What the world needs now is more HorrorPops

The last HorrorPops album, Kiss Kiss Kill Kill, came out in 2008. That seems like centuries ago, and while I personally wish and hope that the group will put out a new full-length record one day, that may never happen. At least the band is still gigging some.

HorrorPops live is amazing. No new music is one thing, but not being able to see the group that fuses psychobilly, punk, new wave and rockabilly in a unique way live would be a shame. Of course, there is intentionally no real rhyme or reason to what the band does.

As singer/bassist Patricia Day told Rue Morgue in 2021, "We never decided to stop being a band or stop touring, and we also never really decided to start touring. So, hiatus…that’s been the word to use I guess, but nothing in the HorrorPops is ever planned."

HorrorPops is the psychobilly punk you need

If you have never listened to HorrorPops by like bands such as Dresden Dolls then you must give HorrorPops a listen. HorrorPops is a bit more electric and sonically aggressive than Dresden Dolls, but hopefully that gives you an idea of what to tune in for.

The band announced in 2022, however, that Patricia Day was battling cancer and the group started a GoFundMe page to help pay for her medical costs. Fortunately, Day was feeling well enough to play gigs with the band near the end of last year. Many of the shows were free for fans.

But that is the way the band, who started in their native Denmark and then moved to Los Angeles in the mid-2000s, has always operated. They love playing live but that always make their shows fan-centric. A person doesn't just go to watch the band; A person goes to be part of an event.

But the groups songs just kick proverbial butt. "Ghouls" from the band's debut album, 2004's Hell Yeah, is mostly pure punk with a pinch of rockabilly. Whereas "Julia" from the same album sounds like the Go-Gos gone hardcore. "Kiss Kiss Kill Kill" from the band's 2008 album of the same name might recall and angry sounding B-52s.

Basically, stop what you are doing and listen to Horrorpops. You won't be disappointed. And keep an eye out for them to play live at some point in the future and buy a plane ticket, if you must, to see them.

Other music news and analysis