THICK OIL, day seven - Check Engine

"Drink. Smoke. Drink. Smoke. Drink. Smoke. Drink. Smoke. Drink. Smoke. Drink.
Smoke. Drink. Smoke. Drink. Smoke. Drink. Smoke. Drink. Smoke. Drink. Smoke.
Drink. Smoke. Drink. Smoke. Eat the greasiest Meatball sandwich in Chicago.
Drink. Smoke. Drink. Smoke. Drink. Smoke. Drink. Smoke. Drink. Smoke. Drink.
Smoke. Plug in a couple of guitars, drums, bass, saxophone, throat, and bust
each other's balls mercilessly. This, the personality of Check Engine."

Thus begins the seventh in a series of journal entries by THICK Records kingpin Billy Spunke documenting his label's newest compilation, "OIL". To read the full entry, click on READ MORE, and keep coming back here every day for the latest installment.

Drink. Smoke. Drink. Smoke. Drink. Smoke. Drink. Smoke. Drink. Smoke. Drink.
Smoke. Drink. Smoke. Drink. Smoke. Drink. Smoke. Drink. Smoke. Drink. Smoke.
Drink. Smoke. Drink. Smoke. Eat the greasiest Meatball sandwich in Chicago.
Drink. Smoke. Drink. Smoke. Drink. Smoke. Drink. Smoke. Drink. Smoke. Drink.
Smoke. Plug in a couple of guitars, drums, bass, saxophone, throat, and bust
each other's balls mercilessly. This, the personality of Check Engine.

Most people have learned how to skip around their peers "soft spots". As a
friend, you know when to push buttons, when to lay off. But Check Engine is
a no holds barred attack at each other personal, musical and business lives.
I was 100% confident that these 5 guys would pummel each other with fists by
the end of the night. Bass player to guitar player: "Hey, let's go get a
slice of pizza-I'll buy. Then I'll watch you eat the entire slice and just
as you take the last bite I am going to punch you as hard as I possibly can
in your skinny little gut, and you can spit the pizza directly back in my
face, what do you say asshole…" This band has the sharpest wit, and the most
vicious rhetoric, all targeted at each other. The amazing thing is, they
dish out what they take and vice versa. My gut still hurts from laughing,
and my nerves are on end.

Musically, Check Engine is a strange hybrid of The Tar Babies, Firehose, and
whomever that was who wrote the Welcome Back Kotter theme. Very smart, and
entirely fun. The skill of these guys is above and beyond most bands that
have entered the factory. They have been around the block, no doubt. The
song, not surprisingly, is called "the beer song" (I think). Cheers to Check
Engine! Thanks for letting all your brilliance shine in the form of comedy.
You are a rare breed.