The Cramps' Lux Interior steps through the Green Door
Lux Interior - the sexy, creepy, super-energized frontman for psycho-billy punk band The Cramps - died yesterday at age 62. This sucks, frankly, and I'm tired of writing blog posts about people's contributions to culture only after they're dead. That'll change in the weeks ahead, but first....
The Cramps, led by Lux Interior and Poison Ivy, mixed buzzing guitars, psychedelia, sex, punk, and B-movie plots to create a sweaty, seductive, and incredibly danceable sound. They started in the 1970s, reaching greatness in the early '80s with the LPs Songs the Lord Taught Us and Psychedelic Jungle. They were an easy choice for my 1980s playlist a couple of months ago. You'll find many songs on YouTube, including "Human Fly" and "Sunglasses After Dark."
If I had ultimate power, every movie from the Fifties through the Seventies that featured rebel teenagers, go-go dancers, atomic mutants, and acid trips - preferably all of the above - would retroactively include music from The Cramps.
Farewell, Lux, and thanks for the great music. May you continue to sweat and grind in the afterlife.
(Hat tip to Justin for suggesting the title of this post.)