R.I.P. musician and visual artist Rick Froberg, 1968-2023

Sadly, Rick Froberg, illustrator & musician with Drive Like Jehu, Hot Snakes and The Obits, has died at 55. He'll be greatly missed.

Swami John Reis announces way overdue solo debut Ride The Wild Night

John Reis (of Rocket From The Crypt, Hot Snakes, Sultans, etc) is releasing Ride The Wild Night digitally on February 18. 

Here's the scoop...

Swami Records and punk veteran Swami John Reis are excited to announce the digital release of Ride The Wild Night, Reis’ long-awaited debut solo album on Friday, February 18 with a vinyl version to follow on March 4. 

Ride The Wild Night is neither completely similar nor dissimilar to Reis’ previous bands (Hot Snakes, Night Marchers, The Sultans, Rocket From The Crypt, Drive Like Jehu), yet the sound is immediately familiar and assuring — like an old friend you lost touch with that comes back into your life only to ask to borrow money. The music is an amalgam of Sixties folk-punk, Seventies punk-punk and pre-Vietnam War rock ’n’ roll, filtered through Reis’ unregistered, trademark sensibilities. 

“I wanted to celebrate some of my favorite rock ’n’ roll in its transitional periods,” Reis said. “Flaming Groovies, Paul Revere and the Raiders, The Kinks, The Saints and others created some of the most exciting recordings while also connecting the musical past to its future. That really appeals to me.” 

Recorded by Reis at City Of Refuge (Night Marchers, Black Lips, The Spits) and mixed by Ben Moore (Hot Snakes, Diamanda Galas) at Singing Serpent, Ride The Wild Night is built on stentorian bedrock of savage drumming by J. Sinclair K. of Hot Snakes and the pounding acoustic piano of Joe Guevara. Also adding their expertise to the mix is Chris Prescott (Pinback) Gar Wood (Hot Snakes), Glen Galloway (Truman’s Water), Jacob Turnbloom (Mrs. Magician) and Jordan Clark (PLOSIVS). With this backing, Swami John Reis finalizes it with his throaty basso and weaponizes the files with roaring electric guitars, rapid acoustic guitar strum and bass. 

“All of these stories are real — they just might not be completely true,” Reis adds. ”The words come from what I overhear through my fence, what I see across the street, pictures I see in my head, experiences that I can’t forget or am grateful to remember.” If there is a loose theme throughout the record he offers, “Musically and lyrically, there is a motivation to surrender to a restless and impulsive spirit that can only be satisfied by breaking things. Creating rubble for better or worse.“

Critics and fans alike have long referred to Reis’ signature voice as “The Velvet Yawn,” and never has that description been more apt on Ride The Wild Night. Hear his defiant, croak-howl on these 11 tracks in what might be his most autobiographical work yet.

Limited Ride The Wild Night black vinyl is now for pre-order via the Swami Records shop right here. Listen to "Do You Still Wanna Make Out?" following the tracklisting below.  

Swami John Reis – Ride The Wild Night

Ride The Wild Night

I Ain’t Your Pawn

Do You Still Wanna Make Out? 

When I Kicked Him In The Face

Days Of Auld Lang Syne

I Hate My Neighbors

In The Yellow House

Vape In The Dark Alone

Rip From The Bone

We Broke The News

Keeper Of The Plains

Hear the new Hot Snakes single "Checkmate"

Released to coincide with their UK tour dates, here's "Checkmate" by the Hot Snakes. 

Hot Snakes on tour
Dec 3 -  Bodega, Nottingham UK
Dec 4 -  Deaf Institute, Manchester UK
Dec 5 -  Cluny, Newcastle UK
Dec 6 -  Broadcast, Glasgow UK
Dec 7 -  Black Box, Belfast UK
Dec 8 -  Grand Social, Dublin Ireland
Dec 10 -  Hare & Hound, Birmingham UK
Dec 11 -  Brudenell Social, Leeds UK
Dec 12 -  Garage, London UK
Dec 13 -  Thekla Social, Bristol UK
Dec 14 -  Patterns, Brighton UK
Dec 15 -  Portland Arms, Cambridge UK

Hot Snakes @ The Phoenix, Thursday

Watch John Reis and company knock out "Six Wave Hold-Down" and "I Need A Doctor" at The Troubadour in L.A.