A bit of a supergroup, The Infamous Stiffs aren’t looking to be number one. Instead, the California mob seem intent on making the kind of records they enjoy – nothing more, nothing less.
Formed from a bunch of punk lifers, the Stiffs boast a serious pedigree. Frontman Scott Wilkins – AKA “Snotty Scotty” – snarled his way through Verbal Abuse, Electric Frankenstein, Hollywood Hate and CD2 (Condemned to Death). Bassist Troy Takaki slings low end for both The Boneless Ones and the Stiffs, having cut his teeth in the Bay Area before heading south. Guitarist Mark Pananides, also a Hollywood Hate alumnus, has played with everyone from Nardcore’s Rat Pack to Cynical, even filling in with Junkyard. Behind the kit, Dave Bach has been hammering skins since he was a lad, with stints in The Afflicted, House of Wheels, and currently San Francisco legends The Avengers.
Certainly, “The Ornery Six” sounds like joyful punk made by people who know the ropes – and how to tear them down.
It kicks off at a million miles an hour with “No Static”, which carries as much East Coast grit as West Coast sunshine. That’s the tightrope here, and the Infamous Stiffs walk it brilliantly.
“Loose Screws” is a riff-tastic sugar rush until you notice Snotty Scotty barking “This world’s a fucked up place” – and he’s not wrong. “Evel Mann” might be about Evel Knievel… then again, it might not. Either way, it roars in with plenty of intent.
There’s sharper social commentary – and a shade more melody – on “Lonesoul”, while “Walk Away” (first line: “I became an angry old man”) proves that old punks never die. Except when they do, and “Top Secret” attests to that. A heartfelt tribute to LA punk legends The Kaos and the late Johnny Stingray, it’s glorious and lovingly done.
If “ornery” means “bad tempered or difficult to deal with”, then The Infamous Stiffs have just defined the ideal punk band. The joy of six indeed. You might even get an infamous stiffy.
RATING: 8.5/10
