Crunchy Frog Records is an independent record label, established in 1994 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Among the bands that have released albums on Crunchy Frog are: Thau, Tothe International, Learning from Las Vegas, The Naked, Superheroes, Düreforsög, The Tremolo Beer Gut, The Mopeds, Junior Senior, The Raveonettes, Powersolo, Heavy Trash, Wolfkin, Sterling, epo-555, Beta Satan and 18th Dye. The name of the record company is taken from a famous Monty Python sketch about a pair of policemen who question the head of a confectioners about his new product "The Whizzo Quality Assortment," which includes "Crunchy Frog." The label also owns and operates Vibrashop, an online mail order record store.

I was introduced to Crunchy Frog through two very different recordings, Powersolo's "It's Raceday ...And Your Pussy Is Gut!!!" and epo-555's "Mafia." We'll look a little deeper into the Powersolo release first, to be followed by a glimpse into epo-555's release.

Now this is what I think of when I think of indie rock. This is a starkly original band that raises a high, hard middle finger to commercial acceptance. "It's Raceday..." is a foray into a truly alternative genre that Powersolo has branded as their very own. The album draws directly from the psychobilly punk style with songs like "Baby, You Ain't Looking Right?," "Good Behaviour," "Don't Hate Me Baby," and "Truckin'." Some might call it Stray Cats on acid or compare them to Reverend Horton Heat or The Cramps, but make no mistake, Powersolo has a sound all their own. This is a band that unabashedly skips through the boneyard to piece together tracks like "Juanito," which sounds like something you might here by a mariachi band in your favorite Mexican restaurant. It's courageous moments like these that show the courage and confidence of this band - the courage to do whatever they feel like. "Oak Tree Girl" is another step away from the overall punk attitude with its more mainstream acoustic pop sound, but it goes over well because of the genuine spirit of the band. Even when the album gives a nod toward a country sound with tracks like "Hillbilly Child" and "Broken Wings," the band stays true to themselves and the songs are delivered with an indelible stamp - a stamp that says "F*** you. We're Powersolo, and we can do whatever we want."

Review of epo-555 – Mafia