The Cramps

The Cramps are a Psychobilly band whose only permanent members have been Lux Interior (Erick Purkhiser) and Poison Ivy (Kristy Wallace), the lead singer and lead guitarist respectively. Their musical style is fuzz-toned, stripped-down rockabilly, mostly in twelve bar blues form, played at varying, though usually fast, tempos, with two guitars, vocals and a very minimal drumkit. In more recent years they have added a bass player. The content of their songs and image is sleaze, trashy Americana, sexual fetishism, and a lot of cheap, horror B-movie cliche.

Related Topics:
Psychobilly - Lux Interior - Poison Ivy - Rockabilly - Twelve bar blues - Sleaze - Americana - Sexual fetishism - B-movie

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Influences on the sound are early rockabilly and proto-rock n roll like Eddie Cochran, Chuck Berry and Hasil Adkins, 1960s surf music acts such as The Ventures and Dick Dale; 1960s garage rock artists like The Seeds, The Gants, The Sonics, and The Monks, as well as the early punk scene from which they emerged. They also were influenced to a degree by The Ramones and owe a lot to Screamin' Jay Hawkins for having invented the theatrical, horror-blues stage act.

Related Topics:
Rockabilly - Eddie Cochran - Chuck Berry - Hasil Adkins - Surf music - The Ventures - Dick Dale - Garage rock - The Seeds - The Gants - The Sonics - The Monks - Punk - The Ramones - Screamin' Jay Hawkins

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In turn, they have strongly influenced subsequent punk and rockabilly revival bands, even creating a genre in their wake. "Psychobilly," a style played by bands like The Meteors and the Sharks, is a term coined by the Cramps, although Lux Interior maintains that the term does not describe their own style. The Cramps' music, flamboyance, and glamour influenced or anticipated acts like James Chance and the Contortions, The Birthday Party with Nick Cave, The Gun Club, The Dum Dum Boys, The Meteors, Flat Duo Jets, Billy Idol, The New York Dolls, Tav Falco's Panther Burns, and Johnny Thunders.

Related Topics:
Psychobilly - The Meteors - James Chance - The Birthday Party - Nick Cave - The Gun Club - Billy Idol - The New York Dolls - Tav Falco's Panther Burns - Johnny Thunders

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