Anyone have any idea how long Southern Culture On The Skids has been around? Would you believe since 1983? Time flies. (Clever response: You cannot, they’re too erratic.) The current lineup of SCOTS features Rick Miller (the one constant since its inception) on guitar and vocals, bassist Mary Huff and drummer Dave Hartman. If you haven’t heard what they sound like, an educated guess that included Creedence Clearwater Revival, the Cramps, Tav Falco’s Panther Burns and Man Or Astro-Man? might be pretty close to the bone. The trio’s most recent album, Zombiefied (Kudzu), came out just in time for graves to open so the dead can have one last stagger around the countryside. Miller will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our brand new Q&A with him.
Miller: Link Wray is my guitar hero. I never get tired of listening to his music. He used cheap guitars and amps—brands like Silvertone, Danelectro, Premier and Supro to get the distinct and distorted sounds on his classic recordings from the ’60s. We played with him on his 70th birthday, and I asked him why he played guitars that most guitar players considered lousy, and he said, “Everybody played Fenders and Gibsons—I needed to be different.” His recordings for the Epic and Swan labels are my favorites. I play a Danelectro guitar because of Link.
