Noisy Punks Dead Arms release their second album ‘Simply Dead’ on 10th May via Hominid Sounds/Rip This Joint. In honour of this glorious event shouty man Steve Wheeler a.k.a. General Waste of the band takes us through some of his favourite albums, his ‘six of the best’ so to speak.
Meatbodies – ‘Meatbodies’ (2014) In The Red Records
Alex is the big garage-head in the band and he was playing the first Meatbodies album a lot when we wrote most of the album. It’s a big influence on his playing, and he’s always after that fuzzy/scuzzy/distorted production that Wayne Adams at Bear Bites Horse studios is such a master of.
I’m listening to the album for the first time whilst writing this and as a huge Ty Segall fan I absolutely approve of Al’s choice. It’s proper rollicking psych-garage and I can now see why Al moved to California and got married in the desert, it makes practice difficult but if he keeps writing songs like this I’m completely onboard.
NB: I have tasked Alex with getting us a support slot with Hot Snakes or Rocket From the Crypt for a US tour but now I’m adding Meatbodies to the list. If anyone can help him out, get in touch.
Cows – ‘Cunning Stunts’ (1992) Am Rep Records
When we released our first album ‘All The Hits’ almost every review compared it to The Jesus Lizard and although we were all aware of them, none of us had ever really listened to more than a couple of records and they certainly weren’t in our mind when we wrote the songs.
Once I started delving into more Amphetamine Reptile stuff I came to the conclusion that the band we sound most like is Cows and the album ‘Cunning Stunts’, is hands down my favourite. I used to play the trombone as a kid and I was tempted to bust it out for some of the tracks to replicate the mental trumpet on ‘Heave Ho’, but I’m pretty sure it would have got vetoed (we’re a democracy after all).
Naturally though, The Jesus Lizard thing will come up again for the new album so that’s why I named our first single ‘Apocalypse Yow’ and used dialogue from David Yow’s character in ‘I Don’t Feel at Home in this World Anymore’ in the chorus. You gotta embrace this stuff sometimes.
Cows are better though, prove me wrong.
The Stooges – ‘Raw Power’ (1973) Sony Music
The Stooges were probably the first reference point we had when we formed the band (originally as Wet T-Shirt Competition, later renamed Dead Arms when Nic joined on drums) and one of the first songs we wrote is still known as Stooges on the setlist. We just wanted to be a really, really noisy garage band and, for the most part, we’ve achieved that.
‘Raw Power’ is my favourite album even though the purists always go for ‘Fun House’; this simply has the catchier songs.
Fun Fact, we tried to do a cover of ‘Shake Appeal’ once and it just ended up sounding exactly like The Stooges except I can’t sing like Iggy so it was a lot shittier. We ended up doing Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s ‘Relax’ instead which was way easier to put our own stamp on.
Grey Hairs – Serious Business (2017) Gringo Records
I don’t know why we’ve never played with Grey Hairs but they are spiritually and musically probably the closest to us in the UK DIY scene (well apart from Death Pedals and USA Nails but they don’t count). What I love about Grey Hairs is that they take all the best elements of grunge (Mudhoney, Tad, Nirvana), sprinkle some Jesus Lizard (yep them again) and update the whole thing into a heady maelstrom of noise whilst never forgetting that first and foremost it’s all about the songs (which are all absolutely incredible). Always mesmerising live, the last time I saw them they supported the mighty Hey Colossus in a tiny pub basement and easily held their own.
Let’s do a tour together, yeah?
Clutch – Psychic Warfare (2015) Weathermaker Music
My favourite vocalist of all time is Mike Patton and I would do anything to be able to do what he does with his voice, unfortunately I’m not blessed with the greatest vocal talent so I’ve just had to accept my limitations and belt out what I can. When we were touring with ‘All The Hits’ I had this album on a lot and I started to move away from “screechy” to a more guttural style which was me trying (and mostly failing) to ape Neil Fallon. The first song I tried this on was ‘Stage Towels’ and now it’s become more my default setting.
‘Psychic Warfare’ is just a completely balls-out rocker and, for me, their best album to date. It just makes me want to drink beer and dance like a demented Viking. In general, I’m extremely resistant to overt masculinity but with Clutch I’ll make an exception because the songs are just stratospheric.
Leftfield Choice: Fleetwood Mac – Rumours (1977) Warner Bros
I mean seriously, if you’re in a cramped van for 10 days living off baguettes and cheese what better record than this to lift your spirits? I’m pretty sure Steven from USA Nails is gonna disapprove when we tour with them in Europe but I can guarantee Nic and Nails’ Gareth will be singing along to every song. Alex will be asleep, Tom from USA Nails will be too drunk to care and Danny will probably mutter that he “hates the Eagles”.
One day I’ll be in a band that splices two songs together as perfectly as the Mac do on ‘The Chain’. It’s s lofty ambition.
General Waste (vocals: Dead Arms)
‘Simply Dead’ is available to order here:
Dead Arms are currently on tour w/ USA Nails:
29.05 Geneva CH – L’usine
30.05 Frankfurt DE – ExZess
31.05 Groningen NL – Vera
01.06 Amsterdam NL – OCCII
08.06 Bristol UK – Triptych Festival
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