Cheater Slicks sound like the exact moment a garage rock party turns into a fever dream. By stripping away the bass and cranking the volume until the speakers bleed, they create a dense, claustrophobic wall of sound that is as much about noise and texture as it is about the blues. It is music that feels physically intrusive, vibrating with a raw, unpolished energy that refuses to settle for simple retro-revivalism.
What truly sets them apart is their ability to weave deep, genuine melancholy into their sonic chaos. While many garage bands aim for mindless fun, the Slicks lean into a misanthropic, reclusive aesthetic. Their guitars do not just riff; they howl, moan, and disintegrate into feedback, creating a psychedelic dementia that feels both dangerous and deeply lonely. It is the sound of three people playing as if they are the only ones left in a dying city.
Start with 'Don't Like You' to hear them at their most focused and aggressive under Jon Spencer's production. If you want to experience their more expansive, experimental side, dive into the double-album 'Forgive Thee'. It is a challenging, rewarding journey for anyone who finds beauty in the wreckage of traditional rock and roll.
Cheater Slicks is a three-man garage punk band formed in Boston in 1987. The members are Tom Shannon (guitar, vocals), Dave Shannon (guitar), and Dana Hatch (drums, vocals). They toured with Jon Spencer Blues Explosion in 1995. In their early days they experimented with a couple of different singers and periods as an instrumental band before Tom and Dana assumed vocal duties. They also went through a succession of bassists - Dina Pearlman (daughter of Alan R. Pearlman), Allan Paulinho ("Alpo" from the Real Kids), and finally Merle Allin (brother of G.G. Allin) - before deciding to go bassless like the Cramps. The band relocated to Columbus, OH, in 1996 and is still active. They played their 20th anniversary show on Sept. 1, 2007. They have released several albums on In the Red Records. The band received special notice when Mudhoney covered their song "Ghost" on their fifth studio album "Tomorrow Hit Today". Almost Ready Records has re-released three of Cheater Slicks' albums on vinyl. "On Your Knees" in 2016, and "Destination Lonely" in 2017. In 2011 Almost Ready Records released "Our Food Is Chaos: Allen Paulino Session" for the first time on vinyl. They also appear on 2012's "The World's Lousy With Ideas Vol 9", another Almost Ready Records release.
Shares lo fi, noise textured, analog warmth (production style); noise rock, blues rock (subgenres)
Shares noise rock, psychedelic rock, alternative rock (subgenres); lo fi, noise textured, live recording (production style)
Shares brooding, aggressive, melancholic (moods); lo fi, noise textured, analog warmth (production style)
Shares lo fi, noise textured, stripped back (production style); raspy, gravelly, intense (vocal style)
Shares lo fi, noise textured, live recording (production style); basement show, urban night, dive bar (atmosphere)
Shares lo fi, noise textured, stripped back (production style); raspy, deadpan, intense (vocal style)
Shares lo fi, noise textured, analog warmth (production style); noise rock, blues rock (subgenres)
Shares basement show, dive bar, urban night (atmosphere); lo fi, noise textured, live recording (production style)
Shares lo fi, noise textured, stripped back (production style); basement show, dive bar, urban night (atmosphere)
Shares basement show, urban night, dive bar (atmosphere); noise textured, live recording, analog warmth (production style)
Shares noise rock, noise textured, psychedelic rock, aggressive (subgenre)
Shares noise rock, blues rock, noise textured, gravelly (subgenre)
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