John Reis' new album, released under the name Swami John Reis, is called Time To Let You Down - the irony being that, over a music career that has spanned approaching 40 years, he's never come close to letting anyone down.
Speaking about that career to the Guardian's Stevie Chick, he describes Rocket From The Crypt - his rock-'n'-roll-influenced punk outfit, complete with brass section - as "the most fun band ever. When we were playing, that was the place on planet Earth you had to be that night." I can very much vouch for that, having first caught them at Reading '96 and then witnessing their stupendously thrilling showmanship at the Riverside in Newcastle about a month later - ridiculously, my first ever proper gig.
Our paths crossed again at Glastonbury '98 (where they thrilled before the torrential rain really set in) and in Nottingham, but for some reason it wasn't until about 15 years ago that I discovered Hot Snakes, Reis' third project with his long-time buddy the late Rick Froberg, not long before seeing them play on the Les Savy Fav-curated day at ATP. Live album Thunder Down Under is exceptional, the songs outshining their studio versions in the same way that tracks recorded for KEXP sessions almost invariably do.
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