Tough Love Taboos n Tattoos

Dukes of Tijuana

Released July 2024

Reviewed September 2024 by Vince rocker wolf Eavis (howwwwlll !!!)

Western star recordings- Alan Wilson

So as their name suggests.... THE DUKES!!

This time let’s start with the cover, all you already taken. well Dukes close your eyes there’s a hot dame about.no it only a part image....A black big, hollow red“x“ top left with red writing Mexico tattoo style ,DUKES OF TIJUANA“, LOWER RIGHT MORE TABOO N HINT BLOOD STYLE ALBUM TITLE...Now down in the middle from top to bottom (no bottom)seem, grrrrri nicely figured young lady layin against a red silk like draped sheet, wearin only a pair of stiletto shoes with rockabilly images on with red bow, with hands covered over her modesty, not much to the imagination.... does this come with a poster.... ooops,oh yeeeah, great ink she’s got, 666, devil head direct centre, butterfly rose, wing n webs words wolves ...etc

As most good ideas start this Bands birth, or crowning ...being dukes began on an evening fuelled by non-other the glory of Boozing it in the Heart of the Ruhr-Rhine Region in Germany....a good place for it i believe. The Band was initially founded by.....ta da.... Chris Slazy the skin basher, Mark Twang... name saying it all, and Grischa. .... the slappin that bass krazy kat. The Idea of the band was to not Stick to only one Genre but rather do whatever feels right in the Moment, 1 thing was definite, it was supposed to be Rock’n’Roll through and through. Also, the Plan was to have a Band consisting of People who know what they are doing and all put the same amount of effort and commitment into the Band workin together like billy kat psycho bros

The three dukes have known each other in a musical context for quite a while at this point and all have played together in a multitude of Bands in the past gaining experience and skill, So it was pretty clear that this combination can work together. When looking for a Singer they stumbled upon Pat Savage who at the time was Grischa’s Bass substitute for Sandy and the Wild Wombats. Not only can he sing but he also lowers the Band’s average Age… which is always a Plus. Now the time for the name.... well we know their the DUKES. Now how it got there. One thing was clear, it would have to include the City Tijuana somehow. The Story here is that Grischa was touring Mexico with one of his Bands and made the somewhat funny discovery that, in Mexico, they have the same blue wastepaper Bins as we do in Germany. So it was decided that the Band should be Named “Dukes of Tijuana”.(Yes… the Band’s Name is directly linked to waste paper Bins).

Now, With the Line-up complete, and a Name for the Band, time for after a few Rehearsals to making sure it clicks, and all tightened up, the first few original Songs were written and rehearsed. then selected for the gigs. and it didn’t take long for the first Gigs to roll in. It was clear to see that the Plan was working as all spectrums of the Rockabilly - and the Psychobilly Scene could find something they liked in their Set. So all in all it was well received by all. something for all.

Pretty soon after that the first Demos were recorded and the Band took to the Recording Studio to record their Debut Album “Nymphomaniac”. Which is available on Crazy-Love Records.

Currently the Band are in the process of writing Songs for their third Studio Album which hopefully will be recorded mid 2025." They offer us neo-rockabilly at its finest in the best club foot tradition. Fast and hard, but melodic and without psychobilly horror themes .so...come on then, Lets av it...Get them tracks rockin.

1, Billy turned psycho

A way of opening this crazed album. A number of thunderous bars of echo crunch guitar riff , a steady intro with drum n bass bringing in vox, cymbals for end each line verse till the 1st solo on guitar very rockabilly back to intro ready for 2nd verse fast boppin, wrecking gliding straight to the long outro of a slow down ascending bars of a bluesy strut, before a rapid short drum break back to the psycho drum for the ending home run to a last double quad beat of blues ,going by title merging rockabilly to psychobilly, , telling the life line of how it became the neo sound , fantastic history line in a lotta ways

2, Josephine,

steady guitar n drum bass short opening in to a smashing unique use of a runnin closed hi hat with the open closed feat and vox describing the title of the Josephine epic sound. Then snare mini roll in to the Rockin record, with the guitar and the bass Rollin with the drum n vox, on ascending notes n beat, back each time to the unique hi hat..., the guitar solo very setzer fied, sure to have ya boppin n jivin to the pretty girl beat endin off with the crash cymbal.

3, she-s comin,

a fast opener direct hard hitting bass, and guitar pulsed by the drumming run, adding the emphasised single beats replying to the bass n git box....she’s comin,,,,she’s there.

4, invasion of stupidity

ha-ha well they gonna tell ya, beginning about the internet n sniffin glue...direct message of the stupidity of how things have gone...so, the composition.Well worked, perfect balance of toned bass played to guitar with the drumming running as a pack, great form and guitar bend at end of each note , meltin it away....kracka

5, Gypsy life

again fast paced intro of the pack running the record in, strong drum with pattern bass an stonkin guitar riff and breaks , ending with song going strong and the cymbal crashin on every beat and bass’s last hit.

6,the valley

Their takin the valley for a run...mid paced steady beat with jumpin bass and fab hi pitched kinda twangy guitar playing through, lets mid wreck n bop to the valley, if brave possible jive through it

7, Tough love taboos n tattoos

so, aha, we like tattoo, don’t we, i do. Life is a taboo and we got alotta tough love....well here is the title track and half way through the album, a nice staggered openin on the drum, to the guitar, and the drum roll on the mid paced say, lets stroll in between. bassy drum break an jumpin, rockin guitarin on echo bend finish...nice

8, Trucker from hell

were in top gear here on an out runnin guitar y’all the drum is the engine, cymbal for the turbos, an bass for every bar boost... real killer mother TRUCKER think the strings became the string n cables, love to dance that bop to that speed again, that truck going to bypass the speeding limit... and a tight finish ending to the track all together.

9, Shake you little ass

mmmm its that time,, hot bass line n drum rhythm, grinding alluring guitar, get you’re a## grindin, shakin to it as it says, gr8 little mid-section of a slower vibe in bluesy minor key back to the thunder an fade out...

10, washed out.

well defo not washed out sound, pulse beating drum with vox this time , the vox going to E.A.C.H,.. B.E.A.T... .O.F ....T.H.E. .D.R.U.M.. , bass lining the rhythm and guitar takin of the treble cleff rhythm on accendin riff, with sharp finish.

11, Partner in crime.

Hear we now got a little bit of a western psycho rocker feeler , twangy bends on the gitbox, firm drivin drummin added cymbals and fast steddy and odd dauntin patches of the wild bass, lay low you won’t be found,,, lovely fade out slowed down outro of a getaway in to the sunset tiplin out

12, Personel golgotha,

steady with paced guitar rhythmic drum and steady bass into a raucous track racing against each other litlle short snap breaks, feelin of the deltas n scamps, kinda haunting metal low laying feel, why can i hear chop suey on guitar, jump stars between them all drivin it untill the quick finish

13, Baracho En Tijuana,

So we hit the end of the line now folk...what a ride it’s been, some amazing sounds...to finish off, electric gridin guitar with string bend chords, pulsin beats n staggers, and the drivin bass constantly thumping, a real dick dale rockabilly surf feel instroMENTAL mid paced walloper great stroller/ jiver...what a way to end

Summary

So ya lucky kats there a treat for ya with counrty , psycho, rockabilly all in 1...id defo say which ever section your into , any form of rockin, ..YOU WILL want 1 of these... im lucky enuf to have 1, and shall enjoy playin in at different occasons quiet freqenly and pass the word about to others, expecting to hear it in a fairly vast amount of venues...Well done DUKES...!!!

DJ Rockin Wolf rockabilly radio

https://www.facebook.com/DukesofTijuana/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Mbir4xQ4hw

https://www.bear-family.com/dukes-of-tijuana/

01. Billy Turned Psycho (3:01)

02. Josephine (2:37)

03. She's Comin' (2:23)

04. Invasion Of Stupidity (3:05)

05. Gypsy Life (2:30)

06. The Valley (2:31)

07. Tough Love, Taboos'n'Tattoos (3:19)

08. Trucker From Hell (2:54)