The Radiators celebrate their 40th anniversary with a new album.
![No Monkeying Around](https://magarticles.magzter.com/articles/9306/263114/5a956569ade1c/No-Monkeying-Around.jpg)
Forty years now of Radiators. From playing with Fess, from backing up Earl King, to a major label recording deal, national tours and closing out Jazz Fest, to losing the record contract and the financial support that came with it. From being “Too Stupid To Stop,” to not being able to quit after Katrina made them testify for what was left of New Orleans, to finally calling a “Last Watusi” at Tipitina’s in 2011, to being called back for encores at Tipitina’s beginning in 2013 and at Jazz Fest several times since. And now, 40 years after the band formed in keyboardist Ed Volker’s garage, really pulling it all back together again to make a new album and put a big smile on what had been an unsettling denouement.
Welcome to the Monkey House sounds more like a comeback than a reunion. The band is in fighting trim with a crisp, terse rendition of 16 songs, the most they’ve ever crammed into a single release. Bassist Reggie Scanlan and drummer Frank Bua are full of interactive life. Guitarists Dave Malone and Camile Baudoin spin crackling lead and rhythm exchanges, breaks and fills, never playing more than the songs require. Volker himself sounds like a man possessed, singing with abandon and sharing magnificent vocal harmonies and tradeoffs with Malone.
“Dude, this is the record that was never supposed to be,” says Malone. “Nobody thought it would ever happen. All the stars aligned. I’m so happy with it I can’t stand it.”
Scanlan, who has been active in numerous projects recently, calls it the best album the band has ever made.
This story is from the February 2018 edition of OffBeat Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the February 2018 edition of OffBeat Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
![Celebrate While We Incinerate](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/9306/417120/5e57b5d8812c9/crp_Celebrate-While-We-Incinerate.jpg)
Celebrate While We Incinerate
Malevitus has never sounded weirder or more beautiful.
![Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph [talks back]](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/9306/405070/5e42b3b01667b/crp_Anjelika-Jelly-Joseph-Tank-and-The-Bangas-The-Original-Pinettes-New-Orleans-City-Park-Best-New-Artist-Grammy.jpg)
Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph [talks back]
As eclectic as the New Orleans music scene is, it’s still hard to imagine an artist having a more diverse career than Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph, who, at the age of 31, sings in three bands that could hardly be more different.
![Indie Rock's 10-Year Anniversary](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/9306/417120/5e57b88c17e9c/crp_Indie-Rocks-10-Year-Anniversary.jpg)
Indie Rock's 10-Year Anniversary
New Orleans rock artists have always been a part of the city’s music scene.
![THE ICEMEN COMETH](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/9306/417120/5e57b74ccd160/crp_THE-ICEMEN-COMETH.jpg)
THE ICEMEN COMETH
THE ICEMAN SPECIAL MAKES MUSICAL MAGIC WITH A CROSS-GENERATIONAL COLLABORATION AND FAMILY TIES
![Christone ‘‘Kingfish'' Ingram talks back](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/9306/417120/5e57b79a1bf9f/crp_Christone-Kingfish-Ingram-talks-back.jpg)
Christone ‘‘Kingfish'' Ingram talks back
A native of Clarksdale, Mississippi, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram comes from the land of Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, John Lee Hooker and Skip James. Just turned 21, this young man with the blues respects his music’s past even as he shapes its future.
![Mr. Z](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/9306/417120/5e57b64e86235/crp_Mr-Z.jpg)
Mr. Z
Matthew Zarba is Upbeat Academy’s unflappable rap principal.
![A Walking Spirit](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/9306/405070/5e42b193dc732/crp_Victor-Harris-Spirit-of-Fi-Yi-Yi.jpg)
A Walking Spirit
Victor Harris, the Spirit of Fi-Yi-Yi, celebrates 55 years of beauty and culture.
![Playing For His Life](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/9306/405070/5e42b1124b805/crp_Playing-For-His-Life.jpg)
Playing For His Life
Darius Lyndsley is on a mission to turn his art into something more.
![The Supreme Green Fairy](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/9306/405070/5e42b2c378314/crp_The-Supreme-Green-Fairy.jpg)
The Supreme Green Fairy
Tank and the Bangas reign over krewe Bohème.
![Felipe's Mexican Taqueria](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/9306/405070/5e42b423e1650/crp_Felipes-Mexican-Taqueria.jpg)
Felipe's Mexican Taqueria
Everyone has a handful of go-to restaurants they count on for consistently delicious dining experiences.