The difference, by ear
Psychobilly is rockabilly at punk tempo with horror lyrics, and it keeps the upright bass that everything else in punk abandoned.
Both are sung cleanly, but rockabilly is a little slower: 150 to 190 bpm against 180 to 220. To hear the difference, play The Meteors next to Carl Perkins. They share a root in rock, and rockabilly came first, by 26 years.
In figures
Psychobilly
Where it sits
Rock › Punk rock › Psychobilly
In short
Rockabilly with slapped upright bass, punk speed and lyrics about monsters. Quiff haircut mandatory.
How it sounds
- Slapped upright bass played hard, as a percussion instrument.
- Rockabilly reverb on the guitar, with punk speed and aggression.
- Quiff haircuts, tattoos and lyrics about monsters, cars and the morgue.
Key acts
- The Meteors
- Demented Are Go
- Nekromantix
Start here
The pickThe Meteors - In Heaven. Ground zero, manifesto included.
Full page →Rockabilly
Where it sits
Rock › Rock and roll › Rockabilly
In short
Rock and roll filtered through white country music: slapped upright bass, Sun Studio echo and a vocal hiccup. It gets rediscovered every couple of decades.
How it sounds
- Slapped upright bass - the strings snap against the neck and keep time in place of the drums.
- Tape slapback echo on the vocals, the Sun Studio trademark.
- Clean or lightly overdriven guitar with country-style picking and no distortion.
Key acts
- Carl Perkins
- Johnny Cash
- Gene Vincent
- Stray Cats
Start here
The pickCarl Perkins - Blue Suede Shoes, the original rather than the Elvis version.
Full page →