Just had a fine fine meal at Proof here in DC. My belly full of wine,¹ I headed home and fired up my iTunes to listen to some older Greg Cartwright songs.

I first came across the man’s work through a band called The Oblivians sometime in early 1995. The Oblivians were possibly one of the crudest, most primitive bands I’d ever seen or heard. They sounded like the Ramones, but with a solid appreciation of the blues undergirding their rock. “Bad Man”, off of Popular Favorites is exemplary of the Oblivians’ talent. Cutting through the fuzzed-out four chord progression is a plaintive drunkard’s lament: “I’m a bad man… but I’m too good for you…” The Reigning Sound will still bust out this gem at shows.

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Turns out, the Oblivians were primitive largely on purpose. Some research revealed that Cartwright had fronted a lo-fi Memphis blues band with fellow Oblivian Jack Yarber in the early 90s called The Compulsive Gamblers. Less clobbering than the Oblivians, the Gamblers were by no means a sophisticated band. Their first album, Gambling Days Are Over, was on steady repeat for months for me when I discovered it.

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After the Oblivians broke up, the Gamblers reformed to make two more albums, Bluff City and Crystal Gazing, Luck Amazing. My band had the great fortune to open for them in Baltimore probably around 1999. Cartwright’s songs on the second half of Bluff City were already veering into more bitter country-inflected terrain which he would explore in some detail with the Reigning Sound’s first album.

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Go out of your way to see any Greg Cartwright performance you may come across. You will be richly rewarded.

I went on a whim, and I was very impressed. My friends have been clamoring about the Clean for years, but I never investigated. Turns out they’re the first band to come out on the seminal New Zealand Flying Nun record label, and their 70s-80s psychedelic punk stands the test of time well. Cursory internet survey mentions the Velvet Underground as an easy comparison, and I can hear it, but it’s hardly an encompassing touchstone. Well worth the listen.

As for Kilgour’s solo stuff, I’ve just downloaded A Feather In The Engine and am quite enjoying it. If he’s playing anywhere near you, go spend the $10 and see the show. You won’t be disappointed.

Here’s a taste:

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Photo by the_photographer used under the Creative Commons license.