Melbourne’s one-man band trio Puta Madre Brothers have created a mythical musico-political destination, Meximotown, a place where garage rock lives in warped harmony with spaghetti westerns, adolescent humour and rudimentary Spanish discourse. Unlike the ill-fated Spanish quest of the 16th century, there’s no obvious booty waiting to be plundered; there is, however, a bounty of idiosyncratic musical riches well within Puta Madre Brothers’ vision.
It’s A Long, Long Way To Meximotown is Puta Madre Brothers’ second album, and follow-up to 2010’s Queso Y Cojones. The album opens in a frivolous, but loving mood with La Mierda, with promises of ice cream, meatballs and anal passion played out over a gringo Gene Vincent riff. Those Darlins’ The Whole Damn Lot is turned on its head and shaken within an inch of its life (a similar fate awaits CW Stoneking’s Dodo Blues later on the record), while Chicken Chase The Donkeys subverts more the dominant animal kingdom paradigm in more ways than need to be acknowledged. The Young Horse rides off into the distance with ne’er care for the world; Dead Grass looks you in the eye, spits and laughs at the pleasure.
The arid garage qualities of Nothing On are superlative; the quaint olde worlde feel of Besos En El Culo transfixing. Saddle UpAand Go lurches into action with ’50s rockabilly attitude and a flask full of whisky, Para Su Madre is Ricky Nelson whacked out on peyote with a head full of mutant love and Man Of Stolen Hearts brings Hank Williams and Clint Eastwood together for a moment of sheer tenderness. Mi Perro Es Tan Feo is the fire-side tribute to a dog rubbed up the wrong way with the ugly stick, A Theme For Vincent Fernandez rocks and rolls with Tijuanan swagger and Queso No Cojones finds Puta Madre Brothers at the circus with madness in their eyes.
Puta Madre Brothers are on a journey to a destination only they understand. Judging by the postcards, it’s a crazy place, and only one for the true of spirit.
BY ALEX BRIGADO
Best Track: Saddle UpAand Go
If You Like This, You’ll Like These: ENNIO MORRICONE, REVEREND BEAT MAN
In A Word: Gringo
