The A-Bones

Long before garage rock regained any widespread appeal, the Brooklyn five-piece A-Bones hammered out raw garage sounds alongside rockabilly stylings that paid no heed to the Stray Cats. Their take on the messy glory of earlier rock & roll eras came fueled by a beer-soaked zeal rooted solely in the urge to deliver fast, loud, and untamed music rather than any nod to oldies circuits or nostalgic revival. Taking their name from a Trashmen number, the group was fronted by singer Billy Miller and drummer Miriam Linna, both veterans of the Zantees and the driving forces behind the unruly pop-culture journal Kicks plus the Norton Records label, ventures that shared the band’s frantic energy. Completing the roster were guitarist Bruce Bennett, bassist Mike Lewis (later replaced by Marcus “The Carcass” Natale), and saxophonist Lars Espensen. The A-Bones launched their run in 1984, issuing the 10" EP Tempo Tantrum two years later and the full-length Free Beer for Life! in 1988. They also served as backing unit for rock & roll stalwarts Rudy Grayzell, Hasil Adkins, Johnny Powers, Ronnie Dawson, Roy Loney, and Cordell Jackson, scattered a handful of singles across assorted underground imprints, and delivered five Norton LPs before ending operations in 1994. Sporadic reunion gigs followed over the next decade, including a 2004 session that added backing vocals from the 5.6.7.8's to the new track featured on the twentieth-anniversary set Daddy Wants a Cold Beer and Other Million Sellers. Another reunion in 2009 produced the studio album Not Now!.