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An all-male quartet from Indiana who number two members of Racebannon, Rapider Than Horsepower claim to be influenced by Jim O'Rourke's old band Gastr Del Sol as well as Captain Beefheart. Their honesty is refreshing, the debts patently obvious. A wheezy, blues-infected take on wayward psycho-billy rock, RTH rake over their thefts with obsessive compulsive behaviour, spewing out songs that suddenly start, even more suddenly stop, with various strung-out jams exercised in-between.
With no bass, guitars are left to roam freely, concocting some sort of unholy storm where The Apes audition to become Frank Zappa's backing band in the after-life. The star of this rocky ride however is the deranged dribblings of Michael Anderson, barking, yelping like David Yow with a painful hernia. And to think that 'Stage Fright, Stage Fright' is only part one of some extended concept that they aim to stretch throughout 2003. Hope to see you somewhere on the other side.

Ian Fletcher
CWAS #12 - Summer 2003

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