High As Hell

Nashville Pussy may not be the smartest band in rock'n'roll, but they're certainly the raunchiest, rockinest Grammy nominee ever ("Fried Chicken And Coffee," from 1998's "Let Them Eat Pussy," earned the group a nod for best metal performance).

Musically, the band lives off discarded Motorhead and AC/DC riffs, churning out high-octane sleaze rock with reckless abandon. Lyrically, singer Blaine Cartwright dumpster-dives through white trash culture and comes up with whiskey-soaked rants and amphetamine-fueled boasts that speak to the inner hedonist. Together those elements combine to make a rock'n'roll machine greater than the sum of its parts.

On "Let Them Eat Pussy" the band adhered to a scorched-earth policy, firing off 12 songs in under 28 minutes. "High As Hell" finds the group stretching out a bit, with each song approaching the three-minute mark before collapsing in exhaustion.

As for the songwriting, don't expect much subtlety. "Shoot First And Run Like Hell" espouses the wisdom of quick decision making, "Go To Hell" deals with a tough break-up and "Rock'n'Roll Outlaw" is an old-fashioned, fist-pumping paean to the open road. The band even gets in tune with nature on the songs "Blowjob From A Rattlesnake" and "Struttin' Cock."

Few in the musical intelligentsia may admit to enjoying Nashville Pussy, but guilty pleasures are always the hardest to admit. Just ask those on the Grammy nominating committee.

<A HREF=mailto:jdefoore@billboard.com>-- Jay DeFoore</A>