The Voodoo Organist!!!

Album Reviews

The Return of the Voodoo Organist

After his 2002 debut Exotic Demonic Blues (RM#35), Hell’s own lounge entertainer Scott Wexton (a.k.a. the Voodoo Organist) makes his return to the land of living, collecting souls of sinners with his incomparable spooky gothic-blues-lounge-jazz. Backed by the creepy sounds of classic organ, Wexton lights things up with drum machine beats, synths, a theremin and his own gravelly sinister voice into a sound that is totally unique and unmistakably evil. Wexton relishes in his role as a snazzy-dressed devil’s assistant, with songs that draw a line sharply between schlock and scares. No matter how you hack and slash it, the Voodoo Organist makes Hell sound all the more inviting. Like you need further incentive! —Aaron Lupton

4 of 5 stars

Rue Morgue Magazine, July/August 2004

Every once in a great while you get a CD from an act you’ve never heard of, and when you hear the first song you know it’s going to be an instant favorite. This is one of those CDs. And I don’t get them very often. From the first song “Breakdown 2003” the Voodoo Organist (Scott Wexton) very unique organ style is the sound of a Sunday morning church service in Hell, in a very light manner. His vocal stylings are like that of Mojo Nixon, Tom Waits and Nick Cave wrapped up in one package. It has a very 50’s b-movie soundtrack aura sounding as if it would be something that could very well be Tim Burton’s dream lounge lizard.

All organ and vocals over drum tracks and Maracas this is going to be party music for my events for a long time to come. Some of the songs sound like a fire and brimstone Pentecostal Bible thumper is going to scare the bejesus out of you and sometimes as in the “Pitchfork Man” just makes you want to put on a costume and dance around a candle lit room with your mushroom eating friends. “Today is Not the Day” has a southwestern flavor that urges you to get up and snap your fingers, clap your hands and click your feet.

But to clearly get the message I get every time I play the Voodoo Organist has to be heard to understand. Take it from me, no matter what you’re into, you cannot help but get into the music and can’t help but play it over and over. Everyone I’ve played it for agrees, and there is no way I’m lending this one out, as I may never get it back.

This CD receives MK’s highest recommendation for purchase so far this year. —Alex Zander

MK Magazine Vol. #1, Issue #2

A completely visceral psycobilly experience reminiscent of the Cramps before they became the Cramps and Screamin’ Jay Hawkins before he went to Jesus. The man behind the organ, bass pedals, theremin, drum machine, etc. is Scott Wexton, whose one-man show combines all the hoopla of a tent revival and a one-on-one with the late, cartoon soundtrack enthusiast/Church of Satan High Priest Anton LaVey. If you’re gonna die in a dramatic one-vehicle car crash on some desolate hairpinned road, this is the record that should still be blasting from your overturned car when the coroner comes to retrieve your body.

Alibi (Albuquerque, NM) 11.04.03

Exotic Demonic Blues

Imagine that your favorite one-man cheeseball lounge act eschewed his usual pre-show Vegas ritual one night. Say he laid off the chilled Stoli martinis before his set and instead hoovered a couple of lines of crystal meth, gave himself an ice water enema and tossed back a couple of cans of Red Bull. And then let’s say he hit the floor and, instead of performing lame-ass versions “Angel Eyes” and “Come Fly With Me,” he slammed into full-throttle organ grinding riffs and bellowing vocals.

Folks, say hello to the Voodoo Organist, a 21rst century schlockmeister who wants to rock your world. Exotic Demonic Blues is this year’s premier bizarro exotica record. This album, solely the work of Los Angeleno Scott Wexton, sounds like the Devil stole the Reverend Horton Heat’s guitar and dumped him in Hell’s recording studio with organs, synthesizers and a sampler.

The result simulates the ghosts of blues shouter Screamin’ Jay Hawkins and lounge maestro Esquivel teaming up to perform the soundtracks of vintage Italian slasher flicks. The frenetic opener, “I’m Going Down,” is a revival tent roller fit for introducing an evangelist. “She’s Got Soul” sounds like bizarro trance music topped off by Wexton’s circus barker vocals. The highlights are “New Mexico,” about romping with a sex kitten and losing your mind, and “Joe,” a bossa nova diddy about searching for a strung-out drug buddy. —Jim Bialek

5 for 5 stars

Las Vegas Mercury, 9.12.02

Concert Previews

Not every 10 year old boy would be happy about receiving a cheesy mall organ for his birthday, but Scott Wexton was not your every boy. Still, although he loved the instrument’s quivering oompah sound, adolescent humiliation took its toll. For many years, Wexton sublimated his true passion with more readily accepted fare, playing keyboards for jazz, goth, and noise rock outfits, but the Voodoo Organist, Wexton’s unshackled alter ego, could only be kept in the shadows for so long. As the millennium turned, the Voodoo Organist reared his sinister head, and Wexton hit the road accompanied only by a big box of glow-in-the-dark skulls and a 100-pound Yamaha YC-25. Inspired equally by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, crazed ‘50s one man band Hasil Adkins, and 60’s French space-pop pioneer Jean-Jacques Perrey, the VO writhes and roars over his keys, playing horror-show blues laced with psychedelic grooves, sci-fi warbles, and fluffy absurdity. —Silke Tudor

San Francisco Weekly, 1.15.03

He’s the guy who was probably playing in the lounge of the Screamin’ Jay Hawkins-helmed fleabag hotel in the Jim Jarmusch flick, Mystery Train. He’s the “band” your cousin got at last minute to fill in at his wedding, only to later spike the punch with LSD and sneak out the backdoor with the bride as the guests sway lingeringly hypnotized on the dance floor. He’s the sound you hear in that nightmare where you’re trapped in a descending dentist’s office elevator for eternity. He is Scott Wexton, the Voodoo Organist.

With a crotchety lupine howl Screamin’ Jay would have approved of and a one-man band set-up built of organ, drum machine, bass pedals and theremin (among other toys), the Detroit-bred, LA-based Wexton has taken his solo sideshow across the country several times in support of his unpredictably charming 2002 CD release, Exotic Demonic Blues, which has the kind of swampy, darkly amusing vibe you’d expect from an album with that title. The CD has all of the makings of a cult classic. Those who appreciate the musical oddities/odysseys of Tom Waits, Mr. Quintron or Dayton’s Drexel will not be disappointed. —Mike Breen

Cincinnati CitiBeat 5.28.03

A versatile instrument, the organ can add an angelic glow to hymns, an eerie atmospheric hum to horror movies and seedy soul to gritty garage rock. In the hands of Scott Wexton, the Voodoo Organist, it achieves all of these objectives on a single album, Exotic Demonic Blues. Wexton alternates between haunting and holy tunes, incorporating upbeat instruments into his rollicking revival numbers and pumping up the percussion on his blue tunes. Like evident influences such as Screamin’ Jay Hawkins and Tom Waits, he whistles through the graveyards, using his abundant charisma to persuade listeners to follow him into forbidden territory. —Andrew Miller

Portland Mercury, 8.28.03

Scott Wexton, the man with the swingin’ red organ, juggles theremin bleeps, foot-pedal bass lines and prerecorded tracks to lay down the swampy soup his CD title calls “exotic demonic blues.” More often than not, it sounds like a hybrid of Jimmy McGriff, a horror-movie soundtrack and the one-man house band in Satan’s tiki-lounge, with Wexton’s Johnny Dowd-like growl laid over the top. Bringing his own skulls-and-scarlet stage show, Wexton does that voodoo that he do so well as part of the Slow Bar’s New Faces Nite.

Nashville Scene, 12.05.02


	Album Reviews The Return of the Voodoo Organist After his 2002 debut Exotic Demonic Blues (RM#35), Hell’s own lounge entertainer Scott Wexton (a.k.a. the Voodoo Organist) makes his return to the land of living, collecting souls of sinners with his incomparable spooky gothic-blues-lounge-jazz. Backed by the creepy sounds of classic organ, Wexton lights things up with drum machine beats, synths, a theremin and his own gravelly sinister voice into a sound that is totally unique and unmistakably evil. Wexton relishes in his role as a snazzy-dressed devil’s assistant, with songs that draw a line sharply between schlock and scares. No matter how you hack and slash it, the Voodoo Organist makes Hell sound all the more inviting. Like you need further incentive! —Aaron Lupton 4 of 5 stars Rue Morgue Magazine, July/August 2004 Every once in a great while you get a CD from an act you’ve never heard of, and when you hear the first song you know it’s going to be an instant favorite. This is one of those CDs. And I don’t get them very often. From the first song “Breakdown 2003” the Voodoo Organist (Scott Wexton) very unique organ style is the sound of a Sunday morning church service in Hell, in a very light manner. His vocal stylings are like that of Mojo Nixon, Tom Waits and Nick Cave wrapped up in one package. It has a very 50’s b-movie soundtrack aura sounding as if it would be something that could very well be Tim Burton’s dream lounge lizard. All organ and vocals over drum tracks and Maracas this is going to be party music for my events for a long time to come. Some of the songs sound like a fire and brimstone Pentecostal Bible thumper is going to scare the bejesus out of you and sometimes as in the “Pitchfork Man” just makes you want to put on a costume and dance around a candle lit room with your mushroom eating friends. “Today is Not the Day” has a southwestern flavor that urges you to get up and snap your fingers, clap your hands and click your feet. But to clearly get the message I get every time I play the Voodoo Organist has to be heard to understand. Take it from me, no matter what you’re into, you cannot help but get into the music and can’t help but play it over and over. Everyone I’ve played it for agrees, and there is no way I’m lending this one out, as I may never get it back. This CD receives MK’s highest recommendation for purchase so far this year. —Alex Zander MK Magazine Vol. #1, Issue #2 A completely visceral psycobilly experience reminiscent of the Cramps before they became the Cramps and Screamin’ Jay Hawkins before he went to Jesus. The man behind the organ, bass pedals, theremin, drum machine, etc. is Scott Wexton, whose one-man show combines all the hoopla of a tent revival and a one-on-one with the late, cartoon soundtrack enthusiast/Church of Satan High Priest Anton LaVey. If you’re gonna die in a dramatic one-vehicle car crash on some desolate hairpinned road, this is the record that should still be blasting from your overturned car when the coroner comes to retrieve your body. Alibi (Albuquerque, NM) 11.04.03 Exotic Demonic Blues Imagine that your favorite one-man cheeseball lounge act eschewed his usual pre-show Vegas ritual one night. Say he laid off the chilled Stoli martinis before his set and instead hoovered a couple of lines of crystal meth, gave himself an ice water enema and tossed back a couple of cans of Red Bull. And then let’s say he hit the floor and, instead of performing lame-ass versions “Angel Eyes” and “Come Fly With Me,” he slammed into full-throttle organ grinding riffs and bellowing vocals. Folks, say hello to the Voodoo Organist, a 21rst century schlockmeister who wants to rock your world. Exotic Demonic Blues is this year’s premier bizarro exotica record. This album, solely the work of Los Angeleno Scott Wexton, sounds like the Devil stole the Reverend Horton Heat’s guitar and dumped him in Hell’s recording studio with organs, synthesizers and a sampler. The result simulates the ghosts of blues shouter Screamin’ Jay Hawkins and lounge maestro Esquivel teaming up to perform the soundtracks of vintage Italian slasher flicks. The frenetic opener, “I’m Going Down,” is a revival tent roller fit for introducing an evangelist. “She’s Got Soul” sounds like bizarro trance music topped off by Wexton’s circus barker vocals. The highlights are “New Mexico,” about romping with a sex kitten and losing your mind, and “Joe,” a bossa nova diddy about searching for a strung-out drug buddy. —Jim Bialek 5 for 5 stars Las Vegas Mercury, 9.12.02 Concert Previews Not every 10 year old boy would be happy about receiving a cheesy mall organ for his birthday, but Scott Wexton was not your every boy. Still, although he loved the instrument’s quivering oompah sound, adolescent humiliation took its toll. For many years, Wexton sublimated his true passion with more readily accepted fare, playing keyboards for jazz, goth, and noise rock outfits, but the Voodoo Organist, Wexton’s unshackled alter ego, could only be kept in the shadows for so long. As the millennium turned, the Voodoo Organist reared his sinister head, and Wexton hit the road accompanied only by a big box of glow-in-the-dark skulls and a 100-pound Yamaha YC-25. Inspired equally by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, crazed ‘50s one man band Hasil Adkins, and 60’s French space-pop pioneer Jean-Jacques Perrey, the VO writhes and roars over his keys, playing horror-show blues laced with psychedelic grooves, sci-fi warbles, and fluffy absurdity. —Silke Tudor San Francisco Weekly, 1.15.03 He’s the guy who was probably playing in the lounge of the Screamin’ Jay Hawkins-helmed fleabag hotel in the Jim Jarmusch flick, Mystery Train. He’s the “band” your cousin got at last minute to fill in at his wedding, only to later spike the punch with LSD and sneak out the backdoor with the bride as the guests sway lingeringly hypnotized on the dance floor. He’s the sound you hear in that nightmare where you’re trapped in a descending dentist’s office elevator for eternity. He is Scott Wexton, the Voodoo Organist. With a crotchety lupine howl Screamin’ Jay would have approved of and a one-man band set-up built of organ, drum machine, bass pedals and theremin (among other toys), the Detroit-bred, LA-based Wexton has taken his solo sideshow across the country several times in support of his unpredictably charming 2002 CD release, Exotic Demonic Blues, which has the kind of swampy, darkly amusing vibe you’d expect from an album with that title. The CD has all of the makings of a cult classic. Those who appreciate the musical oddities/odysseys of Tom Waits, Mr. Quintron or Dayton’s Drexel will not be disappointed. —Mike Breen Cincinnati CitiBeat 5.28.03 A versatile instrument, the organ can add an angelic glow to hymns, an eerie atmospheric hum to horror movies and seedy soul to gritty garage rock. In the hands of Scott Wexton, the Voodoo Organist, it achieves all of these objectives on a single album, Exotic Demonic Blues. Wexton alternates between haunting and holy tunes, incorporating upbeat instruments into his rollicking revival numbers and pumping up the percussion on his blue tunes. Like evident influences such as Screamin’ Jay Hawkins and Tom Waits, he whistles through the graveyards, using his abundant charisma to persuade listeners to follow him into forbidden territory. —Andrew Miller Portland Mercury, 8.28.03 Scott Wexton, the man with the swingin’ red organ, juggles theremin bleeps, foot-pedal bass lines and prerecorded tracks to lay down the swampy soup his CD title calls “exotic demonic blues.” More often than not, it sounds like a hybrid of Jimmy McGriff, a horror-movie soundtrack and the one-man house band in Satan’s tiki-lounge, with Wexton’s Johnny Dowd-like growl laid over the top. Bringing his own skulls-and-scarlet stage show, Wexton does that voodoo that he do so well as part of the Slow Bar’s New Faces Nite. Nashville Scene, 12.05.02