Source: Car Kulture Deluxe Magazine - Issue #8
Author: Eric Rife
CD Review

Fast cars and fast women are always good fodder for roots punk bands. The nuts-and-bolts imagery of tattooed pin-up girls, iron crosses and bleach clouds thrown up by a pair of squealing racing slicks often proves irresistible to an aspiring band. DragStrip Riot knows the formula well and fully exploit all the standard imagery that rockabilly fans have come to know and love. But you have to hand it to them; for a genre that is too often plagued by the standard stand-up drums, slaphappy bass and hiccupping vocals, DSR have infused their debut album with just the right balance of roots and punk. This isn't the image-centric punkabilly of Tiger Army nor the getting-back-to-the-basics (and staying there) fundamentalism of Lee Rocker. DSR offers up not only bizarro murder fantasies like "American Sick-O" but also gnarly surf guitar instrumentals like "Afterburner" that would do Los Straitjackets proud. This is a debut that other whatever-billy bands would be wise to study closely.

Source: Blue Suede News - Issue #54 (Fall 2003)
Author: Marc Bristol
CD Review

This Seattle quartet sticks to hard driving hot rod rock - DragStrip Riot's mix of Psychobilly, Punk, Instro-Rock and Neo-Rockabilly. The CD starts off with a roaring engine sound and the hot rod theme runs through most of the 13 self-written songs. Many tracks are super fast with distorted guitars, the few slower ones often featue cool twangy guitar sound. "Hell-Bound and Happy" is a mean blues rocker, "Suspicions" a melodic modern Rockabilly. All songs are bursting with energy and I'm sure it shows in their live shows. -GMB

Source: Sacramento News & Review - Issue #43 (January 23, 2003)
Author: David A. Kulczyk
CD Review

Rockabilly is not dead. Do you hear me? Rockabilly is not dead because DragStrip Riot is alive, performing and recording. Booze, sex, fast cars and crime are the themes explored by this Seattle-based quartet, and if you expect anything other than that, then you're as slow as an AMC Gremlin three-speed. Lead singer and lead guitarist Knuck has a voice made in rockabilly heaven, if there is such a thing; it's part Gene Vincent, part Buddy Knox and all Knuck. Drummer Jason "Frosty" Frost tippy-taps his drums like a foothills tweaker waiting to find out if he passed his handgun permit test. This isn't a pretty CD; you can smell the engine grime on it, and every member of the band probably could and would kick your ass in three seconds. In short, it's just like rockabilly should be.

Source: The Tablet Magazine - Issue #2 (May, 2004)
Author: Dan Halligan
CD Review

I finally snagged a copy of DragStrip Riot’s self-titled CD on Go-Kustom Records. If you are into the rockabilly revival at all, definitely seek this out. DragStrip Riot are totally fun; they rip out psychobilly and garage rockin’ songs with a 50’s rock’n’roll flavor. And they are unique enough to set themselves apart from a lot of the newcomers jumping into the genre.

Source: The Tablet Newspaper
Author: Jeff Rush
Show Preview

DragStrip Riot is a lot like what their name would indicate — greasy, punchy and macho. Their style is sort of rockabilly, kind of punk, but mostly just fun hard guitar-driven rock with lyrics that pretty much cover all the basics for such a group — you know, women, cars, drinking, et al. Making things a little more interesting is the fact that they also use a stand-up bass. DragStrip Riot will have you wanting to inhale other people’s cigarette smoke and put down a couple pitchers of PBR. And as luck would have it, this show is free, so afterwards you can afford to hop across the street to Zak’s and do just that.

Source: KEXP 90.3 Radio
Author: Quote from DJ Leon Burman of Shakin' The Shack on KEXP 90.3
CD Review

"It is my PLEASURE to play that for ya. Everybody go out and buy the damn thing now." [on DragStrip Riot's debut CD]

Source: Shredding Paper Magazine - Issue #16
Author: Lily
CD Review

This Seattle quartet serves up rootsy rockabilly spiked with punk energy but occasionally creeps (or bolts, depending on the song) into psychobilly territory. In addition, there are a couple of surf instrumentals as well as an acoustic bonus track. A commendable debut. Oh, and for those who care, yes they use an upright bass.

Source: Experience Music Project - http://emponline.com
Author: Kris Geren
Show Preview

Combining elements of country, blues, punk, and surf to create their own rock 'n' roll hybrid, Seattle’s Dragstrip Riot has been rocking crowds since their 2001 inception. Standup bass in tow, this rockabilly outfit delivers a precise punch of aggressive tunes sure to knock the pomade out of your hair.

Source: KWVA 88.1 FM, University Of Oregon & Hate Machine Magazine - Issue #2
Author: John Galloway
CD Review

Alright Rock n Rollers! I was pleased with each track. Fantastic guitar work; solid boogie-on-down bass lines; smart, sharp drum work and a variety of vocal styles made up of [complimented by] good lyrical content. A nice mix of traditional and modern Rockabilly vs. Psychobilly. This is a record for the Filthy Few. Those that like this kind of great rocking stuff will enjoy it, those that don't might end up tapping their toes anyway. With guys like: Knuck, Sickboy, Motor Mike, and Frosty, they [DragStrip Riot] can do no wrong. Please play this. This kind of music is an endangered species of college rock. Think: Cosmic Psychos, Lazy Cowgirls, Dizzy Elmer, The Danged, Throwrag, Misfits, Tiger Army, Nekromantics, Blazing Haley, Dick Dale, Switchblade Hearts, Big John Bates, Old ZZ Top, Cross Tops, Al Foul, HankIII...

...In the overwhelming mish mash of "Independent Emotional Rock" (i.e. crap), DragStrip Riot is a real find to hear something else in the current spectrum. This is fun like a shaved, striped wild-ass ape on roller skates with a propellar beanie smoking a cigar, having a good old rocking time. Why not? Life is serious enough without long noodling jams about some girl you were too chickenshit to talk to. Come over to the greasy side where men are bad asses, and the women beautiful and twice as tough. Hot rods, zippo lighters, pin up girl tattoos, pompadours, rolled up cuffs and sleeves. I was asked one time why so many old punk rockers become "Rockabillies". It's eternally cool. Working class counter-culture of neo-50's kitsch is a cottage industry that has never ever really faded away. Sure its archetypes are knuckle dragging rockers and that's the fucking point! A throwback of rock and roll mutants too cool for school, too weird to live like the rest and too strange to die off, rocking out in an exotic limbo of unique shwagophonic swingaling; a two fisted, boozer, cruiser paradise. Valhalla for a select few!

Source: Delusions Of Adequacy online magazine - 02/17/03
Author: Jennifer Patton
CD Review

Rockabilly. It's one of the oldest & most enduring forms of rock n' roll, and yet there are very few bands out there making a go of it today. Perhaps that's why the brave few that keep the legacy going are so damn good. Let's face it, rockabilly (the music and the culture) are just plain fun. It reminds us of the pleasurable (and maybe a little bit naughty) things in life like hot rods, alcohol, tattoos, retro clothes, and more. I love rockabilly and if you do too, you'll surely dig DragStrip Riot and their recently released self-titled debut.

Absolutely everything about this Seattle band screams rockabilly. They infuse just the right mix of country, blues, and a little bit of punk into their rock n' roll - complete with vocals that move from crooning to all out bellow, surf-rock boogie guitar, the slap of an upright bass, and bouncing drum work. Even though DragStrip Riot has only been together since 2001, these boys do their predecessors more than proud. I haven't heard anything this fun since the last time the Reverend Horton Heat whirled through town!

One of the best things about modern rockabilly is that no subject is taboo. You won't find all sorts of political correctness bull in any of DragStrip Riot's songs. Besides the normal odes to boozing and fast cars, you'll find lots of tunes about good girls and bad women. Most of the lyrics here are just oozing with dark humor, like "36 Inch Wheels of Death" and its tale of a man tying his lady to the railroad tracks and the "American Sick-O" saga of a stalker getting knifed by his victim. It's all done with tons of swagger, some high-octane fuel injection, and a sneer that you can't help but love.

For a debut album, DragStrip Riot has outdone themselves, but they've clearly got enough energy to keep this up for a long time to come. It's unfortunate that modern rockabilly only lives on as a small musical niche and this band, like so many others, will likely never be a mainstream hit, but as long as there are fans out there I imagine DragStrip Riot will be rocking their socks off. If you love good rock n' roll, you won't want to miss this band. Kudos to these guys for keeping it alive and fun!

Source: Nitronic Research
Author: Dawn Mazi-Hovsepian
CD Review

If you think this has anything to do with the late-50s film flick or even a pull- quote from "Infinity Over Zero", guess again. DragStrip Riot is alive, breathing, and kicking ass in the form of a Seattle-based Rockabilly band. Rockabilly? Yeah, but don't expect anything like that bubble-gum-pop shit that the Stray Cats put out two decades ago. Nope, DSR is fat with R&B, Punk, Surf and good-time rock & roll influences, fused with a heavy dose of testosterone-laced lyrics that would make Tipper Gore cringe. Clean-cut, politically correct are clearly what DSR are not, nor do I believe they want to be or care. Bad boys to the bone, and I like 'em.

Formed in 2001, DSR consists of Steve "Knuck" Bostick-lead vocals & guitar; "Sickboy" Dan Rivera-guitar & vocals; "Motor" Mike Ririe-upright bass & vocals; and Jason "Screamin' J. Frosty" Frost-drums & screams. DSR's self- titled debut effort kicks the door open with the raucous "Fast Cars & Fast Women", and speeds through 40+ minutes of sexy guitar riffs ("Afterburner" and "Watery Grave"), dark humor ("36 Inch Wheels of Death"), tales of good girls ("Showbiz") and bad women("She's All Talk" and "Suspicions"), while blending odes to boozing and hot rods. DSR is fun, rowdy and comical, and I'd place bets that they're a blast to see in person. DSR has it all.

While I did enjoy this debut effort, I was disappointed to discover that there were more than a handful of songs listed on the DSR web site that fell short of the CD line-up. However, DSR was sneaky enough to include a 14th song (not listed on the CD jacket) at the end of the 13th track. "Waste" fades out to 34 seconds of silence and then breaks into 'We Drank 'Til You Got Pretty'. Pretty clever, guys. Hopefully, they'll include the sidelined tracks on future projects. If you want to hear a few tracks from DSR, check out their web site at www.dragstripriot.com where you'll find a few songs available in MP3 format. If you like those, you can buy a copy of the CD for 10 bucks, which does include shipping. I highly recommend it.

Source: I-Mockery Music Reviews
Author: David
CD Review

This is bar-none one of the best albums I've heard in a very long time. It's roots rock, it's punk, it's blues, it's so many things in one place. Imagine if Eddie Cochran came back from the grave pissed off and started recording again and you might have some idea of what's going on here.

The album kicks off with the riff-heavy 'Fast Cars & Fast Women' and proceeds to blow your mind with fast neo-rockabilly (36 Inch Wheels Of Death), blues stompers (Showbiz, Hell-Bound & Happy), surf instrumentals (Afterburner, Watery Grave), pure rock (The Damage Done), vintage roots rock vibe (Suspicions, She's All Talk), psychobilly (Rest In Peace, Drag Strip Riot) and abrasive punk (Waste). All the songs either ooze with a festering anger, chest pounding tough-guy lyrics, or a dark humor with tongues planted so firmly in cheeks it hurts. The musicianship and lyrical proficiency displayed here is top notch; there's not a single filler track on the album.

Having been an avid fan of punk, psychobilly, and roots rock n roll for some time, this album still stands out as something different. It's more eclectic than most albums in my collection, and more raw than a good half of them. The world should prepare because DragStrip Riot is coming and from the sounds of it, they're going to be pissed.

Originality: 10
Lyrics: 10
Sound Quality: 9
Musicianship: 10
Album Art: 10
Overall: 10

Source: The Celebrity Cafe .com
Author:
CD Review
Reviewer's Rating: 8.5

DragStrip Riot - Very fast rock and roll. So fast, simply imagine what Fonzi would listen to if his favorite band was on speed and other drugs. This is Elvis gone wrong, or Elvis’s band if they were playing today and on lots of drugs. At their slowest they’re the fastest 50’s band we’ve heard. At the fastest they are certainly excuses to drink coffee. If you’re into music of the 50s but would like song titles like, “American Sick-O”, well, you get the idea.

Source: Sin City Psychobilly
Author: Dave Weiser
CD Review

DragStrip Riot formed right after VLV 2001, so they are local by my standards even though they live in Seattle. This is Dragstrip Riot's debut cd and I gotta say it's pretty awesome! The cd covers psycho and rockabilly amazingly (you can check out some of the songs from their website at http://dragstripriot.com). Some of the stand out songs on the cd are: The Damage Done, Rest in Peace, Showbiz, and Drag Strip Riot: four of the best tunes of the last two decades. I wanna be more critical of the cd but I just can't, not when it is this good. I personally think the band can go places if they tour enough and get the word out, then they'll definately be THE band to see in America. I let a few friends borrow my cd, both into punk rock and psycho, and both were blown away. The next day they were singing "Drag Strip Riot" all day and hell, I was too! Just south of the border from Seattle, passed Oregon, is California where psychobilly is growing stronger. To the right of California is Vegas where the scene is also growing stonger and the teens grow restless for some rockin good times... So play some shows in VEGAS ya hear?!

Source: BandRadio.com MP3 Reviews
Author: Mike Stahl
MP3 Review: "American Sick-O"
Reviewer's Rating: 3.5 out of 4

Good old punk and rockabilly. This song would work well in a film that has some psycho running around killing people. Nice performance on this song.

Source: Seattle Punk .net
Author: Arid
Show Review: Dragstrip Riot & Slop Shot 6/28/03

I never thought I’d be reminded of Texas in this drought-starved, tree-hugging, let’s-go-out-and-protest kind of city. But you put two rockabilly bands in a tiny bar/pool hall, and I’m home. That’s Seattle, though - always surprising me. The Monkey Pub is bigger inside than it looks from the outside, but that’s not saying much. Filled with cigarette smoke and the sound of pool cues tapping stripes and solids, it’s eerily similar to a bar I used to hang out at. If you get bored, just look up, they’ve decorated their ceiling with posters and odd memorabilia. The bands did a good job of getting fans to the show; the bartenders were kept busy refilling beers most of the night.

The first thing I noticed about Dragstrip Riot was the upright bass (stickered with pin-ups) being unwrapped by Motor Mike, who looks like a young Jeff Goldblum. The thick black frames of his glasses matched the color of his slicked back hair and he wore a plain white tee. The frontman and guitarist, Knuck, is a smaller guy, but he makes up for that with charisma and the brutal look of an ass-kicker. Wearing a sleeveless jean jacket and pants that were rolled at the bottom, he looked every bit the greaser his music would have you believe. Sickboy Dan, the other guitarist and the pretty one of the band, followed suit with the look, but the drummer was dressed in a green tee and khakis. Did he not get the memo?

The music began abruptly, with a scream from Knuck that I could barely make out as the band’s name. Although not the worst I’ve heard, the sound was not that great; I could hear the instruments really well, but the vocals seemed muffled even with Knuck’s strong voice. The backup vocals were nearly nonexistent - learn to sing up, Dan and Mike!

The music itself, though, is the kind of rockabilly/psychobilly that makes my hips want to sway, with enough rock, blues, surf, punk and country mixed in to give it an addictive flavor. Knuck has this classic voice made for the genre; at times, I felt like I was listening to Elvis (same style, different tone) on speed. But don’t let me delude you - DSR’s lyrics are not anywhere near as wholesome as past generations’ - not with lyrics about tying your girlfriend to a train track or stalking an unsuspecting woman who knifes you in the end. (Yes, they played "American Sick-O.") At best, the songs are macho, at worst, misogynistic, but all the time encased in an easy-to-swallow gel coating of fast and raucous tunes. There was one letdown to their set, though (which I almost hate to mention), when Dan came up to sing one song, because you really couldn’t make out what he was saying. But DSR finished strong and made for one helluva set - definitely a treat when you've had all you can take of the alternapop being shat out on the airwaves.

Source: Seattle Punk .net
Author: Aridnea
CD Review

Cars, broads and pomade.

That sums up most rockabilly. Throw in a little murder and you’ve got DragStrip Riot.

But looking at the cover art of DSR’s self-titled album, you would think they were just about the cars. On the front, their logo is painted on pavement; on the back, two fifties-era monsters are gunning their engines at the starting line. A kid in Tower looking for something new is going to pass right by this cd without a second thought – so if you’re reading this, it’s your job to spread the joys of cars, broads, pomade and killing.

Of course, just listening to the first song, ”Fast Cars & Fast Women” would’ve passed right by this album, too. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good song. It opens like an illegal street race and keeps that punk energy all the way through, but it didn’t do a good job of distinguishing DSR from any other rockabilly band or hooking me.

Then I heard ”36 Inch Wheels of Death” and fell in love. What a great song about killing your girlfriend with a train – definitely the best I’ve heard! Knuck’s voice is velvety smooth (with a touch of Elvis’ ”uh-huhs”) and you realize he’s found the perfect outlet for his talents. Yeah, I try to be a feminist, but I can’t help but dance around my living room to this song.

To say DragStrip Riot is full of machismo is being nice; sometimes, their songs are just plain misogynistic. But there’s something about rockabilly that excuses that kind of thinking, something about the time when men were men and women weren’t womyn. And it just sounds so darned happy – DSR has concocted the perfect blend of punk and classic rockabilly, throwing in some surf, blues and lunacy to sweeten the mix. So if you’re expecting to hear a politically correct collection of popabilly, go talk to the cashiers at Barnes & Noble.

But don’t deny yourself this gem of a cd, with smart lyrics and catchy, energetic arrangements, just because it’s a little vulgar and demented. Yes, there’s ”American Sick-O,” an eerie, surf-rock influenced song about a stalker that ends up getting knifed by his prey (gives me the shivers every time she screams). But there’s also ”The Damage Done,” one of the prettiest and smartest songs I’ve heard about a breakup. When I think of all the vapid lyrics pumped out by pop idols and boy bands, I am a little in awe of this one: ”So just walk away, I regret every day, we ever spent together. Now there’s nothing left, our relationship’s bereft, of any dignity we tethered.” Greaser poets, I worship at your feet.

You have that quizzical look on your face that tells me I gave you the wrong idea. Don’t worry, the boys of DragStrip Riot may be smart, but they’re still fun. They drink and whore (”Showbiz”) and race and fight (”Drag Strip Riot (Let’s Go Fight)”). They make living as a dead-end greaser sound like every boy’s dream (”Hell-Bound & Happy” and ”Waste”) and killing a girlfriend sound justified (”36 Inch Wheels of Death” and ”Rest in Peace”). Like I said – all about the cars, broads, pomade and murder.

Source: Cosmik Debris Magazine - Sept. 2003, Issue #98
Author: Alan Wright
CD Review

Most recent release from local Seattle label Go-Kustom (which is also a cable access show called Go-Kustom T.V.). These guys are some cool hyper-blues-rockabilly-punk mutation. Fast tempos, hard-edged guitar work and great Rockabilly style singing. There's songs about "Fast Cars and Fast Women," "Showbiz," death ("Rest In Peace"), racing cars ("Dragstrip Riot (Let's Go Fight)") and more. Their lyrics show a sense of humor, and also a level of smarts. "The Damage Done," although the simple story of love gone bad, has really cool lyrics, with lines like "now there's nothing left, our relationship's been wrecked [bereft] of any dignity we tethered." They also do a good job of instro surf-hot rod tuneage on "Afterburner" and ""Watery Grave." "Hell-Bound And Happy" showcases some nice slide guitar work. This is really rockin' stuff, and I bet these guys are great live!

Source: Rockmag . org (Rock n Roll Society of Scandinavia)
Author: Razor In The Night
CD Review
[Some language lost in translation - Ed.]

This is hard punk rockabilly with double bass. The opening cut Fast Cars & Fast Women, sounds like early heavy rock like MC5, while 36 Inch Wheels of Death is more rockabilly with a loud guitar and natural distortion. So, not typical rockabilly sound, but perfect to get out some aggression, and at least they break some boundries for the music style. This is progressive! Some songs are bluesy, but with a hard sound, and some slant towards hot rod. The singer has definitely not studied the rockabilly song style. Here are not much hick-ups and it sounds more like Gluecifer / Richochets and some songs are more in the punk / rock street while the title-cut Dragstrip Riot (Let's Go Fight), undoubtedly is rockabilly and pretty tough. Even if the guitar player reveals that rockabilly solos are not his strong side, what the fuck? Its cool and the record is spiced with sound bits from old movies. DragStrip Riot is 1/3 rockabilly and is reviewed from a rockabilly perspective. They come at it without breaking their necks and We Drank 'Til You Got Pretty is amusing.
Recommendation: If you like rock and rockabilly, then this could be something.