Gothic Americana Music

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“Careful What You Pray For” To Be In Alex Cox’s Dead Souls

“Careful What You Pray For” To Be In Alex Cox’s Dead SoulsAs the Heathen Apostles land in London to begin the UK legs of their 2025 European Tour, they are pleased to announce their song “Careful What You Pray For” will be included in Alex Cox’s Dead Souls, the upcoming Western adaptation of Nikolai Gogol’s novel of the same name. Mr. Cox is currently in London himself, hosting portions of BFI’s ‘Moviedrome: Bringing the Cult TV Series to the Big Screen’. “Careful What You Pray For” is from the band’s “Bloodgrass 3 & 4” album, check it out HERE.

The following is from the Kickstarter for the new Alex Cox film “My Last Movie”, check it out HERE– My “last movie” is a Western version of Nicolai Gogol’s “Dead Souls”. This is a great book, full of irony, mystery and meaning. I plan to shoot in two locations – Almería, Spain, and Tucson, Arizona.

Our story begins in a nameless place in the Arizona Territory, in 1890. These opening scenes I’ll shoot at the Rancho Leone, the location Carlo Simi built for Sergio Leone in Once Upon a Time in the West.

“Careful What You Pray For” To Be In Alex Cox’s Dead Souls

The destination of our swindler-hero Strindler is El Paso, Texas, where Johnny Behan is engaged in Government work. In 1965, Simi built “El Paso” for Leone, too. And it’s here that we’ll film these scenes.

So the first stage of our production is in these two towns, and in the canyons of the Tabernas desert.

Thence to Tucson, Arizona, where we’ll film interiors, and the gran finale: the Saguaro desert, outside town.

These are iconic locations, and they mean a lot to me, as a young filmgoer who grew up watching films made here, and as a filmmaker who has, over the years, grown to love both places.

“Careful What You Pray For” To Be In Alex Cox’s Dead Souls

“Dead Souls” was Mel Brooks’ favourite book. He said, “It was hysterically funny and incredibly moving at the same time.” Gogol’s scurrilous protagonist, Chichikov, collects lists of dead serfs, anticipating of considerable gain. Our film’s protagonist, Strindler, compiles a list of deceased Mexican nationals. Those who died on ranches, or in mines, or were shot by the sheriff’s posse. He pays for this information. No one knows how, but clearly there is money to be made…

Or is there?

In some ways my last movie is a classic European or “Spaghetti” Western. But it’s other things too. It’s a celebration of the tenacity of its protagonist, of Gogol’s novel, and of the fantastic landscapes of Tucson and Tabernas… As with some of my other films, there is both humour and politics. Plus weirdness.

“Careful What You Pray For” To Be In Alex Cox’s Dead Souls

Who will my collaborators be? I’ll reach out to colleagues I’ve worked with in the past, from “Repo Man” to “Tombstone Rashomon.” Jesse Lee Pacheco will revisit the role of Johnny Behan. Anuschka Braun will design costumes. Dan Wool will compose the score. We’ll also have Gianni Garko, Geoff Marslett and Sara Vista in featured roles. Lorenzo O’Brien and Guillermo de Oliveira are my trusted advisors.”

Stay tuned for more details!

“Gothic Americana Supergroup” Album Review

Heathen Apostles - Gothic Americana Supergroup

It’s a good time to be a fan of the near-impossible to categorize Gothic Americana supergroup, The Heathen Apostles. The L.A. quartet’s been in circulation since 2013, and has quite the pedigree:

  • Vocalist Mather Louth, late of Radio Noir
  • Guitarist (and multi-instrumentalist) Chopper Franklin, formerly of The Cramps, and a handful of other punk bands (notably the Mau-Maus)
  • Upright bassist Thomas Lorioux, of The Kings of Nuthin’
  • Classical and jazz violinist Luis Mascaro

They’ve released six albums since their formation. The In Between is their seventh, releasing on July 5 of this year. Not the only drop from the members this year, though — Franklin released the fabulous Spaghetti Western Dub Vol. 1 in January — fusing deep dub reggae with the arid Ennio Morricone vibes of the spaghetti western genre.

The band’s collective talents are up front on The In Between, seamlessly fusing jazz, reggae-by-way-of-Long Beach syncopation, thick double bass backbeats, masterful fiddle playing by Mascaro, and absolutely pugnacious, brassy vocals from Louth.

It’s an album that’s hard to categorize, but all the disparate elements fuse so well to form their signature sound that’s only becoming more refined with each album.

If Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath were rebooted into a slasher throwback film by Rob Zombie, you’d have an idea of how the music feels, but the soul of the sound is closer to the heart of the murder ballad outlaw country of Johnny Cash and Lefty Frizzell. The interplay between the Southern Gothic Dust Bowl imagery and a throwback as much to bluegrass and the Bakersfield sound (well, if Hunter S. Thompson had played it), is tremendous. It’s one of the reasons I came to love this band myself.

The Heathen Apostles.

Heathen Apostles - Gothic Americana Supergroup

Listening Party

The In Between features nine originals, with a cover of Mark Lanegan’s “The Gravedigger’s Song,” bringing the total to an even 10 tracks. Let’s get to it.

  1. The In Between
    1. The title track kicks off the album, leading in with a foot-tapping double bass line from Lorioux. Franklin’s mandolin and Mascaro’s fiddle bring in some depth and darkness — stellar start enough, but then Louth joins, and the tone’s set for the album. If there’s ever been any doubt (and there damn well shouldn’t have been) Louth would’ve made a killer golden-age country vocalist — that’s removed. There’s some of Franklin’s overdriven guitar work to this track, but not much. Lourioux’s bass and Louth’s vocals carry the track, with Mascaro’s fiddle singing just as well.
  2. Capital T
    1. Mascaro shines here, with an devilish intro that would make Charlie Daniels proud. Ms. Louth line, “don’t tell me that it’s wine and roses…what rose smells like that” punctuates a wickedly good chorus, continually snarling the chorus with each progression. Her jazz background shows here — using her voice with the kind of expressiveness that’s incredibly rare in modern country.
  3. The Gods Of Men
    1. One of my favorites from this album. The thumping backbeat so far is switched up for a march beat and tempo, with a side of acoustic guitar. You get an aural peek at Mascaro’s classical background — the violin adds depth and texture here. Banjo, mandolin, and Louth’s fallen-angel voice rounds out this cutting track with some fabulous lyrical work.
  4. Coffin For The Nail
    1. That classic, mournful country feel without going into dragging dirge territory that so many “gothic,” bands fall victim to. Banjo and mando on this track, with Chopper and Mather joining with filtered, distorted vocals. The effect something between a dusty, warped record and the baying of hellhounds on a cattle drive. Louth evokes Choirgirl Hotel Tori Amos by way of Steve Albini, for me. The fiddle draws out through the tune, climaxing in an utterly filthy solo before the bridge.
  5. Deama
    1. Change of pace — at first, anyway. The Apostles know how to put together an album. Works perfectly following “Coffin.” Starts off slow, gentle, almost coy, and builds with Louth’s voice into a scorned-banshee roar that wraps in mandolin and fiddle for the climax. The literal and figurative midpoint of this record, and perfectly placed.
  6. Easy Come, Easy Go
    1. A moody, dark track, with the feeling of sweltering summer heat. Something of an outlaw ballad told from the outlaw’s point of view. The lyrics carry this track. Instrumentation worms its way around, and it finishes strong. Not the strongest track, but not the worst.
  7. In The Blood
    1. The weakest track of the album — if only because of the inconsistency in tempo. Some songs are better for varying back and forth. Some end up feeling like being attached to an oscillating fan. The slow verse into fast chorus and back, has the latter feel with “In the Blood.” The band gets close, and is otherwise on point. But the pacing of this song just…needs something. A little extra pre-chorus could’ve gone a long way for sonic foreplay in this track.
  8. The Gravedigger’s Song
    1. The original “Gravedigger’s Song,” from Mark Lanegan is notoriously aggressive. The band could’ve easily managed to pull off a straighter cover — but chose to slow it down instead. And it’s an exceptional cover for it. Rather than focusing on the sheer force of Lanegan’s original cut, the track focuses instead on the composition and lyricism of the original. That’s further demonstrated with Louth’s vocal work here, coupled with whispered, ethereal contrapuntal French vocals.
  9. Love Letter
    1. The most complex song on this record to my ear. Louth and Mascaro do the detail work. Violin and vocals swirl into and around each other. Excellent interplay of drum and bass. Beautiful track, but not the best here. It’s a workhorse of a track — not the prettiest thing, not the fastest, but it works hard all day.
  10. He Stood Tall
    1. Greg Kuehn (formerly of T.S.O.L. and X — the L.A. punks, not the platform-formerly-known-as-Twitter) makes a guest appearance. Kuehn’s honky tonk piano jazz joins a walking bassline from Lorioux, and works wonderfully here to finish out the record.

Just six months in from the powerful impact of Chopper Franklin’s “Spaghetti Western Dub Vol. 1,” an album I’ve listened to heavily all year, I have to admit that I was already pining for more. The grit-drenched vibe was exactly what I had been ready for and in Mather Louth, I had discovered a vocalist who had jumped to the front of the queue of my favorites. The brassy, defiant timbre she brought to that album had me wanting more, and as if on cue, here is the follow up. This time it’s from the Heathen Apostles mothership from whence the Spaghetti Western Dub project launched. The band is fascinated by probing the very darkest Country music in a time when the genre is content to replicate the horror of The Eagles…with gated drums… and vague nods of a token slide guitar or a nasal-voiced singer as vestigial callbacks to actual Country music [Monk spits in dust]. That dreck is a far cry from what The Heathen Apostles serve up on their “lucky” seventh full length album, “The In Between.”

The Verdict

The strangest part of albums like these is knowing where to file it.

Is it country? Is it goth-rock? Is it Americana? Yes.

But is it good? Also yes.

4 out of 5.

Excellent intro to the band themselves, and some of their best work to date.

The Merch

What would a new album be without swag?

One piece is extra-special — a hand-signed and numbered archival print of the album art, by Sean Cheetham, is up on the artists’ site.

And there’s shirts, albums, and string ties available from the band

Red Vinyl Release of the Heathen Apostles Latest Album

Red Vinyl Release of the Heathen Apostles Latest Album “The In Between”Ratchet Blade Records is proud to announce the vinyl LP release of the Heathen Apostles latest album “The In Between”, available in their webstore HERE and on their current European tour (scheduled throughout 2025). It is on red vinyl and features the painting of Chopper Franklin and Mather Louth by the artist Sean Cheetham.

London Celtic Punks wrote in their review of The In Between: “You could be forgiven for thinking Heathen Apostles hail from the foothills of the Appalachian mountains rather than LA but their music conveys such great imagery it’s hard to imagine them wandering the streets of LA on foot rather than horse! Superbly produced by Chopper Franklin, The In Between features nine original songs rounded up to ten with a cover of the Mark Lanegan (1964-2022) track ‘The Gravedigger’s Song’ from his 2012 album Blues Funeral.”

Red Vinyl Release of the Heathen Apostles Latest Album “The In Between” The Post-Punk Monk wrote: “Just six months in from the powerful impact of Chopper Franklin’s “Spaghetti Western Dub Vol. 1,” an album I’ve listened to heavily all year, I have to admit that I was already pining for more. The grit-drenched vibe was exactly what I had been ready for and in Mather Louth, I had discovered a vocalist who had jumped to the front of the queue of my favorites. The brassy, defiant timbre she brought to that album had me wanting more, and as if on cue, here is the follow up. This time it’s from the Heathen Apostles mothership from whence the Spaghetti Western Dub project launched. The band is fascinated by probing the very darkest Country music in a time when the genre is content to replicate the horror of The Eagles…with gated drums… and vague nods of a token slide guitar or a nasal-voiced singer as vestigial callbacks to actual Country music [Monk spits in dust]. That dreck is a far cry from what The Heathen Apostles serve up on their “lucky” seventh full length album, “The In Between.”

Singer Mather Louth states,
“The idea of the ‘in between’ is all about learning to sit with- and eventually befriend- the uncomfortable times of not knowing what is coming next, either within one’s own life or within the collective. Uncertainty is a very ungrounding sensation, and the emotions that arise from that discomfort can be challenging to navigate. Exploring this sense of uncertainty proved cathartic for me, and I hope it will offer that same release for listeners.”

“Coffin For The Nail” – Hellbilly Music Video Out Now

“Coffin For The Nail” - hellbilly music video

“Coffin For The Nail” is from the Heathen Apostles’ seventh album “The In Between” (Ratchet Blade Records). The hellbilly music video features co-lead vocals from lead singer Mather Louth and guitarist/mandolinist Chopper Franklin, as well as clips from “The Wolf of Wall Street” (1929), “A Corner in Wheat” (1909) and “Birth of a Nation” (1915) (all Public Domain).

Mather Louth: “This video is a risk. The source footage within it is incredibly unsettling and uncomfortable to view. But, we need to face history and where we’ve come from (and sadly, where we are again.) We want to make it clear that we don’t condone the footage within it- we are holding the mirror up to the underbelly that has always been a part of this country’s history.”

Heathen Apostles - Hellbilly Music Video

Directed by the Heathen Apostles
Camera, Lighting: Robert Nelson
Makeup: Kelton Ching
Mather’s wardrobe: Heathen By Mather Louth
The Villain: Kaine Livesay

Listen to “The In Between” album HERE 
2025 European tour dates HERE 

COFFIN FOR THE NAIL
(Franklin)

Peace out – War in
Take the word of a K Street has-been
Big P, little O
Got down and forgot what you came for
Gold in, Black Hills
Trouble is that it’s not for sale
Goddamn, gee whiz
Is that what honor is?

R – you ready for the feast?
I – got a belly full of beast
P – like the guts in a pail
Got a smoke for the hole and a coffin for the nail

Your shame, straight from the mouth
So proud but your tongue’s stickin’ out
Gotcha paid like any other day
But the people are about to go crazy
Strict Daddy, where ya been?
How long ‘til the fire burns in
Tell me, Daddy, where will we go
When the fire glows?

(break)
Good god, straight from madness
Comin’ ‘round, lickin’ on sadness
Hate pigs, tryin’ their damnedest
Trickle down, but it’s always so late
Crowd so bound, always fallin’ for hate

© 2024 Ratchet Blade Records

Chopper Franklin’s Gothic Dub Single “The Hexed DUB”

Chopper Franklin's Gothic Dub Single“The Hexed DUB” is the latest creation from the Heathen Apostles’ Chopper Franklin (The Cramps, Mau Maus); it’s his gothic dub remix of his original song “The Hexed”. This single is from his upcoming “Darkness in Hymn and Dub Vol. 1” EP; it also features his Heathen Apostles bandmate Mather Louth on co-lead vocals. Check it out HERE.
Chopper cut his teeth in the early days of the Los Angeles punk rock scene, a world that was infused by the post-punk dub sounds of Public Image Limited, Bauhaus and Killing Joke (among others). The roots reggae dub revolution that was lead by Lee “Scratch” Perry, King Tubby and Scientist was also prevalent, and plays a heavy influence on this project.


THE HEXED
(lyrics by Chopper Franklin)

She said, join our order, as a friend, or a lover
She took my soul, wrapped it around her
It’s said, the moon’s her lover, she had a dream about a powder
I took a dose, fell down beside her

He’s the hexed, brought down by the best
He’s the hexed, and you know the rest

She said, abide me brother, took off her robe, made of rubber
Then mixed our blood, brought on another
We bled, often hidden, Christ saken, and God forbidden
Lost and low, and bed-ridden

He’s the hexed, brought down by the best
He’s the hexed, and you know the rest

Poisoned sleep will come tonight
To take your lover dead
So find your sword in shadows cast
And track the wolves instead

Murdered kings who’ve yet to come
To see the flames they fed
For those who wave the blackened flags
Would rather end up dead

He’s the hexed, brought down by the best
He’s the hexed, and you know the rest