Rocket 808 Albums
12XU Records, 2023
The second Rocket 808 LP. More primitive electronics, more guitar snarl — the machine keeps rolling.
Watch & Listen
House of Jackpots
Under Surveillance
Digital Billboards — dir. Andy Ray Lemon
Mystery Train — Live at Wooden Tooth Records
Bio
Following a late 2018 debut 7", Rocket 808 is the eponymous debut LP from the latest brainchild of John Schooley, a guitarist with an impressive resume in the American underground going back a couple of decades with bands including the Revelators, the Hard Feelings, John Schooley’s One Man Band, and Meet Your Death.
Combining the primitive analog drum machine of 1970s New York underground icons Suicide with the snarl and twang of guitar progenitors Link Wray and Duane Eddy, Rocket 808 has created a unique aesthetic mixing minimalist proto-punk noise and roots guitar into a new futurism — finally giving us the tomorrow with flying cars we were promised in 1950s EC Comics, Blade Runner, and back issues of Popular Mechanics.
If Martin Rev had produced ZZ Top’s Eliminator, or if Ry Cooder’s score to Streets of Fire was instead heard on Sid and Nancy, you’d have an idea of how Rocket 808 blurs the lines between guitar-heavy styles and eras using artificial percussion.
“We were just singing the new blues, and the blues scares people.”
— Martin Rev, SuicideDiscography
“You know they give you an award when you sell a million records. A million copies of one album, you understand? Now what about an award for someone who makes a million different albums, and sells one copy of each?”
— Ronnie HawkinsRocket 808
One Man Band
Pretty Baby 7"
Goner — 1997
Rock And Roll Party 7"
Ball Records — 2000
Drive You Faster 7"
Voodoo Rhythm — 2003
John Schooley And His One Man Band LP
Voodoo Rhythm — 2005
Live On Australian Radio 7"
Hook Or Crook — 2006
One Man Against The World LP
Voodoo Rhythm — 2007
The Man Who Rode the Mule Around the World LP
Voodoo Rhythm — 2015
With Walter Daniels
Harmonica!! 7"
Ghost Highway — 2010
Dead Mall Blues LP
12XU — 2015
Meet Your Death S/T LP
12XU — 2016
The Revelators
Serve The Man 7"
Crypt — 1996
We Told You Not To Cross Us LP
Crypt — 1997
Feat. Walter Daniels 7"
Sympathy — 1998
Let A Poor Boy Ride LP
Crypt — 2009
The Hard Feelings
Fought Back And Lost LP
Sympathy — 2000
Anytime I Want! 7"
Dropkick — 2001
You Won't Like It LP
Dropkick — 2001
Are Having A Soul Party! 7"
Gearhead — 2001
Rebels Against The Future LP
Dropkick — 2003
100 Miles An Hour 7"
Tear It Up — 2003
