Musician - Journal of Musicians Union

Glimpse a town called Trinity, where only the exiled, the unforgiven and the downright trashed still live. And who are the hardest punks in town? The debauched, country shit-kickers, of course. It has always been thus. The Medicine Bow would be a band with a residency. Raucous and as hot as the most lethal firewater (they) take up guitar and saw to rist-peeling effect. Five cuts to shake the dust from your cowboy boots.

CowPunk 'Zine

They're still smacked-out trashy punk rockers, thank God, but this latest CD has taken the band to a level above their last effort, 'The Boogietrash EP'. The out-of-tune-and-we-don't-care vibe is still well and truly there, but the tunes are so much better and the band have their own drunk country punk trash boogie sound down to a tee. Take notice, 'cos the next thing these guys record cound be stunning.

That's Not Skanking

The Medicine Bow combine a variety of different styles including: country and western and punk n'roll to come up with quite an interesting sound. Now this is a bit different to the normal stuff we get sent here at TNS but I'm glad to say it is a breath of fresh air. Although there are a number of bands that The Medicine Bow sound like, every time I think I have pin pointed it they remind me of something completely different. The first track 'This Side of Town reminded me of a cross between The Criminals and The Red Hot Chilli Peppers but with that kind of old American rock and rol sound which was helped along with the use of a harmonica. As I got on to the second track I decided they reminded me of certain 'Rolling Stones' tracks like 'thru and thru' It defiantly has got a bouncy rock'n'roll edge to it which wouldn't sound out of place in a Tarantino film. Repeated rock n'roll guitar riffs are combined with some gruff, whiskey soaked vocals and some pretty smart harmonica work to create the overall sound, which has a bit of a fifties feel to it. There is also a definite seventies punk influence.

Manchester City Life

STAR CHOICE:THE MEDICINE BOW

We once described the sound of The Medicine Bow as something akin to 'The last heroin addled days of Johnny Thunders being thrown down the stairs'. In their latest offering they're chucking it from a few flights higher and for its sheer ramshackle pomposity and unbridled Wilko Johnson inspired high jinks, it has to be our Star Choice. Dark and dangerous matter masquerading as trash basement boogie.

LOGO

Like Ten Benson taking on Kings Of Leon at their own game, or Johnny Thunders playing the part of a deranged backwoodsman in Deliverance, Manchester's Medicine Bow take their cues from various swamps, back-alleys and rot-gut juke joints, hammering out ramshackle jug-blues on whatever boxes, tea-chests and old planks they can lay their hands on. A world that idolises The Boggs, 22-20's and the raccoon-trapping Kings Of Leon should sit up and take notice, for this - like Nick Cave in the heroin breakfast days - walks it like it talks it.