BAD LIVERS
Blood & Mood (Sugar Hill Records)
Reviewed by Holly Day

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Such a beautiful band! Nobody combines hillbilly subject matter and even instrumentation (banjos, slide guitar, steel pedal, upright bass, and God knows what else) with industrial, rock, and punk aesthetic as well as these guys do. They mix awesome voice samples about chili cookoffs and local weather with electronic drum beats and loops on one song, while on another, sparse dual guitar instrumentals are paired with brilliant lyrics about small town life and lost love ("I'm burning things I find 'til you miss me" has got to be the greatest line I've heard in a song all year). Bad Livers have consistently been among the best of the psychohillbilly acts since their first record came out, and it's always wonderful to hear that each successive record is just as good (if not better) than the one that came before. It goes without saying, too, that their live shows are absolutely amazing and able to bring out the violent shitkicker in just about anyone, including my normally passive, nondancing husband.

© 2001 - Holly Day