Marcel Bontempi.........Rock 'n' Roll Gentleman !

For those of you that haven't yet sampled the musical delights served up by Marcel Bontempi ? You are in for a treat. The half Catalan, half German frontman of The Montesas (60's Beat, Rockabilly with a healthy dose of Boogaloo) has released a slew of (7 to date, with more set for release) 7" EPs and singles over the last couple of years, every one of them a killer diller ! Off on a totally different tangent from The Montesas (more about them another time), what you get is authentic Rock'n'Roll, no over production and no slavishly following a formula.........unless you call R'n'R a formula.

   The arachnophonic sounds of Mr Bontempi  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kk911s1deaw   Catch the video !

Musician, part-time snake oil salesman and illustrator, Marcel is a busy guy. When not gigging with the band or playing in his own right, he paints and has exhibited throughout Germany as well as further afield, his style (although I hate pigeonholing) would be firmly retro, reminiscent of  40's-50's American animation and cartoonesque (publicity ?) images , often with recurring themes such as apes, musical instruments and the like.

 Taken from the Art Garage Sale, Zurich 2013

You can see more of his works by hitting this link: http://marcelbontempi.blogspot.com/

Can't live without some this ?  Contact him directly here: www.facebook.com/marcel.bontempi

In order to avoid starvation and pay the bills he plys his trade as a graphic designer and illustrator, providing his services in the main to the European retro-scene. Event organisers, record labels, children's book publishers to name but a few.

It's that Ape again !

But now, back to the music, it's why we're here after all! Similar to the recurring imagery running through his artwork, the releases to date are also thematic, whether it's an EP about frogs (Rufus Thomas meets Billy Pitcock meets The Cramps) or a devilish 4 track (Old Mad Witch, Train of Sin, Race with the Devil and Train to Satanville) all fantastic versions with the inimitable Bontempi stamp.

Check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1zOpWR74pw  The great original of  'Do the Frog'    what was he thinking ?       
And here it is again after being given the Bontempi treatment: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHnOgdDWD8U

The latest slab of wax (as of 19.07.17)

Continuing with the scary subject matter, the latest release re-interprets the classic American folk tale of a blood thirsty Hessian mercenary....Now, I'm a fan so objectivity goes out the window but the guitar on the title track is absolutely brilliant, for some reason makes me think of Gin Gillettes 'Train to Satanville' which he also covered and the use of the echo over the vocals in German at the end is chilling and rather apt as the Hessians were Germans (Useless pub quiz info No1).
  
With no LP/CD releases to date, rumour has it that there will be a compilation out this year collecting cuts from the EP's and singles (All the releases came out as editions of 500) as well as some alternate versions and maybe some unreleased material...here's hoping, that way you won't have to pay silly money on Ebay in order to get these babies.

If you like your tunes authentic and original sounding, real R'n'R, Rockabilly (with a hint of hillbilly and swing for good measure) ? Then you should own these.........you have no excuse.

New single due out on Migraine records ( http://www.migraine-records.com/) in the coming months and it's about 'Wolves' this time !

New Dr Bontempi's Snake Oil Co single out on Squoodge Records (http://www.squoodge.de/prestashop/) in the coming 6-8 weeks and an LP to follow on the same label in Autumn

Hillbilly hoedown from the good Dr and Co.

What are you waiting for ?