Review
Bogos
Empty Bottles

Voodoo Rhythm (2022) Christopher D

Bogos – Empty Bottles cover artwork
Bogos – Empty Bottles — Voodoo Rhythm, 2022

Sante, Salud, Prost ,Salute ,Saúde,Proost, Skål,Kippis,3а здоровье,乾杯, 건배,干杯 ,Şerefe ,في صحتك , לחיים , ΥΓΕΙΑ , Na zdrowie ,Na zdraví, Cheers!

I sauntered into the dimly lit old man's bar closing the door behind the impeding swirling snowstorm brewing outside. Upon my unnoticed entry(this was no Cheers!-no cries of Norm were echoed by patrons) my eyes were immediately drawn to a weathered figure slumped in a corner booth watching the ash of his cigarette burn into a long lingering arc. He sat alone, hunched over a glass of whiskey and a cheap draft. He wore a tattered cap pulled low over his one eye. Despite his ragged, chiselled appearance, there was something about him that commanded a secondary sideways glance. As I approached, he looked up and met my gaze with eyes that had clearly seen more than their fair share of hardships, pain and utter despair. He motioned for me to sit down not before shooting a quarter asking me to throw it into the jukebox and select The Pogues- Dirty Old Town.

Empty Bottles are going down, one by one and two by two. Hey Mr, Bartender slide me one of the house specials down the well-worn wooden bar.
Bogos are the ultimate theme of this bar. Hailing from Bern Switzerland -Bogos sound like a twisted Pogues, Mano Negra, Gogol Bordello, 16 Horsepower interspersed with a little Merle Haggard, Cash and Flatts and Scruggs. Stripped down toe tapping, drunken jig, arm locked in arm and fisticuff bare-knuckle, fuckle, punch em up beer swillin' slobbering rubbery leg chicken dance.
Bogos are the life source of the stiff corpse at a party. Want to wallow in misery and self-doubt and depression I would suggest digging out your Smiths' greatest hits compilations.
99 bottles of beer on the wall, 99 bottles of beer.
Take one down and pass it around, 98 bottles of beer on the wall etc

8 Large Pints Out of Ten!

Bogos – Empty Bottles cover artwork
Bogos – Empty Bottles — Voodoo Rhythm, 2022

Recently-posted album reviews

Joyce Manor

I Used To Go To This Bar
Epitaph (2026)

Surely by now, you’ve heard their name. Joyce Manor have been writing soundtracks for heartbreaks and hangovers for nearly two decades now. They create short songs with their hearts on their sleeves, while sticking to that distinct Southern California mix of self-deprecation and sincerity. From the lo-fi charm of their 2011 debut to Never Hungover Again’s cult-classic status and the … Read more

La Luz

Extra! Extra!
Sub Pop (2026)

Formed in 2012, La Luz built their reputation on hypnotic surf-noir, eerie harmonies, and a uniquely supernatural warmth that made them one of Sub Pop’s most consistently compelling bands. Their 2024 full-length News of the Universe marked a major artistic shift. The sound became lush, cosmic, dust-covered, and produced by Maryam Qudus, whose work helped push the band into its … Read more

Dead Boys

Night Of The Living Dead Dolls
Cleopatra (2025)

Dead Boys, or should I say Dead Dolls (no, not those creepy little Dolls that were mass produced for wannabe Wednesdays). Johnny Blitz had just been stabbed on the streets of New York. A benefit was created to raise funds to help the fallen comrade, known as the Blitz benefit. Look it up, plebeians. Anyways cue in snot, attitude and … Read more