Throw Rag

In Southern California's Colorado Desert, a landscape rivaling only Death Valley for sheer emptiness, the vast Salton Sea sits as an accidental saltwater expanse formed during the opening decades of the twentieth century. From this unlikely terrain emerged the frenetic garage-punk group Throw Rag, whose sound mirrors the stark surroundings that shaped them. Their songs fuse vintage rockabilly, the Irish folk-punk approach of the Pogues, the stripped-down melodic instincts of the Ramones and the Undertones, a swashbuckling group image reminiscent of the obscure U.K. post-punk act Tenpole Tudor, and straightforward low-desert country and blues, all delivered with classic garage insolence. The combination yields a singular, engaging identity rather than a mere collage of styles. Founded in 1998, the five-piece lineup of vocalist Captain Sean Doe, guitarist Dean "Dino" McQueen, bassist Franco Fontana, drummer Chango Von Streicher, and English transplant Action Craig Jackman (handling washboard and bugle) began performing across California's inland deserts, cultivating an unhinged live presence that led to venue bans. Their first record, the 2001 release Tee Tot, highlighted the country and Celtic folk elements in their palette. After signing to the veteran punk imprint Better Youth Organization, the band issued Desert Shores in 2003, a louder collection that merged psychobilly with Motörhead's intensity. Jackman departed the following year, seemingly recognizing that the quartet's intensified sound no longer suited his eccentric contributions. As a four-piece, Throw Rag delivered their third album, 13 Ft. and Rising, in summer 2005.