"You Ain't No Punk You Punk"
Lux Interior died last night. The singer for The Cramps passed away from a pre-existing heart condition. He's survived by his wife, band member and band co-founder Poison Ivy.
I've been on a major Cramps kick the past couple of years - this past summer in particular. I had, of course, heard them before, but never really dug in and consumed their music like I did over the past year or so. I can't tell you how many times I drove back and forth from home to work or around town on errands with The Cramps blasting on my car stereo in the dead of summer, windows down and diggin the wonderful weirdness that is The Cramps.
The Cramps are one of the pioneers of psychobilly music. Part punk, part garage, part rockabilly, part psychopathic - they are truly a gift to horror fans and rock music junkies like me. Pop culture, sex, sleaze, monsters and more abound in their music, and Lux is a fantastic frontman. Just type in The Cramps on youtube and check out their live performances for yourself. Lux writhes, twists, and slithers about the stage while eating the mic and owning the stage - you can't look away from him.
The Cramps were true pioneers of punk - the quote at the top of the page is from their song Garbageman, a commentary on poser punks who came after them but just didn't have a clue. The Cramps had a clue.
Long live the Cramps. Goodbye Lux.
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