Artimus Pyledriver "High Life"

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Artimus Pyledriver
Southern Fried E.P.
CDR EP
(self-released, 2004)

If you're gonna pick a band name based on a silly pun*, you better have the goods to back it up. Luckily for Artimus Pyledriver, they had 'em in spades.

For the few years they were around, Artimus Pyledriver were the ruling kings of the Atlanta metal scene . . . in my opinion, at least. They sported a sound that mixed a rooting in classic southern and hard rock with influences like hardcore punk and metals of the stoner and thrash variety. Their first release was this snazzy lil' self-released CDR EP, and it's the source of today's jukebox selection.

Sometime after the release of this EP, they got picked up by Belgium's Buzzville Records, who released their eponymous debut CD. All the songs from the initial EP appeared, but not in the same versions. As to how a band from Atlanta got signed by a label on the other side of the planet, Buzzville had previously released the debut album by their fellow Atlantans Gonzalez.

I must confess to not knowing a lot about the band members, but at least one was a scene veteran; bassist Mike Faulkner had played with Din, with whom my band Meat played a show back in the early/mid '90s. Sometime after that show, they changed their name to Big Twin Din and appeared on the Metal Massacre XII compilation.

After touring a bit, Artimus Pyledriver got picked up by DRT Entertainment in the States, and their album got issued on my and their side of the pond, sporting new cover art, a new mix, and an additional cut. Interestingly, the version of today's song had gotten an acoustic, country blues intro for the Belgian release, but it was removed for their countrymen. The world is, indeed, a strange place.

Sadly, after the album hit these shores, the band began to fall apart. They announced some upcoming split releases with Hank III, but they never materialized, to the best of my knowledge. Vocalist Dave Slocum temporarily took over the mic for another local metal combo, Doomsayer, and that was the last I heard of any of them.

They did shoot one official video, for the song Swamp Devil and I've included it below. You'll notice Dave does a lot of jumping. He did that at shows all the time. I used to wonder when he was gonna land wrong and snap off an ankle.

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*Artimus Pyle was the drummer for the classic line-up of Lynyrd Skynyrd, and the piledriver is, of course, a professional wrasslin' move.

Gift Horse "Men of God"

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Gift Horse
Gift Horse
CDR EP
(self-released, 2008)

What can I say; I'm a sucker for cool type fonts. The artwork of this lil' puppy snagged my eye as I perused the free bin at my fave local store, due in large part to the font used for the band name. When I popped it in the player, I found my gut feeling was right, and 'twas a keeper. I very much dig the mellow yet heavy sounds they produce. The guitar on this track is pretty crushing in parts.

Since this intro EP, they've released a full length album, Mountain of Youth, and appeared on a compilation album put out by local institution Wuxtry Records for Record Store Day 2011, along with R.E.M. and a buncha other folks from the Athens/Atlanta nexus. I put Athens first, as that is the grounds for stomping of the Gift Horse boys. Also, I believe the Athens Wuxtry was opened before the one in Decatur, which is in the Atlanta area.

NOTA BENE: Gift Horse re-recorded two of the five songs from this EP for Mountain of Youth. This is not one of them.

The Martha Dumptruck Massacre "Two"

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The Martha Dumptruck Massacre
The Atomic Plains
CDR EP
(Sleepglue Records, 2004)

Previously, on Lightning Jukebox: The Martha Dumptruck Massacre impressed Lightning (that's me!) with an unexpected, and great, live set at Lenny's.

You know one of the things I really hate? Disreputable club owners.

When The Martha Dumptruck Massacre returned to town a year or so later, they ended up playing at a club run by scumbags. I'm almost positive it was the same charlatans who ran a similar club that had recently closed. They expected bands to do all the promotion, then they paid bands based upon the number of people at the door who indicated they were there to see them. They generally charged $5 at the door and payed bands $1 or $2 for each tick mark at the end of the night. One of my old bands played there twice. First time, we got paid $10. Second time, a massive $4.

For local bands, this is a lousy deal, but, if one busts one's ass promoting, one can theoretically still get a decent turnout. The club did no print ads, by the way, and their website was rarely updated. So, no one would know you're coming, if you depended solely on the club to let people know.

Did the club inform touring bands of this?

NO

I spoke with bands who'd sent promo materials, such as tour posters, to the club, only to have said materials apparently just thrown away. I know there were two shows at that club where I was the entire paying audience for a touring band. When The Martha Dumptruck Massacre played this new club with the same modus operandi, I was, unsurprisingly, their entire paying audience. I felt horrible for them. On top of that, they were on a bill with a couple of (bad) teenage metal bands. Not exactly complementary, you know?

I bought all the merch they had that night (well, one of each thing I didn't already have, not their entire inventory), so they could hopefully at least get some food. The new release they had that night was the bearer of today's tune. It was a nifty three-song CDR EP in a hand letterpressed, gatefold, heavy, cardboard sleeve.

Unlike the Burning Bridge, The Atomic Plains is more of a chamber pop affair, with Joel on guitar and piano backed by viola and cello with minimal percussion. Today's track is the same song as yesterday's, in fact, in a completely new arrangement for this new configuration. This time 'round, however, it's entitled Two, rather than ____________. It's the second track on both releases, you see. Plus, it's version two of the song! :-D

Enjoy!

Sadly, since this release, the only thing I've heard about (and gotten, of course) was a CDR single with a gorgeous version of White Christmas. It even came with a Christmas card and a (probably now stale) candy cane.

Hot Young Priest "Burn Up"

Hot Young Priest Burning Hot and Free CDR EP (self-released, 2004)

I sometimes wonder if Hot Young Priest leader-vocalist-guitarist-songwriter Mary Byrne has some issues with religion. Prior to Hot Young Priest, she led the band Shamgod, and that was after leaving a band called the Bibles. This lil' 5 tracker was HYP's debut release. They followed it with an excellent album, Fiendish Freaky Love, then pretty much just . . . vanished. :'-(

House of Large Sizes "I Ate the Painting"

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House of Large Sizes
I Ate the Painting
CDR EP
(The Tyros Label, 2003)

House of Large Sizes helped put Cedar Falls, Iowa on the map. Seriously. They led Lewis & Clark right there and did it.