Harahan Fats

by King Louie Bankston

Overview

For years, rock bands from the American South seemed torn between acknowledging the influence of the roots music that was all around them or denying that in favor of a tighter, blunter attack and disguising the twang in their voices and their spirits. While some early Southern punks like New Orleans' Red Rockers succeeded in delivering high-quality defiance that could pass for similar product from New York or London, in time a lo-fi underground scene emerged that found a comfortable middle ground between the scrappy amateurism of punk and the heart and soul of vintage blues and country, as evidenced by groups like the Oblivians, '68 Comeback, and the Revelators. If King Louie Bankston wasn't a star on this scene, from the 1990s onward he was a welcome and constant presence, performing with the Royal Pendletons, the Exploding Hearts, Bad Times, Bipolaroid, and plenty more, as well as recording on his own with a seemingly endless run of lo-fi projects, often laying down guitar, drums, and keys all by himself. Bankston's relentless creativity came to a halt when he died of heart failure on February 12, 2022, and while there were literally dozens of vinyl releases to document his legacy, in his later years he wanted to release an odds-and-sods compilation that would give a home to some rare and unreleased favorites from his archive. Bankston didn't live to see that album come out, but Goner Records has honored his memory with 2023's Harahan Fats, a 15-song edition of that projected release. (A limited-edition cassette version includes the originally intended 22-song sequence.) Some tracks feature (or at least mimic) a full band, such as "(Theme From) Crawzilla" and "Gone Too Far," but most feature minimal acoustic accompaniment, and in some cases, Bankston performs a cappella, as on "Places Like This" and an off-key cover of "When God Dips His Pen." There are plenty of numbers here that are rough-and-ready fun, like the country-styled "Coke-A-Cola Cowboy" the atmospheric instrumental "Gin Road Ramble," and the back-porch party of "Gentilly Woman." But Bankston wasn't afraid to bare his soul on these performances, and he sounds casually convincing on "Pawn Shop Row," a plainspoken tale of hard times and empty wallets. The appetite for alcohol and drugs that shortened his life is also a recurring presence here; in particular, his cover of Cadalack Ron's "Rehab Legend" is truly haunting, turning the rapper's smug braggadocio about his multiple addictions into a harrowing portrait of a lost soul running out of options and losing the ability to lie to himself. Harahan Fats isn't the expansive, career-spanning anthology Bankston's catalog deserves -- that would require a multi-disc box set -- but as a look into the heart and soul of a man who lived his life for music, this album makes it clear why King Louie Bankston mattered, and how much was lost with his passing. ~ Mark Deming

Product Details

Release Date:	12/08/2023
Label:	Goner Records
UPC:	0795154141319

Tracks

1. Crawzilla
2. Gentilly Woman
3. Coca-Cola Cowboy
4. Places Like This
5. Trinkets
6. Pawn Shop Row
7. Rehab Legend
8. Gone Too Far
9. Air Conditioning, Cold Drinks, Pussy & Pickles
10. Wasted at Work
11. Harahan Boogie Man
12. Down & Out
13. Gin Road Ramble
14. When God Dips His Pen
15. Writing the Same Song Over Again

Album Credits

Performance Credits

King Louie Bankston   Primary Artist,Vocals
Julien Fried   Guitar
Larry Lava   Vocals
Jheri Macgillicuddy   Bass
Aaron Hill   Drums
Paul Grass   Saxophone
Bennett Bartley   Bass

Technical Credits

King Louie Bankston   Cover Photo,Composer,Mixing,Instrumentation
Matt Barnhardt   Mastering
Cadalack Ron   Composer
Allison Green   Photography,Back Cover
Cleavant Derricks   Composer
Lewis D'Aubin   Liner Notes,Engineer,Mixing
Mel Tillis   Composer
Cole Wheeler   Cover Art
Andrew Bizer   Art Direction