Sound Advice: Andy Warhol would be proud

Fifteen minutes of Hoods: Sacramento’s Hoods have endured line-up changes of Spinal Tap proportions. Thankfully, through the perseverance of Mike Hood, its sole constant member since 1996, Hoods has remained Hoods.

Last Sunday night, Hood, along with guitarist Jon Korn (Kill The Precedent), bassist Jason Wussow, a.k.a. “Twig” (Red Tape, Spinach, Kill The Precedent), guitarist John Abernathy (Conducting from the Grave) and stand-in drummer plus house sound man Basilio Salaices (Murderlicious), celebrated the recent release of Gato Negro on Artery Recordings at the Blue Lamp.

The show, which kicked off much later than the previously advertised time, was opened by Sacramento local quartet West Lords, who delivered a heady stew of spirited Oi! punk rock along with some nontraditional rock fare. The band’s rough and ready vibe worked perfectly to get things started.

Highlights of the band’s set included a rare cover of the 4-Skins track “Clockwork Skinhead” and the West Lord’s own follow-up song, “The Concrete Jungle.” And while the set seemed all too brief, the band announced it would release a new EP on January 17 at the Hideaway on a bill featuring two reggae bands alongside two punk bands.

By the time Hoods hit the stage, everyone in attendance was primed for some good ol’ fashioned hardcore. There were many former Hoods members in attendance including bassist Mario Maynor and Ben Garcia (also co-owner of the Blue Lamp with his wife, Gabi), both of whom tend bar at Blue Lamp as well.

However, as raucous as the set was, it was over in less than 15 minutes, leaving many folks who haven’t seen the band recently scratching their heads.

Apparently, the band only played eight minutes at their previous local show.

Hood was in great form, dressed simply in shorts, a T-shirt, flannel and backwards hat. And he delivered a ferocious set of songs including a cover of Agnostic Front’s “Friend Or Foe” that was a preceded by a rant about his disdain with all that’s happened since the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson.

—Eddie Jorgensen

In the stars: When Rebecca Gone Bad and Mike Cobra finally decided to ditch their drum machine, the San Francisco duo sought out “a woman who plays drums as hard as Dave Grohl.”

Enter Sacramento’s Jess Gowrie, now the third member of the anthemic rock band Happy Fangs.

Gowrie and Tycho’s Zac Brown comprise fuzzy rock duo I’m Too Dirty. She was also an original in Chelsea Wolfe’s too-short-lived indie band Red Host. And she plays in local stoner metal band Horseneck, too.

The search was brilliantly timed. Gowrie had been contemplating a permanent move to New York at that point—roughly a year ago—but now she belongs to Sacramento forever and ever.

Gowrie says she gelled instantly with Happy Fangs. “We credit it to all of us being Capricorns,” she explained via email. “But it’s also because we are all on the same page and want the same things out of music.”

Watch for the trio’s debut full-length called, yes, Capricorn, on January 27. Two songs—“Hiya Kaw Kaw” and “The Truth”—roll over from its self-titled EP, which you can stream on the band’s Bandcamp.

The live show usually sees stark juxtaposition between white and black, Bad’s brightness and Cobra’s darkness, the Happy and the Fang. Gowrie sets her drums close to the front of the stage for ultimate energy feedback loop possibilities between bandmates and the crowds. Per usual, she hits hard. Bad’s voice pierces through Cobra’s feedback-heavy guitar for a gritty, hooky pop-punk.

“Since Rebecca isn’t tied down by an instrument, she has no boundaries on where she can go or what she can do, which makes it totally unpredictable,” Gowrie says.

One prediction: the band has a tradition of writing and performing an original song based on audience suggestion—improv comedy for rockers.

Happy Fangs opens for Sacramento’s ’90s noise-metal outfit Will Haven at the Blue Lamp, 1400 Alhambra Boulevard, on Friday, December 12. Tickets cost $8 in advance, $10 at the door. Big deal, by the way. Will Haven hasn’t played a small local gig since 2012.

—Janelle Bitker