Teenagers Gettin’ High

Labretta Suede & The Motel 6 at Three Links May 29, 2022

Killer New Slabs Of Dallas Texas Garage Punk Vinyl By THYROIDS And Labretta Suede & The Motel 6 On Turkey Baster Records

When I lived in Austin in the mid to late ‘90s, Turkey Baster Records was the mark of excellence amongst my punk/garage record collecting weirdo friends. The label put out singles by the unholy trio of the Austin punk scene, The Motards, The Chumps, and The Reclusives. They released singles by post-Motards/Reclusives combos The Hatchbacks and The Put Downs, and they even branched their franchise into North Texas by releasing a split single by The Boozers and The Reds, among various other punx. I must have stepped on Rick Magee’s shoes a few times and certainly he split beer on mine, yet I never met him till we both went to see the Scientists’ amazing two night stand in Austin a few years ago. Rick now lives in Dallas and his Turkey Baster Records is still going, having released a number of titles over the past decade. His latest releases just happen to be by two of my favorite and most beloved Dallas-based bands.

THYROIDS at the Texas Theatre, July 16, 2022

THYROIDS – A Swift Kick In The Ass 7” EP, “Exclusively Reclusive” b/w “Excessively Impressive” / “0106” (Turkey Baster 2022)

It’s pure coincidence that the first time I saw both THYROIDS and Labretta Suede & The Motel 6 was around the same time in 2016. THYROIDS were this young, noisy, and crazy blast of garage punk the first time I saw them, and I recall their set lasting about 20 minutes, ending in a screeching wreck of feedback. A few years later and with a solid new lineup, they’ve tightened up a bit but it’s still a rollercoaster of sound. They mix up a frenetic blur of punk, post-punk, new wave, hardcore, and experimental noise, but still with a teenage garage stomp on top. Their earliest digital releases are fun lo-fi excursions while this new 7” EP, their first vinyl release, is a bit more polished production. I’m looking forward to good things from this band.

Labretta Suede & The Motel 6 – Teenagers 7”, “Teenagers Gettin’ High” b/w “Teenage Head” (Turkey Baster 2022)

I was apparently hibernating in my cave during Labretta Suede & The Motel 6’s NYC residency in the early 2010s, and I somehow missed the dozen or so times they had played in Dallas during their multiple cross-country tours. Since Labretta and Moondog left New Zealand last year to make Dallas their homebase, I’ve seen them well over a dozen times, and we’ve become great friends. I got to see them reunite with their old NYC rhythm section, and after they returned to the Big Apple to make new recordings with their pal Matt Verta-Ray, I had the pleasure of having them come over and crank up the pre-mastered final mixes through my stereo so my neighbors could hear it (heard no complaints). On this hot as the Texas summer 45 they deliver the high school confidential with the organ accented “Teenagers Gettin’ High”, while their dirty spin on the Flamin’ Groovies’ classic makes me wanna yell “It’s alive! It’s alive! IT’S…ALIVE!!!” It’s simply been a joy and a never-ending chorus of laughs hanging with these weirdo rock ‘n’ roll true believers. I’m thrilled to have this brand new, hot pink piece of wax from LSM6!!!

And both bands are on tour over the next few months. THYROIDS will be hitting the road this fall, while Labretta Suede & The Motel 6 are at Creepy Fest in New Orleans TONIGHT! (July 23) They will be at the inaugural Space City Luau in Houston, Aug 12, followed by various dates in Kansas and Missouri, bookended by shows with Death Valley Girls and the one and only Tav Falco! Hello!! Digital version of the single is coming soon!

https://turkeybasterrecords.bigcartel.com/