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

Crippling Alcoholism

Camgirl
Portrayal of Guilt Records (2025)

Crippling Alcoholism have always navigated a delicate balance between musical depth and immediacy. A blend that few bands attempt, let alone master, but Crippling Alcoholism's two previous full-length records, When The Drugs That Make You Sick Are The Drugs That Make You Better and especially With Love From A Padded Room did exactly that. With a foundation formed through post-punk … Read more

The Necks

Disquiet
Northern Spy (2025)

There are no signs of slowing down for Australian jazz masters The Necks. Following the release of the excellent Bleed in 2024, the legendary trio makes a return with their 20th full-length record, Disquiet. Long-form compositions are nothing new for the trio, but here they dive headfirst into a three-hour tour de force, traversing the abstract and meditative territories they … Read more

The Eradicator

You Can Hate The Eradicator
Independent (2025)

Is The Eradicator a joke that's been going for 10 years (the band), or for 35 (the skit)? Does it matter? Well, only in the sense that I question how much material the Kids In The Hall-inspired hardcore band can cull from a 5-minute skit. (Maybe 10 minutes. The character was revived in 2022's Season 6.) Why do I bring … Read more