When I first started listening to Harley Poe's The Dead and the Naked, I was driving and getting pissed. I was so offended I almost missed my turn. This dude was singing about a girl he picked up at a bar who was sucking him off and he was going into detail about what a sucker she was and how slow she was taking it. As a woman who tends to lean towards the feminist side, I could feel my muscles tensing. But just as I reached to press the “stop” button the song’s story changed a bit. Suddenly the aforementioned “sucker” was biting the male character’s neck in order to draw out a drink of blood. Now he was the sucker! Oh man, the excitement!

This is a band unlike any else. They successfully blend folk, punk, and gore to create a funny, absurd, and danceable sound. It’s a small band consisting of a singer/guitarist, bassist, and drummer. The guitar sound varies from mariachi to 3-chord punk and the drums are not always drums but sometimes buckets and other beatable items -perhaps a baby or two.

Harley Poe manages to maintain the brilliance, wittiness and gore throughout The Dead and the Naked, from vampires in “The Suckers” to necrophilia in “Corpse Grindin Man.” To top things off, every song features exquisitely placed and simple music. A little punk and a little folk, it’s a fun ride that leaves a listener feeling a little guilty. Kind of like eating a really big slice of chocolate cake while having sex with a hooker.