SLW cc Watt - Be The Bones single
Release date: June 5th 2023
Artist Information
- Label: Kill Rock Stars
- Hometown: Iowa City + San Pedro
Biography
SLW cc Watt is an inspired collaboration between prolific singer/songwriter/illustrator Samuel Locke Ward and SoCal punk legend bassist/singer Mike Watt. After the head-spinning fun of 2021's Let's Build a Logjam and 2022's Real Manic Time, on the new Purple Pie Plow, the duo corral guests throughout the record: saxophonist Bob Bucko Jr, along with drummer Dean Clean, and guitarist Joe Jack Talcum from the sardonic punk band The Dead Milkmen.
Locke Ward, an ambitious Iowa native, has written and recorded well over 1,000 songs and put out 60 self-released albums since the early millennium with vivid titles like Sacrilege, Treason, Treachery & Thyme that encompass rock, folk, country and world music, all with inventive DIY flair. Earlier this year, Locke Ward coupled with Kill Rock Stars for an acclaimed Jad Fair (Half Japanese) collaboration, "Happy Hearts."" Locke Ward also did the artwork for the new SLW cc Watt album (as he did for the previous albums).
As any indie/punk fan should know, Watt co-founded the seminal San Pedro crew Minutemen in 1980. After bandmate D. Boon’s tragic 1985 death, Watt formed fIREHOSE and later Secondmen and Missingmen, released 3 punk operas and collaborated with the Stooges, Sonic Youth, Porno for Pyros, Juliana Hatfield J. Mascis, Tav Falco, Flipper, Nels Cline, Mike Baggetta, Jim Keltner and Kelly Clarkson. His long-term project DOS, with ex-Black Flag bassist Kira, recorded Justamente Tres (1996) for Kill Rock Stars.
Packing in 24 tracks in 40 minutes, the new SLW cc Watt album has 11 brief poetic 'spiels' (voiced by Watt) alternating between 12 charming short songs (sung by Locke Ward, backed by Watt, Bucko, Talcum, Clean). The collaboration happened via the Internet, with Locke Ward sending lyrics to Watt and demo song tracks to everyone to layer on their own parts.
Purple Pie Plow, inspired by T. Rex’s unique mix of glam & psychedelia, does stylized takes on heavy subject matter. We’re led on a journey through mob rule (haunting ‘50’s-style ballad “A Face in the Crowd,” the ultra-catchy “Help Me,” the Motown swing of “Pray”), frightening fascism (New Orleans-flavored “Boring Out,” doo-wop styling “Boots March,” cow-punk “Lost To Time”) and ecological horrors (free jazz freakout “Flowers Scream,” power ballad “Toxic Sunrise”). Not to fear though as rising above the doom comes into play (acoustic/psych ballad “Children of the Stars,” lonesome folk “Dragon Steed,” noir jazz “Weeds of Your Dreams”).
Locke Ward and Watt hit it off so well that a 4th album is in the works. Listen to Purple Pie Plow and you’ll hear why they’re right to keep working together and wonder what they’ll come up with next.
