Johnny Salton and the Psycho Daisies' Snowflakes Falling on the International Dateline

It was never my fingers on the neck of a killer guitar. I can read on bass if told properly. I can muster a heavy beat on drums if allowed. But I'll never be the type of motherfucker who comes correct on the six-string. And as a music lover, my hat is off to anyone who ever made them strings sound good.

Johnny Salton was the real deal. He is no longer with us and that is a goddamned shame. The man might've been the last true interpreter of the rock 'n' roll guitar in the South. Revered by people in the know the same way those who understand that Jaco Pastorius was the last great bassman. Even if we live in the so-called inconsequential asshole of the United States, Lord have we had our brushes with fame!

Johnny Salton was a straight-up motherfucker who never cared about your aesthetics. This man loved his guitar and his friends better than you. This is where we the listeners win. This is sweet guitar-driven music. On guitars and vocals are Mr. Salton, Jill Kahn on buttery bass, even-keeled Bill Ritchie on savvy keyboards and Scotty Upton on drums. And thus it comes to be, the proverbial motherfucking snowflake has fallen on the international dateline.

I don't entirely know what that means. But I do know that when the Daisies romp through a cover of the Gun Club's "She's Like Heroin," I've never been happier. And those guys were friends of Mr. Salton. Can you say awesome? You better! I'm sad and depressed. This is not the place I want to live. We'll be talking about Johnny's contributions very soon. Shit. I'll get it together soon, I promise. Be a good neighbor to know that when the rest of the world was looking for the next best thing, we had it here in South Florida all along.

Doing it better than The 13th Floor Elevators. You're gonna miss him baby! Oh yes, you fucking will! All hail the King! All hail Mr. Johnny Salton!