Turner, Steve & His Bad Ideas

Mudhoney guitar slinger Steve Turner is back with a new record, New Wave Punk Asshole, and a new gang Steve Turner And His Bad Ideas. The album was recorded after Turner and Mudhoney completed their latest opus, Under A Billion Suns (Sub Pop, 2006), and following the lengthiest Mudhoney tour in many years, including a day spent curating talent at the recent All Tomorrow's Parties double weekender in May of 2006. 
 
New Wave Punk Asshole is more in-your-face than his previous solo offerings like the countrified musings of Searching For A Melody (Loose, 2004) or the more strident Guthrie-esque sounds of Bad Ideas (Beautiful Happiness, 2005). It does indeed have the swagger indicated in the title, but it's more of a roots call to arms, akin to classic American underground rock from the mid to late-'80's (pre-alternative alternative anyone?). Scattered throughout these sixteen songs are nuggets of '60's garage, countrified soul-punk and a healthy dose of new wave blast. It's a lot of good times packed into in a mere thirty-four minutes!  
 
Turner tweaked the band's line-up for New Wave Punk Asshole, adding producer and mixer Johnny Sangster on Farfisa, 12-string guitar, percussion and backing vocals, Jim Sangster on bass and Kevin Warner on drums. 
 
Although Turner is more well known for his role in Mudhoney, he's had his share of side projects over the years, playing with nervy garage-punkers The Fall-Outs, hard-edged blues-rockers Monkeywrench (with Mark Arm) and the thunderously obnoxious Thrown Ups. Turner took up the challenge of a "solo career" during a brief hiatus from Mudhoney after discovering how to sing and play guitar at the same time! He hasn't looked back since...