Southern Culture On The Skids
True to their name, North Carolina's Southern Culture on the Skids offer an… Read Full Bio ↴True to their name, North Carolina's Southern Culture on the Skids offer an affectionate parody of local white-trash trailer-park culture, matching their skewed outlook with a wild, careening brand of rock & roll. SCOTS' music is a quintessentially Southern-fried amalgam of rockabilly, boogie, country, blues, swamp pop, and chitlin circuit R&B, plus a liberal dose of California surf guitar, a hint of punk attitude, and the occasional mariachi horns.
Following an early incarnation as a relatively straightforward roots rock outfit, they morphed into a raucous, sleazy, tongue-in-cheek party band obsessed with sex and food; in fact, fried chicken became a crucial part of their live performances, whether it was used in eating contests or tossed into the audience. Southern Culture may play chiefly to an underground-rock audience, but their gonzo tributes to the South aren't as smug as some of their peers working similar territory, since the band has genuine roots in the area. Southern Culture on the Skids were founded by guitarist/singer Rick Miller in the college town of Chapel Hill, NC, in 1985. Growing up, Miller had split time between Henderson, NC, where his father ran a mobile-home factory, and Southern California, where his mother lived, and where he first discovered surf and rockabilly. After earning a degree in art from the University of North Carolina, Miller started the first incarnation of Southern Culture on the Skids with original lead vocalist Stan Lewis, bassist Leslie Lands and drummer Chip Shelbys.
Lewis brought a distinct Cramps influence to the band, although their style was still much more subdued than it would later become. This quartet lineup released an EP called Voodoo Beach Party on the local indie label Lloyd Street, followed later in 1985 by an eponymous full-length debut.As the band drifted more and more into country territory, co-founder Lewis split; two more members were added on accordion and pedal steel, but the band's new direction alienated much of its local following, and the first version of Southern Culture split not long after. In 1987, Miller regrouped with a new, smaller lineup featuring bassist and sometime vocalist Mary Huff and drummer Dave Hartman, both of whom had grown up together in Roanoke, VA. (Lewis, Land, and Shelby would later reunite as Stan Lewis and the Rockin' Revellers, and performed on a mostly local basis.) The new Southern Culture spent a few years honing their sound and releasing the very occasional single. Finally, in 1991, they returned to the LP format with Too Much Pork for Just One Fork, which was issued on the ill-fated Moist label.
Too Much Pork established the group's lyrical obsessions, and featured the first recording of their fried-chicken anthem "Eight Piece Box," a concert favorite.Southern Culture's next album, the rawer-sounding 1992's For Lovers Only, began to win them a wider following thanks to better distribution from the band's new label, Safe House. Among other fan favorites, it featured Huff's first major vocal showcase, a cover of the Jo Anna Neel country obscurity "Daddy Was a Preacher but Mama Was a Go-Go Girl." The half-live, half-studio EP Peckin' Party followed on Feedbag in 1993, as did the 10" Girlfight EP on Sympathy for the Record Industry. The more laid-back, country-flavored full-length Ditch Diggin' appeared on Safe House in 1994, featuring covers of the Louvin Brothers and Link Wray.
In 1995, Geffen subsidiary DGC signed Southern Culture on the Skids to a major-label contract, which was consummated the following year with Dirt Track Date. Although Dirt Track Date included re-recordings of several of the band's most popular past songs, it received generally enthusiastic reviews and sold over a quarter of a million copies.After another indie EP, this time the Mexican wrestling tribute Santo Swings!/Viva del Santo on Estrus Records, Southern Culture issued their second major-label album, Plastic Seat Sweat, in 1997, which marked the debut of new keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist Chris "Cousin Crispy" Bess. However, they got lost in the shuffle of the big-time label mergers, and wound up without a record deal for a while. After regrouping with 1998's self-released, horror-themed Zombiefied EP, the band returned to action on TVT with 2000's full-length Liquored Up and Lacquered Down, which marked a return to the country-tinged sound of Ditch Diggin'. A brief recording hiatus followed, but the band returned in early 2004 with Mojo Box, recorded in Miller's home studio and released by Yep Roc. In 2007, the band released Countrypolitan Favorites, which contained covers of some of the most classic country and rockabilly songs. In 2010, they released their 7th studio album, The Kudzu Ranch, deriving its title from the ranch where the songs were recorded, and the kudzu engulfing parts of its acreage.
Following an early incarnation as a relatively straightforward roots rock outfit, they morphed into a raucous, sleazy, tongue-in-cheek party band obsessed with sex and food; in fact, fried chicken became a crucial part of their live performances, whether it was used in eating contests or tossed into the audience. Southern Culture may play chiefly to an underground-rock audience, but their gonzo tributes to the South aren't as smug as some of their peers working similar territory, since the band has genuine roots in the area. Southern Culture on the Skids were founded by guitarist/singer Rick Miller in the college town of Chapel Hill, NC, in 1985. Growing up, Miller had split time between Henderson, NC, where his father ran a mobile-home factory, and Southern California, where his mother lived, and where he first discovered surf and rockabilly. After earning a degree in art from the University of North Carolina, Miller started the first incarnation of Southern Culture on the Skids with original lead vocalist Stan Lewis, bassist Leslie Lands and drummer Chip Shelbys.
Lewis brought a distinct Cramps influence to the band, although their style was still much more subdued than it would later become. This quartet lineup released an EP called Voodoo Beach Party on the local indie label Lloyd Street, followed later in 1985 by an eponymous full-length debut.As the band drifted more and more into country territory, co-founder Lewis split; two more members were added on accordion and pedal steel, but the band's new direction alienated much of its local following, and the first version of Southern Culture split not long after. In 1987, Miller regrouped with a new, smaller lineup featuring bassist and sometime vocalist Mary Huff and drummer Dave Hartman, both of whom had grown up together in Roanoke, VA. (Lewis, Land, and Shelby would later reunite as Stan Lewis and the Rockin' Revellers, and performed on a mostly local basis.) The new Southern Culture spent a few years honing their sound and releasing the very occasional single. Finally, in 1991, they returned to the LP format with Too Much Pork for Just One Fork, which was issued on the ill-fated Moist label.
Too Much Pork established the group's lyrical obsessions, and featured the first recording of their fried-chicken anthem "Eight Piece Box," a concert favorite.Southern Culture's next album, the rawer-sounding 1992's For Lovers Only, began to win them a wider following thanks to better distribution from the band's new label, Safe House. Among other fan favorites, it featured Huff's first major vocal showcase, a cover of the Jo Anna Neel country obscurity "Daddy Was a Preacher but Mama Was a Go-Go Girl." The half-live, half-studio EP Peckin' Party followed on Feedbag in 1993, as did the 10" Girlfight EP on Sympathy for the Record Industry. The more laid-back, country-flavored full-length Ditch Diggin' appeared on Safe House in 1994, featuring covers of the Louvin Brothers and Link Wray.
In 1995, Geffen subsidiary DGC signed Southern Culture on the Skids to a major-label contract, which was consummated the following year with Dirt Track Date. Although Dirt Track Date included re-recordings of several of the band's most popular past songs, it received generally enthusiastic reviews and sold over a quarter of a million copies.After another indie EP, this time the Mexican wrestling tribute Santo Swings!/Viva del Santo on Estrus Records, Southern Culture issued their second major-label album, Plastic Seat Sweat, in 1997, which marked the debut of new keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist Chris "Cousin Crispy" Bess. However, they got lost in the shuffle of the big-time label mergers, and wound up without a record deal for a while. After regrouping with 1998's self-released, horror-themed Zombiefied EP, the band returned to action on TVT with 2000's full-length Liquored Up and Lacquered Down, which marked a return to the country-tinged sound of Ditch Diggin'. A brief recording hiatus followed, but the band returned in early 2004 with Mojo Box, recorded in Miller's home studio and released by Yep Roc. In 2007, the band released Countrypolitan Favorites, which contained covers of some of the most classic country and rockabilly songs. In 2010, they released their 7th studio album, The Kudzu Ranch, deriving its title from the ranch where the songs were recorded, and the kudzu engulfing parts of its acreage.
More Genres
No Artists Found
More Artists
Load All
No Albums Found
More Albums
Load All
No Tracks Found
Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Search results not found
Song not found
Southern Culture On The Skids Lyrics
40 Miles To Vegas Broken down, busted on the stateline road Lonesome truck dri…
8 Piece Box I went to her window Asked her what she got Said the…
Baby I Like You Baby I like you If you like me too Think of…
Banana Pudding Banana puddin' Banana puddin' Banana puddin' Banana puddin' …
Big Bear Big bear He's iron tough Big bear He's got a chest like a…
Camel Baby, Would you eat that there snack cracker In your special…
Cheap Motels Well out on the bypass Not too far, There's a joint…
Corn Liquor Corn liquor It sure can burn Corn liquor Makes your stomach …
Dirt Road My baby lives down an old dirt road Dirt road My baby…
Dirt Track Date Got us a dirt track date Demolition derby, figure-eight Ea…
Downward Mobility Downward Mobility Talking bout you and me Downward Mobility …
Earthmover There's an old grey shack by the edge of the…
Eight Piece Box I went to her window, asked her what she got Said…
Firefly Well I was at a party it was late one…
Freak Flag Come on and raise Your freak flag high Come on and…
Fried Chicken And Gasoline I been on the road so long it seems that all…
Given to Me You You were given to me To love and to hold For eternity A…
Greenback Fly In the door in the house of wen Gonna make your…
Grey Skies Grey skies In my eyes Grey skies In my mind Echoes of my th…
House Of Bamboo Number fifty-four, The house with the bamboo door, Bamboo …
I Ain't Gonna Hang Around Well I ain't gonna hang around And watch this deal go…
I Want a Love Darling, I think that I'm ready Just to give it all…
King of the Mountain Got himself a peach colored leisure suit Hundred dollar bill…
Liquored Up and Lacquered Down When this old world starts getting me down And people are…
Midnight Caller Now girls, I like most kinds of guys But there's one…
Mojo Box I got a Mojo Box, with your head on top... I got…
My Baby's Got The Strangest Ways My baby's got the strangest ways of sayin' Whoo-hoo, hoo-we…
Nitty Gritty Well some folks know about it, Some don't Some learn to…
Pass the Hatchet Ooh, let me chop it You got to let me chop…
Rice And Beans Rice and beans Rice and beans I'm in love with a thrift…
Run Chicken Run Run baby run, baby run baby run Run baby cause here…
Shotgun Shotgun Shotgun Shotgun Shotgun Your baby's got one Troubl…
Slowly Losing My Mind I'm drifting out with the tide Watching clouds pass me by Ju…
Soul City It don't matter if your pants are shiny If your d*ck…
Strangest Ways My baby's got the strangest ways of sayin' Whoo-hoo, hoo-wee…
Swamp Fox Swamp Fox in a halter top Walking down the street shaking…
Swamp Thing My baby's got the strangest ways of sayin' Whoo-hoo, hoo-wee…
The Fly That Rode From Buffalo THE FLY THAT RODE FROM BUFFALO The fly that rode from…
The Great Atomic Power Are you ready for the great atomic power? Will you rise…
The Little Things It wasn't the drinkin' or cheatin' That changed her way of…
Voodoo Cadillac Up to Mississippi down to New Orleans Tuck and roll a…
Waiting On You A promise for tomorrow, A path that we can follow Away…
Walk Like a Camel Baby, Would you eat that there snack cracker In your special…
Where Is the Moon Where is the moon tonight Where is the moon tonight Not…
White Trash white trash, don't call me that white trash, who don't…
Whole Lotta Things Well, I had a good daydream But once it's gone The taste…
Zombified Zombified, zombified, zombified My baby been zombified My gi…