Lee
Press-On & The Nails
Playing Dirty
There
must have been one hell of a party at The Derby in Hollywood
last August during the recording of Lee Press-On & The Nails'
latest CD, Playing Dirty. LPN's second release this
year (following Swing Is Dead) and their second live
recording (after 1998's Live at the Hi-Ball), Dirty
continues in LPN's gothic-swing traditionbut something
is different. The musician shakeup of two years ago that left
the band's continuance in question actually proved a good
move. The Nails of the new millennium are more mature, both
lyrically and musically. Lee Press-On & the Nails is now more
dancer-and listener-friendly, while at the same time retaining
their playful wackiness.
Playing
Dirty relies on mostly new songs and works off of Swing
Is Dead, where Lee refined his lyric writing with the brilliant
"Hat Back Boogie" and "That Only Happens in the
Movies." The latest album keeps up the band's spooky reputation
with songs like "Devil Drums," the Raymond Scott/Cab
Calloway tune "Ghost of Smokey Joe," and the cowpoke
classic "Ghostriders in the Sky." But the new and
improved LPN, while keeping true to their dark side, also are
not afraid to get a little goofy on "Cocktails for Two,"
a ditty that would make Spike Jones proud, and Elvis Costello's
"Wave A White Flag." Which only goes to show, Goth
kids like to cut loose too.
-Smilin'
Buddha Joe
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