Canadian singer/songwriter, and one-man band rockabilly virtuoso Bloodshot Bill released Thunder and Lightning back in April of 2011 on Norton Records. Bloodshot Bill’s been active making music with King Kahn and Mark Sultan of late, performing in both Tandoori Knights and the Ding Dong’s, but his solo work is where he really shines. In his live show, Bloodshot Bill comes across as a modern day, demon-possessed Hasil Adkins, growlin’, hootin’ and hollerin’ his way through his set with reckless abandon, while simultaneously wailing on his guitar and kicking away on his minimal drum kit. Singing and strumming just isn’t enough for some people, I guess. On record, things are more restrained, but Thunder and Lightning certainly retains all of his character. You can hear about 5-6 significantly different vocal sounds on the album, and although they often sound like they’re coming from different people, it’s all Bill. Musically, it’s a more straightforward approach, with a solid mix of slower rockabilly numbers and some more upbeat rock and roll stompers. The mix is rough, but it just makes the record sound old; Thunder and Lightning could easily be mistaken for long lost Sun Records album, if not for the weird vocal stylings. Essentially, if you gathered the Cramps, the Mummies, and Carl Perkins into one body, and then asked him to perform, you’d have Bloodshot Bill, a man who forgoes reinventing the wheel to simply pummel it back into shape. Check out the video for the title track “Thunder and Lightning” below and have a listen to “Crazy ‘Bout the Girl” while you’re at it.
Peanut Butter Oven 