The Scrubs
Skulls And Dolls

In the mid-'80s, a new wave of bands brought back the raw garage-punk sounds of groups like Sonics, Chocolate Watchband, Count V, Standells, and many others. It was a time when there was a desire to recover the sounds of the '60s, and in this sense, there was a lot of excitement: how could we not remember the so-called Paisley Underground movement which had among its major exponents Dream Syndicate, Green On Red, True West, and Thin White Rope? At the time, among the garage-punk bands under closer observation, I was literally crazy about the Lyres, the Chesterfield Kings, and the Miracle Workers. But even here among us, there was no shortage of followers of the genre like the Sick Rose and the Not Moving. Then my tastes evolved, and I learned to appreciate psychedelia, Krautrock, and even prog. But every now and then the fire smolders under the ashes and is rekindled thanks to some band perhaps from my hometown - Lodi - like the Scrubs! Credit goes, and it couldn't be otherwise, to the Pisa label Area Pirata by Tiziano Rimonti, which I have already had the opportunity to speak about on DeBaser concerning new works by bands like the historic and psychedelic No Strange, the "barrettiani" Effervescent Elephants, the visionary Steeplejack, the excellent Liars, and the aforementioned Not Moving and Sick Rose all belonging to the so-called neo '60s scene that Roberto Calabrò discussed in the beautiful book Eighties Colours. I mentioned the Miracle Workers: Overdose was one of the vinyls I literally wore out: well, the album by the Scrubs, titled Skulls and Dolls, pays homage, in my opinion, precisely to the Portland group. The Scrubs have a direct, incisive, and no-frills style in the best garage-punk tradition as can be heard right from the opening “Misery Girl.” The scratchy voice of Massimo Robbi is supported by a ground-shaking rhythm section, a sharp guitar, and the indispensable Farfisa. The fourth track “Je suis ton frère” reminded me of the Canadian Gruesomes, another glory of the garage revival era, for the French singing just like in “Je cherche,” a track from their Gruesomania of 1987. There are no dull moments, and the album - composed of 14 tracks - flows pleasantly. At times, like in “Be A Caveman,” I was reminded of the legendary All Black And Hairy by Gravedigger V by Leighton, a classic of the rougher and wilder garage. The Scrubs, with Skulls and Dolls, project themselves directly from Lodi to the Cosmos! Highly recommended to genre fanatics but also to those looking for good vibes. Available on Bandcamp: https://areapiratarec.bandcamp.com/album/skulls-and-dolls.