From: Jumpin from 6 to 6

Rustbelt Trio-
A-OK - Shocked - Lincoln '59 - Alone At Last - Headin' For Disaster - American Way - Hard-Boiled - Little Lovely - Lord Send Me An Angel - Damage Control - The Dead Know Nothing - I Still Dream Of You - I'm Still Standin' Here

This is the newest album (their fourth) from this trio, more than 10 years after their debut release ‘One Part Fist” on the legendary British label Nervous Records. I’m a huge fan of Alan Wilson’s work as a musician (The Sharks) or as a producer (Frantic Flintstones, Gazmen, Colbert Hamilton…) but I was a little disappointed by his production on “One Part Fist”. I think he tried to give some kind of English psychobilly sound to a 100% American band which didn’t really fit them. The two following albums are now very hard to find but are more reflective of what their true sound is. So is “Rustbelt Trio” produced and released by the band. Here you have a real wild rocking and stomping modern rockabilly album made of 13 songs (all band’s originals, half written by guitarist Dave Sisson and the other half by upright bassist Rick Uppling). One of their best quality is to be able to mix genres, adding traditional vocals harmonies on heavy rockers, or enhance what could be a classic hot rod song (Lincoln 59) with a fine and swing drums beat. Harmonies and superb brushed snare can also be found on “Alone At Last”, a teenagers’ song with a modern edge. The sound hardens a bit on “Headin’ For Disaster”, which talks about alcoholism and self destruction (Stayin’ out late at the beer joints, poppin’ pills and livin’ hard / Drivin’ too fast on the highway, slow at work and feelin’ tired / You’re lookin’ older everyday you spend gettin’ bent / But pretty soon this gift you got is going to be spent). “American Way” is a true heavy rockabilly or psychobilly (call it whatever you want) song which shouldn’t be out of place in The Quakes repertory. Nice! Changing the mood a bit, “Lord Send Me An Angel” is what you can expect with a title like that, a fine ballad with just the guitar and a very light snare, and once again traditional harmonies on the chorus. And right after this calm and peaceful moment they rush into the wild “Damage Control”. Another change of tempo comes with “The Dead Know Nothing” a western ballad with Mexican trumpets, gunshots and percussions ala Ennio Morricone. An Everly Brothers influence can be heard on “I Still Dream Of You”, and the album ends with “I’m Still Standin’ Here”, dedicated to Stiff Little Fingers’ Jake Burns, but the message is clear and can apply to Dave, Rick and Randy. It’s very good to see the band back in action, with a all-killer/no-filler album. With the new interest toward psychobilly in the USA, it would be more than justice to find them, who were among the first with The Quakes to play that music in America, achieving the same level of success The Reverend Horton Heat did.
Fred "Virgil" Turgis

Punk and Oi in the U.K.

THREE BLUES TEARDROPS - Rustbelt Trio ()
Sit down a get your self a cool cold beverage, sit back and loose your self in ice cool 50,s/60,s music rock n roll Three blue teardrops are a good old fashioned blend of pure rock n roll with a slight tint of psycho Billy influence, with a thumping big old fashioned upright slap bass. With elements of jazz/blues the teardrop deliver a very rock n roll cd, The most inresting thing with this offering is the diversity of the songs & styles tracks of pumping rock n roll with that 50,s / 60,s fell will have you tapping your boppers and wanting more, first track does have that psycho Billy feel but the cds slips into that rock n roll mode again, the only down side I feel is the vocals could be a bit more gravely & rough could do with punking up a bit vocals Dave so all you rockabilly give it a go, don’t think the teardrops disappoint
4 out of 5
Review by Andy

Raucous Records CD catalog review for Three Blue Teardrops-Rustbelt Trio CD

Hard-edged 50s Rockabilly that powers along with pounding drums and a heavier than usual guitar sound. The Three Blue Teardrops manage to capture many of the best aspects of rockin' music in their sound - the playing and recording will appeal to fans of the vintage sound, yet the delivery is powerful enough for fans of neo-Rockabilly and Psychobilly. A great album with excelent all-original songs. Recommended.

Three Blue Teardrops 'Rustbelt Trio' CD

The album starts on a great stroller with heavy strumming guitar and pounding drums, setting the high standard which is maintained right through to the end of the CD. The album is packed with 1950's (almost) psychobilly tracks. Fast, heavy and primitive. Don't drive while you listening to this album, otherside you'll most certanly get a speeding ticket.

Rockabilly Gal - Live Journal

Three Blue Teardrops from America's Rustbelt with neo-rockabilly.

1.A.OK 2.Shocked! 3.Lincoln '59 4.Alone at last 5.Headin' for disaster 6.American way 7.Hard-boiled 8.Little lovely 9.Lord send me an angel 10.Damage control 11.The dead know nothing 12.I still dream of you 13.I'm still standin' here + 'hidden track'...

Three Blue Teardops
"All true fans of ours will be pleased to learn we recorded it in a rat infested coach house apartment near Belmont Avenue and the Kennedy Expressway on Chicago's northwest side. There was a break in/robbery attempt during our time traveling in and out of our engineer's studio and he finally had it with the rats and the crack addicts and bought him an old house down in Hammond, Indiana. So...all the gear got packed up and all his' and his gal's stuff and they up and moved so we had to wait until he got settled and set his studio back up so..."

This is US Neo-Rockabilly going on Psychobilly, but what sets this apart from a lot of this kind of thing is that there are some really good tuneful songs here. There's even the suggestion of the Everly Brothers at one point! This is a VERY enjoyable CD... Americana at its best.

Roy Williams-Nervous Records

Psychobilly Homepage Top 10-Winter-Spring 2007

Interview with Go Psycho about making Rustbelt Trio CD

Punk Globe review by Carl Macki:

Chicago, Illinois is not known for its great rockabilly nor is it considered part of the great industrial rust belt.
Yet there is an active scene happening around jump blues, Western swing, rockabilly, and 50s rock n roll, and Three Blue Teardrops seem to be a major part of it.
Guitarist Dave Sisson who is also in a band called the Gin Palace Jesters is from the heart of the rustbelt Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Randy Sabo the drummer is from Detroit, so that leaves Rick Uppling who hails from Chi-town and plays the upright base to provide the anchors down in the Windy City. And the color of the "tear drops" is perhaps a nod to Chicago as a home of the blues.
Whatever their origins and motivations, these three truly sing and rock out in this beautiful package of original songs.
If you want to classify them, I would put them smack between neo-traditionalist and psychobilly, but who cares? Enjoy the picking, and twangin', strummin', gnashing and warblin' as you listen.

OK this kid doesn't know that Chicago is a part of the American and Canadian Great Lakes Industrial corridor. We thank him for the kind review but suggest he come visit Chicago, Milwaukee or Hammond or Gary, Indiana sometime in the near future to see if he might reconsider his stance. Hey...what is that smell outside? Oh...I guess that ISN'T Iron Ore refining! Hey Carl...here's a link to Chicago Steel Fabricators in Chicago buddy...Cheers to ya! Need some smelting done? Manufacturing never happened here either Carl! Take it easy kid...do some research next time.

Finnish review from http://malehti.blogspot.com/2007_01_01_archive.html

Äärimmäisen mielenkiintoinen yhtye. Trion nokkamies on Dave Sisson, jonka toinen projekti on autenttiseen honky tonk musiikkiin omistautunut Gin Palace Jesters. Ainoa yhteys TBT ja GBJ välillä on näppärät Amerikan mytologioita hyväksi käyttävät sanoitukset ja stemmalaulut, mutta muutoin liikutaan ihan eri sfääreissä. TBT on niin kuin itsensä määrittävät ”dirty little rock’n’roll band”, jonka musiikki on rankka sekoitus neorockabillyä ja punkia höystettynä välillä hieman perinteisemmillä klassisilla elementeillä. TBT ei missään nimessä ole kuitenkaan psycho vaan yksinkertaisesti rankka rock’n’roll yhtye. Asenne puoleen liittyy myös levyn työläisromantiikka: jo levyn nimi ”ruostevyöhykkeen trio” viittaa raskaan teollisuuden rappeutuvaan perintöön. Kansilehteen on koottu kunnioitettava valikoima vanhoja amerikkalaisia työväenliikkeen julisteita, jotka yllättävää kyllä eivät paljoa tyylissä eroa naapurimaan sosialistisesta realismista. Sanoituksissa voi mainita ehkä punkahtavin kappale American Way, joka lyttää amerikkalaisen elämänmenon. Monipuolinen ja piristävä levy, joka todistaa, että modernia rockabillyä voi tehdä edelleen tuoreella ja mielenkiintoisella tavalla.

We dunno what it says but it looks cool as HELL!

We include the bad too...Jessica hates it.

Razorcake

THREE BLUE TEARDROPS:
Rustbelt Trio: CD
It’s been well over a decade since the Three Blue Teardrops’ swaggering, powerful albums One Part Fist and Poised in Hate were unleashed on an unsuspecting and nebulous American psychobilly scene. Rustbelt Trio was a highly anticipated release; old fans expected a glorious show of power and new fans couldn’t wait to hear the hallowed sounds of an urban legend. But with the utmost respect, we’re all disappointed. Rustbelt Trio is mostly slow and plodding, along the lines of TBT’s third album, Milemarker 26, with too few remarkable tunes; a grave departure from the frenetic, adrenaline-fueled first two albums. Dave Sisson and crew are incredibly talented musicians of the highest songwriting caliber who have not languished in the years since TBT, but they seem to no longer possess the raw, untamed fervor and recklessness that set them high above all others. Then again, perhaps none of us do. RIP, TBT. RIP. –Jessica Thiringer (www. Threeblueteardrops.com)