Biography
Originating from Austin, Texas, the Asylum Street Spankers stand out as a distinctive ensemble fronted by Wammo, serving as vocalist, washboard player, and poet, alongside vocalist Christina Marrs. Their particular fusion of acoustic blues with early jazz has drawn an expanding dedicated audience. Much of their repertoire pulls from blues works of the 1920s and 1930s, though original compositions also appear in their performances and on the debut Watermelon Records outing Spanks for the Memories. Unamplified shows without microphones commonly spotlight numbers linked to Bessie Smith and Robert Johnson plus assorted other standard and traditional blues pieces.
Additional members across time have featured guitarist Colonel Josh Arnson, guitarist Jeff Ross, banjo and mandolin player Pops Bayless, drummer Jimmie Dean, guitarist and saw player Olivier Giraud, kazoo player Mysterious John, guitarist and singer/songwriter Guy Forsyth, and bassist Kevin Smith. The band’s beginnings trace to the early 1990s at a hotel outside Austin, where an all-night acoustic tune swap convinced the players they had found value in returning to basics with acoustic music. Phone calls and circulated tapes followed, leading to a rehearsal where chemistry quickly asserted itself.
Regular Wednesday appearances at Austin’s Electric Lounge bar helped build larger crowds, which in turn prompted the debut album for the local Watermelon label. While Spanks for the Memories draws on established melodies and progressions, select lyrics reflect present-day American life in pieces such as “Funny Cigarette,” “Trade Winds,” “Lee Harvey,” and “Hometown Boy,” which deliver humor that resonates with listeners. A subsequent live album documenting a 1996 show confirmed this appeal by highlighting their onstage charm and charisma.
The Nasty Novelties EP supplied one notable track title, “Rotten Cocksucker’s Ball,” yet the next year’s full-length Hot Lunch supplied another strong set of old-fashioned pop material that earned enthusiastic reviews and separated the group from more gimmick-driven revival acts. Spanker Madness arrived the following year and surprised audiences with its hootenanny-style format and extensive roster of guest musicians. Every song addressed the merits of marijuana, and the humorous tone together with the loose atmosphere recruited fresh listeners drawn to the band’s liberal politics.
A clever Christmas album and an EP of additional explicit songs, highlighted by the humorous “Everybody’s Fucking But Me,” sustained interest until My Favorite Record appeared in 2002 on the band’s own Spanks-a-Lot Records. Mercurial arrived in 2004 as another varied effort that included a cover of the Beastie Boys’ “Paul Revere” and a hoedown version of Black Flag’s “TV Party,” with Re-Assembly following in 2006. The next year brought the bouncy, family-oriented album Mommy Says No!
Additional members across time have featured guitarist Colonel Josh Arnson, guitarist Jeff Ross, banjo and mandolin player Pops Bayless, drummer Jimmie Dean, guitarist and saw player Olivier Giraud, kazoo player Mysterious John, guitarist and singer/songwriter Guy Forsyth, and bassist Kevin Smith. The band’s beginnings trace to the early 1990s at a hotel outside Austin, where an all-night acoustic tune swap convinced the players they had found value in returning to basics with acoustic music. Phone calls and circulated tapes followed, leading to a rehearsal where chemistry quickly asserted itself.
Regular Wednesday appearances at Austin’s Electric Lounge bar helped build larger crowds, which in turn prompted the debut album for the local Watermelon label. While Spanks for the Memories draws on established melodies and progressions, select lyrics reflect present-day American life in pieces such as “Funny Cigarette,” “Trade Winds,” “Lee Harvey,” and “Hometown Boy,” which deliver humor that resonates with listeners. A subsequent live album documenting a 1996 show confirmed this appeal by highlighting their onstage charm and charisma.
The Nasty Novelties EP supplied one notable track title, “Rotten Cocksucker’s Ball,” yet the next year’s full-length Hot Lunch supplied another strong set of old-fashioned pop material that earned enthusiastic reviews and separated the group from more gimmick-driven revival acts. Spanker Madness arrived the following year and surprised audiences with its hootenanny-style format and extensive roster of guest musicians. Every song addressed the merits of marijuana, and the humorous tone together with the loose atmosphere recruited fresh listeners drawn to the band’s liberal politics.
A clever Christmas album and an EP of additional explicit songs, highlighted by the humorous “Everybody’s Fucking But Me,” sustained interest until My Favorite Record appeared in 2002 on the band’s own Spanks-a-Lot Records. Mercurial arrived in 2004 as another varied effort that included a cover of the Beastie Boys’ “Paul Revere” and a hoedown version of Black Flag’s “TV Party,” with Re-Assembly following in 2006. The next year brought the bouncy, family-oriented album Mommy Says No!