Green Cookie records

Senor Urh is best known for his stints as the leading light of raucous garage rebels such as Ultra 5 and Zero Child, New York heathen rocker types who managed to bridge the worlds of camp and the Cramps with the Detroit-dirge of the Stooges. This outing finds him personal and lo-fi, using basement tape possibilities to explore Jeffrey Lee Pierce landscapes of mutant blues punk, esoteric ramblings, and haunted hootenannies. “Iron City Blues” is a crunchy, layered cocoon of mystic words about suns, moons, and industrial landscapes set to churning guitar, restrained earthy vocals, rattling shakers, and interwoven solos. “Ramblin Man” comes on slow and poetic, like a noir nightscape at first, with a tambourine setting the minimal Velvet Underground pace, though eventually a free jazz slide guitar seems to stir at the end. The acoustic art shroud of “Black Black Widow” is humid and gothic – imagine Nick Cave on Quaaludes recounting the folklore of spiders on a ratty porch in Mississippi. Some 1960′s garage rock underlines “Zombi-fied,” revealing Urh’s taste for the 13th Floor Elevators and Link Wray, mixed with an equal love for mondo horror movies. “There She Is” sounds like a spare, kitchen sink love poem stolen from the mid-1960′s Rolling Stones, before psychedelia sideswiped them. Other standouts include the bareboned “Boom Boom A Zoom Zoom,” with its lingering swampiness and lurid New Orleans swaying, and the stream-of-consciousness “No Matter What,” which reveals that his “heart’s cut out.” Then he offers the slow, meandering “I’m Sick,” which strips down into casual carnality (“I’m sick, how about you?”). Though this all might be a different musical face than the Au Go Go punk of the Ultra 5 and the New York dirty boulevard voodoo of Zero Child, the album is naked, candid, and raw – both vulnerable and quietly volatile.

Left Of The Dial Online music magazine (19/11/2008)

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“Psycho garage is what he calls his music himself, but I rather have the feeling the devil took possession of him. I refer to Jeffrey Lee Pierce, or Robert Johnson, and the connoisseur needn’t know more”.

reviewed by Ewie for FileUnder (Netherlands) (translated excerpt) (23/02/2008)”.

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“That Bob Urh & The Bare Bones manage to make such a leap forwards, without wandering off too far from what they already achieved with Hoodoo Garage, is slightly fantastic”.

reviewed by Jurgen Dignef for Goddeau (Netherlands) (translated excerpt) (18/02/2008).

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“It’ll be clear why the band is named Bare Bones, since each track has been stripped down to the bone, which leads to a fascinating result”.

reviewed by Joost Jan Meertens for Planet Trash (Netherlands) (translated excerpt) (22/01/2008).

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“Projet personnel et manifestement pourvus d’amour, avec “Swamp O Delic”, on lorgne manifestement vers de la folk rock tout en trempant dans une ambiance bluesy. Enfin, “Swamp O Delic” entretient un climat de bonne ambiance avec quelques titres dont les mélodies se gravent à jamais dans nos esprits, je veux parler de “Iron City BluesH, le très lugubre “The heart” et sa belle ligne mélodique sur le refrain ou encore les plus chargés en émotions “No Matter What” et le sulfureux “Black Black Widow” qui à lui seul résume le style de Bob Urch ! Le combo adresse bien sûr quelques clins d’oeil à d’autres tyles comme la pop ou le cajun, styles qui évoluent sur un axe minimaliste et qui apportent cette fraîcheur à tous les titres. Alors si “Swamp O delic” ne connaîtra pas les foudres des grands alnums studio du genre, il est certains que les fans trouverons dans ces 15 titres, suffisament d’émotions pour porter ce disque à un haut niveau”.

Underground Society webzine (France)

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“Raw as hell, the garage blues, country twang of Bob Uhr and the Bare Bones are primitive and visceral, sounding far better when turned up really fucking loud. On his latest album “Swamp O Delic”, bob roars through 15 distorted stompers and howling laments including the cramps-like “Zombie-fied” and a heart of darkness cover of “Rambling Man”. One for those almost empty bottle moments, a glorious reminder of the spirit of rock and roll”.

Terrascope magazine. (UK)

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“If Hazel Adkins was alive, Swamp-O-Delic is one cd he would be proud of. I sure am”.

jimi imij. Ohio Hystorical Musick Society web site! (USA)

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“United States’ garage-punk-blues icon Bob Urh (ex The Ultra 5) outstanding new album. Something between Robert Johnson, Velvet Underground, Johnny Thunders and the Rolling Stones’ “Exile On Main Street. Add to that mix some voodoo vibe and you get the picture. One of the finest records to come out lately from an underground hero”.

No Fun records (USA)

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“Album davvero particolare di un tipo particolare, Bob Urh, americano alle prese con una chitarra e poco altro, pubblicato da un’etichetta greca, questo è il bello (troppo è il brutto) della globalizzazione. Musica malinconica, maledetta, un deserto che beve whisky mentre uno scorpione ascolta i White Stripes, aspettando l’anima del coyote. Mr. Urh definisce swap – o – delic il suo suono, e non gli si può dare torto. Tutto è distorto in nuce, e la chitarra diventa voce e la voce strumento. Bob Urh è solo, ma tanti spiriti girano vicino a lui, e cantano con lui. è un cd molto particolare, è blues malato, a volte le canzoni si perdono nell’aria e sembra di vedere un uomo con la sua chitarra, perso nel rito voodoo di un altro tramonto da conquistare”.

reviewed by Massi for In Your Eye e-zine (Italy) (20/09/2008).

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“Bob Urh is een bluesman uit Cleveland, Ohio met een verleden in arty punkbands Ragged Bags, Ultra 5, Zero Child en Lone Wolves. Teveel speed, een verhuis via Kent naar New York en het aanschouwen van Richard Hell die poëzie voordroeg, deden Bob opschuiven richting blues en country. Bob Urh & The Bare Bones is een wisselend collectief, met als enige constante Bob Urh zelf. Meestal een éénmansband maar als de nood er is met zoveel medestanders als nodig, schuimt Bob de wereld af. Op ‘Swamp O Delic’ staan dertien eigen nummers en twee covers van Hank Williams, samen goed voor rustig voortkabbelende liedjes die het goed zullen doen op een klein podium in een kleine kroeg maar via de stereo of koptelefoon toch wat mankementen vertonen. Geen van de nummers imponeert, de plaat blijft hardnekkig op de achtergrond. Van een man met zoveel ervaring hadden we toch iets meer urgentie verwacht. Misschien is de plaat die eerstdaags uitkomt op Basement Blues records van Zero Child interessanter”.

reviewed by Patrick Bruneel for Gonzo Circus magazine (Belgium)

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“Blue-eyed boy Mr .Bob Urh the boss of Ultra 5 / Zero Child & alternative bands based not far away Dowtown N.Y.city still emerge to Garage underground with new Cd.  THE Bones walk & grow  with   voodoo experiences … this album must be the border between The early  obscur V.U. trend & electric-acoustic Chicago music ‘spirit. A real bargain to dig the essential roots of the big Apple, to-day! .”

reviewed by Patryck Soubielle for Garage Band Revisited magazine (France) (2008).

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“USA, California, lugar de donde Bob y compañía llegan con un cd que rescata, como el mismo dice, las raíces del rock de los 60´s mezclado con el psychobilly, aunque en lo personal para caer en las etiquetas le llamaría “psycho-blues” , música tranquila para escuchar y viajar entre sus letras llenas de locura, asesinatos, huesos y decadencia moral, esta placa contiene 15 temas grabados en vivo y algunos otros solamente con una consola de kct, dándole aun mas ese ambiente de antigüedad y sonido claro sin perder detalle de lo que hace este recomendado ¿cantautor?.”

Beneficio Interno blog (Spain)

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Rauwer dan rauw, primitiever dan promitief

The Bare Bones staan wel op het hoesje, maar ze doen niet mee. Omdat het solo nog minimalistischer en rammelender kan voor Bob Urh, de man die zijn muzikale verkenningen begint waar The Castanets en Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy afhaken. Werkelijk geen noot wordt recht gespeeld op Swamp O Delic. En al die schots en scheve muziek wordt dan ook nog eens afgedekt onder een dikke laag ruis.

Maar luister er vooral vaak naar, want dan blijkt wat eerst lachwekkend amateuristisch leek, van een ongekende desolate schoonheid te zijn.

Bob Urh heeft de blues als geen ander en de volkomen ontredderde staat van zijn ziel kan alleen worden gevangen in volkomen ontredderde muziek. Urh kan ‘There She Is’ and ‘Ramblin’ Man’ niet beter spelen en zingen, omdat hij te veel verteerd wordt door zielenpijn. In ‘Dark Punk Maya’ en ‘The Bones Walk’ is het dan weer alsof het lijk van Lux Interior uit zijn graf is herrezen om nog een paar vuige stukken voodooblues te spelen, voor zover als zijn reeds rottende vingers het toelaten.

Toegegeven: toegankelijk is anders. Maar wie zijn muziek graag zo rauw en primitief mogelijk geserveerd krijgt, kan niet om Swamp O Delic heen.

reviewed by Martijn ter Haar for KindaMusic (Netherlands) (21/2/2009)

• June, 12 2009 08:00 PM @ Jokers Car Club (Tidaholm, Sweden)

• May, 30 2009 02:00 PM @ DePalma Hot Rod Mayhem ’09 (Stockholm, Sweden)
• May, 24 2009 03:00 PM @ ‘t Ende (Zwevegem, Belgium)
• May, 24 2009 12:00 PM @ RinBar Studio – aperitif show (St. Denijs, Zwevegem, Belgium)
• May, 23 2009 08:00 PM @ ‘t Skutje (Lauwe, Menen, Belgium)
• May, 22 2009 08:00 PM @ JH Contrast (Wielsbeke, Belgium)
• May, 21 2009 08:00 PM @ Café Tsjaplin (Deurne, Antwerp, Belgium)
• May, 15 2009 @ Gutter City Festival (Copenhagen, Denmark)
• April 3, 2009 22:00 @ Lades (Copenhagen, Denmark)
• February 12, 2009 @ Filmstationen, ‘Den Gamle Lygten Station’, (Copenhagen NVm Denmark)

• September 28, 2007 @ HWCH Festival – Lounge stage (Dublin, Ireland)
• June 2, 2007 @ Gran (lille sal), SPOT Festival (Aarhus)
• May 20, 2007 @ The Farm (Zwevegem, Belgium)
• May 19, 2007 @ Cafe Mercury (Zulte, Belgium)
• May 18, 2007 @ JH Nuitgang (Kruishoutem, Belgium)
• May 17, 2007 @ Ziggy (Kortrijk, Belgium)
• May 16, 2007 @ JH Contrast (Wielsbeke, Belgium)
• April 13, 2007 @ M/S Stubnitz (Rostock, Germany)
• March 31, 2007 @ Mejeriet (Lund, Sweden)
• March 10, 2007 @ Volxbad (Flensburg, Germany)
• March 9, 2007 @ Wild at Heart (Berlin, Germany)
• March 2, 2007 @ Huset, Magstræde (Copenhagen, Denmark)
• February 17, 2007 @ TurboTown w/Kurve, Turbinehallerne (Copenhagen, Denmark)
• February 2, 2007 @ Cosmic Zoom, Hal D (Christianshavn, Copenhagen, Denmark)
• February 1, 2007 @ Lades (Copenhagen, Denmark)

• November 24, 2006 El Ray w/Clamshake @ Studenterhuset (Copenhagen, Denmark)
• October 27, 2006 ‘It Came From The West’ sneak-preview party @ The Animation Workshop (Viborg, Denmark)
• September 30, 2006 El Ray Release Party – ‘Holiday On Ice’ 10″ – w/Swing of Sahara @ Operaen (Christiania, Denmark)
• September 9, 2006 Bryggen 101 @ Kulturhuset Islands Brygge (Copenhagen, Denmark)
• August 27, 2006 Husets Dag @ Huset (Copenhagen, Denmark)
• June 3, 2006 DePalma Hot Rod Mayhem (Stockholm, Sweden)
• April 29, 2006 Radiohuset Rocker 2006 @ Radiohuset (Copenhagen, Denmark)
• April 7, 2006 @ Lades (Copenhagen, Denmark)
• March 25, 2006 @ Volxbad (Flensburg, Germany)
• March 24, 2006 Rock A Go Go Club Festival @ Mau Club (Rostock, Germany)
• March 23, 2006 @ Studenterhuset (Copenhagen, Denmark)
• March 2, 2006 El Ray w/King Django (US) & Ramjet @ Rust (Copenhagen, Denmark)

• December 16, 2005 El Ray w/Rumspringa @ Rust (Copenhagen, Denmark)
• November 11, 2005 El Ray w/Aimology @ Huset (Copenhagen, Denmark)
• November 5, 2005 @ K77 (Woerden, Holland)
• November 4, 2005 @ ORKZ (Groningen, Holland)
• November 2, 2005 @ Winston (Amsterdam, Holland)
• October 31, 2005 @ Kosmic (Gent, Belgium)
• October 30, 2005 @ Eureka (Zwolle, Holland)
• October 29, 2005 @ De Bakkerij (Castricum, Holland)
• October 28, 2005 @ Merleyn (Nijmegen, Holland)
• October 27, 2005 El Ray w/The Mono-Tones @ Cul de Sac (Tilburg, Holland)
• October 20, 2005 El Ray w/The Mexikan Stand-Off @ Loppen (Copenhagen, Denmark)
• August 27, 2005 Summer Safari Festival (Leipzig, Germany)
• August 26, 2005 @ Wild At Heart (Berlin, Germany)
• August 25, 2005 @ Studenterhuset (Nyk. Falster, Denmark)
• June 18, 2005 Vesterbro Festival (Halmtorvet, Copenhagen, Denmark)
• May 6, 2005 @ Studenterhuset (Copenhagen, Denmark)
• May 1, 2005 @ Treibsand (Lubeck, Germany)
• April 30, 2005 @ Subway To Peter (Chemnitz, Germany)
• April 29, 2005 @ Archiv (Potsdam, Germany)
• April 2, 2005 @ East Club (Bischofswerda, Germany)
• March 19, 2005 El Ray w/The Hors D’oeuvres @ Loppen (Copenhagen, Denmark)
• January 29, 2005 @ Fortuna (Nyk. Falster, Denmark)
• January 28, 2005 @ MS Stubnitz (Rostock, Germany)
• January 8, 2005 @ Pitstop (Kolding, Denmark)
• January 7, 2005 @ Volxbad (Flensburg, Germany)

• December 3, 2004 El Ray w/The Tremolo Beer Gut @ Loppen (Copenhagen, Denmark)
• November 11, 2004 VME Showcase, Rust (Copenhagen, Denmark)
• October 16, 2004 Heptown Night – El Ray w/Screamin’ Eric and The Punch (S), Mejeriet (Lund, Sweden)
• October 3, 2004 El Ray w/Yellow Heatbooster @ Mojo (Copenhagen, Denmark)
• October 1, 2004 Heptown Night – El Ray w/Screamin’ Eric and The Punch (S) @ Studenterhuset (Copenhagen, Denmark)
• September 18, 2004 @ Wild at Heart (Berlin, Germany)
• September 17, 2004 @ 013 (Tilburg, Holland)
• September 16, 2004 El Ray w/The Anacondas (nl) @ Wilhelmina Pakhuis (Amsterdam, Holland)
• September 15, 2004 @ De Fantast (Valkenswaard, Holland)
• September 13, 2004 @ Eureka (Zwolle, Holland)
• September 12, 2004 @ Plockpop (Volkel, Holland)
• September 11, 2004 El Ray w/The Anacondas (nl) @ De Bakkerij (Castricum, Holland)
• September 10, 2004 @ De Bierpompe (Werwik, Belgium)
• September 9, 2004 @ Kosmic (Gent, Belgium)
• September 5, 2004 Sunday Swing’n'Surf @ Studenterhuset (Copenhagen, Denmark)
• August 27, 2004 El Ray – ‘Tick…Tick…Tick…’, Release Party + live performance @ Ideal Bar, Copenhagen
• May 8, 2004 El Ray w/Tricky Lobsters at Bunker Club (Chemnitz, Germany)
• May 7, 2004 El Ray w/The Egos at Wild at Heart (Berlin, Germany)
• May 6, 2004 @ Cafe Wagner (Jena, Germany)
• May 2, 2004 El Ray w/Hawaii Samurai @ Lades (Copenhagen, Denmark)
• February 7, 2004 @ Cafe Mokka (Thun, Switzerland)
• February 6, 2004 El Ray w/Hawaii Samurai (hawaiisamurai.fr.st) @ Gibus Club (Besancon, France)
• February 5, 2004 @ QV Stadl (Hochst, Austria)
• February 4, 2004 @ Moloko (Geneva, Switzerland)
• February 3, 2004 @ Genesis Club (Mannheim, Germany)
• February 2, 2004 @ Subway To Peter (Chemnitz, Germany)
• February 1, 2004 @ Irish Harp Pub (Wittenberg, Germany)
• January 31, 2004 @ AZ Dorftrottel  (Waldkirchen, Germany)
• January 30, 2004 @ Kulturpalast (Wiesbaden, Germany)

• November 29, 2003 El Ray w/AIM @ Vega (Copenhagen, Denmark)
• November 28, 2003 @ TeologiBar (Copenhagen, Denmark)
• November 21, 2003 @ Metro (Ringsted, Denmark)
• November 8, 2003 El Ray w/The Untamed @ Mejeriet (Lund, Sweden)
• October 31, 2003 The Untamed – Release Party, Stengade 30, (Copenhagen, Denmark)
• October 19, 2003 El Ray w/Uffo (uffo.nl) @ Plock (Volkel, Holland)
• October 18, 2003 @ K77 (Woerden, Holland)
• October 17, 2003 El Ray w/The Skidmarks and Kelvinators @ Buk Buk (Heiloo, Holland)
• October 16, 2003 @ Subway to Peter (Chemnitz, Germany)
• October 15, 2003 @ Komma Kafe (Worgl, Austria)
• October 14, 2003 @ L´Escalier (Huy, Belgium)
• October 13, 2003 @ Kozmik (Gent, Belgium)
• October 12, 2003 @ Melkweg (Tielt, Belgium)
• October 11, 2003 @ Fools Garden (Waregem, Belgium)
• October 10, 2003 @ Driesrock Festival (St. Denijs, Belgium)
• September 25, 2003 @ Lades (Copenhagen, Denmark)
• June 12, 2003 @ Lades (Copenhagen, Denmark)
• May 22, 2003 Private Party @ FysikBar (Copenhagen, Denmark)
• May 10, 2003 El Ray vs. Jarno blues’n'surf explosion @ Mojo (Copenhagen, Denmark)
• March 13, 2003 El Ray w/ HypnoticIV (US), Stengade 30 (Copenhagen, Denmark)
• February 13, 2003 El Ray w/ Fifty Foot Combo (Belgium) @ Loppen (Copenhagen, Denmark)

• December 7, 2002 @ Pitstop (Kolding, Denmark)
• November 3, 2002 Nokie Edwards (The Ventures) Support: AdVentures (NL) + El Ray @ Vega (Copenhagen, Denmark)
• October 17, 2002 El Ray w/The Unit @ Stengade 30 (Copenhagen, Denmark)
• October 4, 2002 Private Party @ BioBar (Copenhagen, Denmark)
• August 22, 2002 El Ray w/The Untamed @ Lades Kælder (Copenhagen, Denmark)
• August 17, 2002 El Ray – ‘Shoot from the hip’ CD reception @ Baden Baden (Copenhagen, Denmark)
• May 31, 2002 El Ray w/Screamin’ Eric and the Erections @ Studenterhuset (Copenhagen, Denmark)
• April 6, 2002 Private Party- “Surfer Wedding” (Kolding, Denmark)
• March 9, 2002 El Ray + more… @ RockMaskinen (Christiania, Denmark)
• March 1, 2002 Private Party @ BioBar (Copenhagen, Denmark)
• February 16, 2002 The Jetsons – Release Party @ Operaen (Christiania, Denmark)
• February 2, 2002 El Ray w/Cosmo Jones Beat Machine @ Loppen (Copenhagen, Denmark)
• January 26, 2002 @ Templet (Lyngby, Denmark)
• January 5, 2002 El Ray w/Subdivision @ Hollywood Hardrock (Fredericia, Denmark)

• December 14, 2001 Support for The Tremolo Beer Gut @ Studenterhuset (Copenhagen, Denmark)
• October 25, 2001 El Ray w/support: TH.Kill @ Loppen (Copenhagen, Denmark)
• September 15, 2001 El Ray w/The Eugenes @ Krunch (Copenhagen, Denmark)
• August 24, 2001 @ Café Funke (Copenhagen, Denmark)