Tav Falco's Panther Burns

Tav Falco's Panther Burns, sometimes shortened to "(The) Panther Burns", is an errant musical troupe performing stripped-down, often primitive rock and roll and other styles, originally from Memphis led by

Tav Falco's Panther Burns, sometimes shortened to "(The) Panther Burns", is an errant musical troupe performing stripped-down, often primitive rock and roll and other styles, originally from Memphis led by Tav Falco. They are best known for having been part of a set of bands emerging in the late 1970s and early 1980s who helped nationally popularize the blending of blues, country, and other American traditional music styles with rock music among groups playing in alternative music and punk music venues of the time. The earliest and most renowned of these groups to imbue these styles with expressionist theatricality and primitive spontaneity were The Cramps, largely influenced by rockabilly music. Panther Burns followed, drawing additionally on obscure country blues music, Antonin Artaud's works like The Theater and Its Double, beat poetry, and Marshall McLuhan's media theories for inspiration.

Artists whose work has been mentioned in the media as having been anticipated by that of Panther Burns as forerunner or who have themselves mentioned the group as one of their influences include the American alternative music artists Southern Culture on the Skids, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Jack Oblivian, the Royal Pendletons, and The Gories, as well as lesser known regional groups like Florida's The Delusionaires. In Europe, neo-psychedelic groups who have cited the Panther Burns as an influence include England's Spacemen 3, Sonic Boom, Spiritualized, and Psychedelic Ubik; Scotland's Primal Scream; Germany's Cuban Rebel Girls (named after one of Falco's original songs), Legendary Golden Vampires, and Tumbling Hearts; France's The Dum Dum Boys; and Italy's Time Machine.