In most performances, sweating creates the antithesis of cool. A sweating stand-up comedian attracts no one because we interpret that sweat as desperation and rightly so. Sweat in rock’n'roll, on the other hand, is not only a positive, it is a staple. It implies intensity and brings a party atmosphere to life. Sweaty rock isn’t desperate. It is intimate.
On their debut album Good Machine, The Radishes bring the sweat. It oozes out of “Suicide” and into your hips. Their best cuts seem to have been sliced from the rock meat shared by Thin Lizzy and Motorhead, adding a touch of punk spice. Tunes like “Long Day In My Mind” and especially “Hook Me Up” show the band at their strongest because they are together, bobbing their heads in unison and rocking our eardrums’ nuts off. They find time for a couple slower numbers, but that’s not where their hearts lie (”Wanted To” is the better of the two, and it’s only 1:48).
Good Machine won’t win awards for inventiveness, but I doubt these guys give a damn about that. The Radishes didn’t get into this game for anything but the sweat, and until someone invents an award for Achievements in Bad-Assery, sweating is all they need to worry about.
