White Cowbell Oklahoma - Bombardero

By: Richard Trapunski

White Cowbell Oklahoma
Bombardero

(Slick Monkey/DEP/Universal)

SOUNDS LIKE: White Cowbell Oklahoma have discovered subtlety. Or at least marijuana.

WHY/WHY NOT: White Cowbell Oklahoma’s live shows are the stuff that rock 'n' roll mythology is made of: flamethrowers meeting cowbells, guitar solos dueling, band members puking, stuffed animals being chainsawed, and sex acts both simulated and non-simulated. Okay, but what do their albums sound like?

You mean they have albums?

Yes, they do. In fact, Bombardero is the legendary Toronto band’s third long player. The Sarge, who shares lead vocals duty with Clem, left the band during the recording, but the band still sounds like they stumbled straight out of the ‘70s (or at least the set of Dazed and Confused), with nods to everyone from Alice Cooper to ZZ Top. This time around, however, they seem to have discovered dynamics, and even (*gasp*) subtlety. There are still the requisite ginormous riff-rockers (“Piece of the Action”, “This Cracker”, “Polecat”), but there are also a few laid-back instrumental pieces and psychedelic groovers (the three title tracks and their cover of Edgar Winter Group’s “Frankenstein”) that you could actually drop your tequila and smoke a joint to. Crazy.