The Hotrod Hillbillies

The unlikely fusion of rockabilly and gothic punk has produced some freakish results (Dallas' own Ghoultown comes to mind), but Austin's Hotrod Hillbillies only nibble at the nether regions of the mascara and tombstone crowd. The trio's debut Under the Texas Sky is country punk saturated in Budweiser and infused with an authentic retro vibe, a blindingly paced, 17-track homage to George Jones and Glen Danzig ("Skulls," the Misfits' classic, gets done up as a hayseed shuffle). Frontman Xavier Ortiz dispenses fucked-up backwoods wisdom on bawdy numbers such as "Pissed and Depressed," "She's the Devil" and "Let's Alcoholass." Rarely have humor, hubris and hysterics been so cleverly employed in the guise of rock and roll reverence.