White Trees

Possibly the best album by the remarkably prolific duo of guitarist Dex Romweber and drummer Crow, 1993's WHITE TREES is a neo-rockabilly scorcher that moves afield from the note-perfect revivalism of early Flat Duo Jets records like IN STEREO and GO GO HARLEM BABY. WHITE TREES ditches a reliance on obscure covers in favor of 15 wild originals that view rockabilly as a jumping-off point, not a sacred tradition. Adding heavier country and R&B influences to the mix, the tongue-in-cheek "Husband of a Country Singing Star" and "Daughter of the Jungle" sound instantly familiar but not slavishly so. Pianist Wes Lachot and Dex's drummer sister Sara Romweber-formerly of Snatches of Pink and Let's Active-further expand the Jets' musical horizons, particularly on the wild boogie-woogie "Old Soul." The gloriously trashy "Tura Satana," a tribute to Russ Meyer's muse, shows that Dex Romweber's cultural radar doesn't stop at 1959.