The Balboas are back, unleashing their latest thirteen-song LP, ‘Bite! Blood! Repeat!’, a swirling vortex of sharp teeth and bad intention. This record is another notch in the belt of The Balboas’ prolific discography, spanning punk-rock, rockabilly, and garage rock and tearing those genres into raw flesh. The entire album is laced with sex, mysticism, and mayhem, promising a wild ride for listeners.
Richard Griffith, the co-founder of The Balboas and Professor of Psychology at The University of Florida, offered unique insight into the band’s process. He explained that while one might initially hear chaos, the band is anything but random when creating a record. The result is a product of The Balboas’ time tested process, which he described as methodical. The album’s title isn’t just wordplay from song lyrics; it signifies the meticulous way The Balboas go about their business, much like highly organized piranhas.
The album boasts an impressive list of collaborators, demonstrating the band’s wide-reaching influence. It features contributions from Minutemen legend Mike Watt, Paul Roessler of Screamers and 45 Grave, Eddie Spaghetti of Supersuckers, and the powerful vocalist Kitten Kuroi, known for working with Billy Idol. The track list also includes a truly timely collaboration with The 5.6.7.8.s, famous for their role in the Tarantino film Kill Bill. They teamed up with The Balboas on a song about the movie’s psychotic teenage bodyguard, Go Go Yubari, released to coincide with Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair, the full four-hour theatrical release out in December.
The excitement surrounding the record is shared by the legendary contributors, including Jimmy Dale, the Son of Dick Dale, who said, “We managed bring quite the curveball of raw energy that the music scene really is lacking. Of course, I’d lay it down on the skins, guitar, whatever for them. I feel right at home.” Discussing one of the album’s drops, the heartshaking “Florida Man,” Richard Griffith commented: “Florida Man is a greasy, distorted, journey through the stereotype of the crazy lifestyle of the sunshine state. The song features The Balboas in one of their most depraved spells, fully immersed in a southern methamphetamine moment. It captures all the anger of a failed attempt to join the ranks of the mythical Florida Man, and features Dusty Watson on his first washboard recording.”