Life Sentence in the Cathouse / Live in Vienna

Frenzi Records presents a deluxe double disc remaster of 'Life Sentence in the Cathouse', the sixth studio album by maverick American artist Tav Falco and his wreckabilly combo Panther Burns. Raised in rural Arkansas, Tav Falco formed the first incarnation of Panther Burns in Memphis in 1979, offering an artful mix of punk, garage, rockabilly and 'art damage' influences, sharing stages with the likes of The Cramps and The Gun Club. Legendary friend and mentor Alex Chilton (ex-Box Tops and Big Star) orchestrated their acclaimed debut long player Behind the Magnolia Curtain for Rough Trade, before going on to produce the next three Panther Burns albums, using vintage Memphis studios such as Ardent, Sam Phillips Recording and Easley McCain. Life Sentence... is the sixth Panther Burns album, produced by Chilton and originally released in 1991. "This was our last album recorded in Memphis," explains Tav. "We invited the finest musicians we knew in our sphere: Mabon 'Teenie' Hodges, the Hi Records guitarist and hit maker for Al Green, wrote a song for the album and played guitar. Jim Dickinson came in on piano and acoustic guitar on which he always played in only one key: open G. On bass we had Roland Robinson, who at 14 years of age started on the road as bandleader for Eddie Floyd. The Easley brothers played dog house bass and guitars." Stand-out tracks include 'Torture', 'Guarda Che Luna' and a muscular version of 'Cropper / Floyd classic 'My Mind Was Messed Up At the Time'. Disc 2 offers a complete (and thunderous) live show recorded at the band's tenth anniversary show at the Messepalast, Vienna, in May 1988. Tav Falco and Panther Burns have been cited as an influence by everyone from Jon Spencer Blues Explosion to The Fall, Spacemen 3 and Spiritualized. "Renegade Tav Falco explores a highly personal vision of rock n' roll," enthused Edwin Pouncey in The Wire in November 2014. "Possessed by a wide range of influences that range from country and blues, novelty numbers and punk rock, to La Monte Young styled drone. But Falco has earned the right to stand shoulder to shoulder with the musicians and artists he so fervently admires." 'Life Sentence in the Cathouse' is released through bespoke imprint Frenzi in an attractive tri-fold digipack.