Psychobilly: How Punk’s Fury Met Rockabilly’s Swing in a DIY Underground

This episode traces the birth of psychobilly, starting with The Cramps’ neon‑eyeliner riffs at 1970s New York punk venues and expanding through the Meteors’ London scene. We dig into how small independent labels, mail‑order networks, and basement shows fused garage grit with 1950s swing to create a distinct aesthetic—complete with upright bass, horror‑movie references, and DIY fanzines—while examining its spread across Europe and the United States. The episode details key recordings, production tricks, venue politics, and how the movement’s underground infrastructure shaped punk’s capacity for reinvention.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices