Five former United States GIs, living in Germany, wearing black robes on stage and sporting tonsures - not exactly what you'd expect would be the recipe for groundbreaking proto-punk music, but The Monks did just that in 1966. Their only album, Black Monk Time, has benefited greatly from hindsight, measuring up to the standards set by other, more mainstream, acts of the time. For fans of 1960s garage/proto-punk rock, Black Monk Time is a must.Energetic vocals, fuzztone bass, and experiments with guitar feedback are just a few of the things The Monks utilize to create their sound. It sounds like everything else from the mid sixties, yet like nothing like anything from the mid sixties. I know that is a complete contradiction and probably isn't the best way to explain the music, but that's all I got.
I have included a link for "Oh, How To Do Now," a song that highlights Gary Burger's vocals and a rhythm section that steadily chugs along for most of the song, only to pick up the tempo during the outro, which features some cool organ and guitar solos. I know I usually go a bit more indepth about the featured band and song, but The Monks have a fantastic official site that will give you a much better understanding of the band's history. Be sure to check it out.
The Monks
"Oh, How To Do Now"
1966
2 comments:
Thanks for a great blog, I think it was schlockster that pointed me in your direction. I've been enjoying "Black Monk Time" since I finally found the CD on Infinite Zero in a shop about ten years ago.
I especially loved the "Dracula Ye-Ye" tune, and I'm glad I found it while it was still up.
My only complaint is that the megaupload links seem to have a really slow transfer rate. The stuff I downloaded today was transferring any where from 5 to 15 kbps. That, on top of the 45 second wait they have built in makes for a tedious download.
Glad youre enjoying the blog. I'm not sure what the deal with megaupload is...personally, I usually receive transfer @ 30-50kb/s, but you aren't the first person to mention problems with it. Any suggestions of other sites I could use?
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