If Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Jonny Cash and Rancid could have quintuplets they would call them 'The Amazing Royal Crowns." Out of Providence, RI, the Crowns embody all that is great about punk and rockabilly, creating a sound that is bursting with energy, fun to sing along to, and slick as hell, pun not intended (Yes, they did get their name from a can of hair grease, however due to a legal battle with Royal Crown Review the band is officially going by "The Amazing Crowns").

Jason "King" Kendall provides the vocal stylings on this debut. You need only listen to tracks like "Scene Of The Crime" or "Shiverin' In The Corner" to know why they call him "King." Kendall doesn't just sing, he croons and taunts and snickers all at the same time. The attitude just oozes from this guy. It's like if you sit to close to the speakers you're bound to get hit by a pelvic thrust a la Elvis.

Johnny "The Colonel" Maguire wails guitar throughout the record, though the bio lists him as providing "That Great Gretsch Sound" and so I must say he does. Maguire is perhaps one of the greatest new players on the scene today. Leaving the finger taps and wammy bars and self indulgent solos to the hair rockers of yesteryear, The Colonel delivers straightforward riffing and slide, carefully composed and calulated to get the crowd moving.

Jack "The Swinger" Hanlon slaps a mean stand up bass, providing not just a retro sound, but a solid foundation and groove to each tune. The drummer, Judd Williams, amazes me the most on this record. It is simply beyond me how a man can play so hard and with such piercing precision and not keel over from a heart attack. The drum work on this record is just monumental.

From the swing of "Do The Devil," to the raucous swagger of "1965 G. T. O.," the Crowns spit out tune after tune, each better than the last. Their talent is overwhelming, their originality breaks through the boundaries of "novelty," and, on top of it all, these guys play with heart. Garnering an impressive support from fans and critics alike, perhaps it is best said by Billboard: "They play a wicked hybrid of rockabilly and punk so fierce they sound like the Stray Cats on steroids."

Sharing the stage with all walks of the music realm: Social Distortion, The Cramps, H2O, Brian Setzer, and G Love & Special Sauce, The Crowns are not only versatile in style, but appeal to many sectors of the music metropolis. I was lucky enough to catch them the last time they came through New York with Spring Heeled Jack. My recommendation is that if you have never caught a Crowns show, get a few sheets of paper and a pen and write 1,000 times: "I will not deprive myself of amazing tunes ever again.' Then go get a copy of the record, find out where the band plays next, and get your butt to a show.