Psychobilly

Psychobilly (also cowpunk, a somewhat earlier name) is a term used to describe bands who play a genre of music heavily based in punk rock, but with many elements of rockabilly. In addition, modern psychobilly often resembles horror punk. Musicians of this genre are often associated with a hairstyle called a quiff, which resembles a mohawk.

History

Psychobilly emerged at the end of the 70's, early 80's.

At the center of Psychobilly was Klubfoot at the Clarendon in Hammersmith, West London. It has now been demolished to make way for Offices and expanded underground/bus station. Some say The Misfits' "American Nightmare" may have been the first psychobilly song but the first true psychobilly band was the Meteors who played at Klubfoot, although a good case could be made for The Cramps inventing psychobilly in both music and look. Musically there are precedents ranging back to the the mid-1960s.

Soon psychobilly swept through Europe, Scandinavia and into Japan.

Psychobilly artists

• Amazing Royal Crowns
• Angry Johnny & the Killbillies
• The Cramps
• Coffin Nails
• Demented Are Go
• Elvis Hitler
• Frenzy
• The Gibson Brothers
• God Bullies
• Guana Batz
• Gun Club
• Highliners
• Killer
• King Kurt
• The Klingonz
• Legendary Stardust Cowboy
• Long Tall Texans
• The Meteors
• Mojo Nixon
• Nashville Pussy
• Nekromantix
• Rev. Horton Heat
• Restless
• Shockabilly
• Simon & the Bar Sinisters
• The Stingrays
• Tourment
• Southern Culture on the Skids
• Sin Alley
• Tav Falco's Panther Burns
• Tiger Army