharné - "A Rocket In My Pocket: The Hipster's Guide to Rockabilly Music" (Serpent's Tail, 2010)