The Earl Cram Revue

While you had your back turned, the Earl Cram Revue became a real band.

This one-time two-person collective of beatnik wannabees, Sam LaCara and Suzi Willpower, were doing the psychedelic folk thing around coffeehouses three years ago, joined by an occasional guest musician and maybe a local poet offering details on his lousy life, alongside audience-participation word games. All the while, LaCara threatened to turn the Earl Cram Revue into a real band by adding bass and drums.

And he has, with drummer Stiv Nascent, bassist Jay Repp (the Reverend Suture) and keyboardist Don Anonymous.

"We were doing some rock stuff, but it didn't fall together until we signed up Jay on bass," LaCara says. "It's more exciting on a lot of levels. I could more fully realize the sounds in my head."

Out of that head emerged Secret Sex Life, a gloriously muddy punk record in which the bulk of the songs feature various protagonists who seem a little too consumed with sex.

The band is already half-finished with its next album, Velveteen Fox. It will explore similar fetishes, but "it's more political," LaCara says. "I'm kind of outraged by what's going on. I've never seen it worse.

"I write the words as they hit me," he pleads. "... I write about what interests me."

Various fetishes, basically. LaCara is even musing over assembling the songs into a Broadway production. Or off-Broadway. Is the Cordial Lounge off enough?

For more on the band, go to www.earlcramrevue.com. - Jeff Spevak, Rochester D & C 3/16/06 - Democrat and Chronicle, Rochester, NY

Slipped outta the East End and headed over to Spy Bar to catch The Earl Cram Revue play some big rock for a little room. The more I see this band, the more I associate its sound with the soundtrack to the movie Russ Meyer never made. I'm thinkin' "Faster Earl Cram! Kill! Kill!" --- with all the swirling psychedelia, the Bacharach-esque pop, mondo-sex appeal, and double entendres out the wazoo. Watching Miss Suzie Willpower writhe and wriggle is better than anything on Cinemax. Cowbells, glory holes, fishnets, and Don Anonymous permanently in the band made for an all around great show. Man, I'd love to hear this band honk through a big PA. You know, one that Russ would be proud of." --- Frank De Blase, City Newspaper 11/30/05 - City Newspaper, Rochester NY

When you listen to Rochester's The Earl Cram Revue nowadays, it's difficult to believe it was ever a surrealist acoustic folk outfit. The surreal part I can buy. But the acoustic part - that's a different story.

Although a few songs on the group's new disc "Secret Sex Life" hint at an underlying fetish for Aimee Mann, most of the tracks are pure, kick-you-in-the-mouth, take-your-pants-off rock. Heavy on the fuzz distortion and the occasional surf-echo trip and led by the sultry Suzi Willpower and the enigmatic Earl "Big Daddy" Cram, the Revue uses a dual-vocalist, dual-gendered approach that would've been the norm had the Pixies ever really ruled the earth.

Willpower takes the spotlight on most tracks and swaggers with a Chrissie Hynde meets a Joplanized L7 growl, as Cram chimes in with a half-spoken, half-sung presence. And while there's a definite vintage garage sound most of the way through, you can easily imagine a stadium somewhere filled with a few of these monster riffs and addictive beats." --- Tim Karan, Rochester Insider 7/22/05 - Rochester Insider

We heard the new Earl Cram Revue EP "Screwbucket/Life 9", featuring the irrepressible Suzi Willpower and writer/singer/guitarist Earl Cram, both of whom rock out with utter abandon. Sexually-charged lyrics and attitude make this Revue a lot of irreverent fun, so give them a listen. Check out the catchy "Related" and "Secret Sex Life" (from the full-length of the same name) for a band that goes full tilt !! - - - Michelle Picardo, Freetime Magazine, 8/8/05 - Freetime Magazine, Rochester, NY

If you can get past The Earl Cram Revue's ofter over-the-top sexual histrionics, you'll find an incredible band of musical depth and strength. A little fetish emphasis is cool. And singer Susie Willpower has the pipes and presence enough to back it up. The gal could make a bishop kick out a stained glass window.

The new EP, "Screwbucket/Life 9", is full of power-chord rock and slick mod harmonies. The band is relentless on stage and a lot of fun. - - - Frank DeBlase, City Newspaper, 7/27/05 - City Newspaper

The Earl Cram Revue - Secret Sex Life - - - one of the top 20 local/regional picks of 2004 --- Michelle Picardo, Freetime Magazine, 12/22/04 - Freetime Magazine

I dug The Franks (is that a cool name or what?) open for The Earl Cram Revue at The Montage a couple of Thursday nights ago (alas, it would turn out to be my last time there) . . . The Revue has dialed back the histrionics a bit and lets the music do the talking. I've always liked 'em, but this was easily the best show I've seen them do. --- Frank DeBlase, City Newspaper, 1/19/2005
- City Newspaper

A couple of Thursdays back The Badenovs paced and raged on The Bug Jar stage with lots of textbook crazy and new-wave cool ... They warmed up for The Earl Cram Revue, who hit the stage already in a full gallop singing --- and erotically purring --- about, among other things, the anonymous thrill of glory holes. Ah, don't you just wanna Tijuana? --- Frank DeBlase, City Newspaper, 9/22/04

- City Newspaper

Meanwhile, back in Rochester, Your Mom was warming up Richmonds Saturday night for The Earl Cram Revue ... The Earl Cram Set was bigger and bolder than Richmonds' neighborhood feel could contain. Singer, shimmier, and shaker Miss Suzie Willpower bumped, ground, and teased, turning the whole joint into her stage. --- Frank DeBlase, City Newspaper, 2/25/2004

- City Newspaper