Deke Dickerson and the Ecco-Fonics

Dickerson, former leader of surf garage punks Untamed Youth, cranks out a rollicking style of rockabilly that sounds like what we’d have heard if Jerry Lee Lewis had played six strings instead of 88 keys. There are also elements of C&W, surf, honky-tonk, Western swing and hillbilly easily identified in the melange. X guitarist Billy Zoom joins in on “Nightmare Of A Woman” and Carl Sonny Leland plays piano throughout and duets on “I Think You Gotta Pay For That.” Other guests include Jerry Scroggins, the original voice on The Beverly Hillbillies theme song, former Comet Joey D’Ambrosia — he played the sax solo on “Rock Around The Clock” — and the master of ceremonies is none other than Billy Barty. There are covers from Earl King, Lieber & Stoller and Sam Phillips (the Sun Records guy, not the blonde babe married to T-Bone Burnett). It may be tempting to dismiss the disc as retro chic novelty, but the band really wails. “I Gave My Heart Before” is a big Roy Orbison-styled tragic ballad and “My Name Is Deke” is pure Diddley. Despite the myriad influences, it hangs together as a whole. The boys take the music, if not themselves, seriously.