The Raunch Hands "Pay day!" 1989

Cartoonist Daniel Clowes steals the show here with his artwork, including not only the cover but a nifty label on the same theme. The first of this group's series of records on the Crypt label doesn't quite have the impact of its debut album, and a shifting of the musical lineup may have been part of the problem. There is a different drummer, and the change was perhaps not for the best. Saxophone also becomes more prominent, confining the group's roots rock experiments more to the R&B side of the lab and reducing the rockabilly and honky tonk element somewhat. It is also simply just not as good a band with the departure of Mike Tchang, who had also helped write some of the Raunch Hands' material. The stalwart Raunch Hands that go simply by the names of Chandler and Mariconda provide the main directions, coming up with some of their typically kooky and ingratiating material such as the hopping "Hare-Raisin'," the proud "I'm a Swinger," and "I Can't Hear a Thing," which, along with "Make It Stop," were perhaps written in the aftermath of a Raunch Hands soundcheck. There are also some nice cover versions, including "I Live for the Sun," the type of album track that closes out a side and seems to hypnotically command the listener to immediately flip the record over. - by Eugene Chadbourne

trax:
01 You Licked Me 02 I'm A Swinger 03 The Green Room 04 Good, Good Lovin' 05 I Can't Hear A Thing 06 Detox Moon 07 I Live For The Sun 08 Merry Widow Waltz 09 I'd Rather Go To Jail 10 Make It Stop 11 Bottle-Now! 12 The Victor 13 Hare-Raisin'