SOTOSOUNDZ - Octopus Head (2003)

Octopus Head…what is the first thing that comes into your mind when you hear that for a name of an album? 

I was not too sure at first but it all became quite clear when I put the CD on and looked at the musician’s credits. Karen Sotomayor is a one-woman show on her new release Octopus Head. She sounds like Grace Slick gone wild, as if she quit the Jefferson Airplane and ran off and joined a metal band, if you can picture that. Sotomayor has a powerful vocal delivery and plays the guitar as well as any of her male counterparts. The music is a head bangin’ mixture of old school and modern psychedelic sounds. “You've Got That Somethin' That I Want” had me singing right along on the second spin. The guitar work is drenched in feedback and sweat and Sotomayor’s voice makes the track whole, complementing the kick ass sounds of her six-string. There is no coincidence that “The Spell You're Under” is simply bewitching, once again highlighting the around talent that this woman commands while performing. What a great way to close the curtain on some amazing performances for this artist. There is a real good vibe that runs through this entire CD, I really liked it. This music rocks, it is sexy and I want to keep playing it, which is the whole ball of wax when it comes to good rock music for this listener. Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck (www.muzikreviews.com)

01 - Burnin' With Desire

02 - Situation Opportunist

03 - You've Got That Somethin' That I Want

04 - Just A Little Jam...Please

05 - Do I

06 - The Art Of Love

07 - That's Called Life

08 - The Spell You're Under

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BETTY BLOWTORCH - Are You Man Enough? (2001)

 

Spewing the sort of unrepentant, biker-bar hard rock that's glory days ended with the breakup of Guns N' Roses, Betty Blowtorch are four leather-pants-wearing gals from L.A. singing about wanton sex, petty jealousy, and your usual rock & roll subject matter with conviction and just a tiny bit of irony. Singer Bianca Butthole's former band, Butt Trumpet, was a silly punk band and Betty Blowtorch have definitely come up from that scene too. But they sound more at home pulling off fiery metal leads and busting rock star moves than they would in a dank punk club. Raunchier than the Donnas and feistier than the all-girl nu metal band Kittie, the gals from Betty Blowtorch write some catchy tunes, some a bit pop-sounding like "No Integrity" and others more Nashville Pussy-like, such as "Hell on Wheels." They are equally adept at both pop and hard rock. On the song "Size Queen," Vanilla Ice makes an incredibly embarrassing appearance rapping about his giant wanger. The song is a sort of editorial from Betty Blowtorch letting guys know that size does indeed matter. Though all this material has been tread upon a million times before, Betty Blowtoch manage to keep it lively. Adam Bregman (All Music Guide)

01 Hell On Wheels

02 Love & Hate

03 Size Queen (feat. Vanilla Ice)

04 I Wanna Be Your Sucker

05 I'm Ugly And I Don't Know Why

06 Shut Up And Fuck

07 No Integrity

08 Frankie

09 I Wish You'd Die

10 Big Hair, Broken Heart
11 Part Time Hooker

12 Rock My World

13 Dresses

14 Strung Out

15 Rock 'N' Roll 69

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KIM LENZ AND HER JAGUARS - The One And Only (1999)

THE ONE AND ONLY is Kim Lenz's second album with her Jaguars. Led by guitarist Nick Curran (who joined after a stint with Ronnie Dawson), the band is here joined by pianist Carl Sonny Leyland (who's a member of the Fly-Rite Boys, who back Robert "Big Sandy" Williams, the album's producer). The band's interplay perfectly supports Lenz at every turn, whose vocals can change from a purr to a roar in the space of one line. She handles all the material believably and wrote six of the album's 14 selections. Among the covers is "If You Don't Like My Peaches," which was written by Don Carter for Gene Vincent in 1956, but never recorded. (cduniverse.com)

01 Howl At the Moon
02 One And Only
03 Somebody Lied
04 If You Don't Like My Peaches (Don't Shake My Tree)
05 Rock and Roll Guitar
06 Choctaw Boogie
07 Comin' Back Strong
08 Dancing Me To Death
09 Crawlin' Back
10 Truest Love
11 Fit to Be Tied
12 Stick 'Em Up Honey
13 Flame Of Love
14 You've Met Your Match

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IVY AND THE TEACHERS - Ivy and the Teachers (1980)

From Belgium, 12 tracks of pleasant pop / powerpop with touches of ska.

01 - That's All Right
02 - Candy
04 - Once Burnt, Twice Learnt
05 - The Beach
06 - Nervous
07 - Just Wanna Dance
08 - My Life
09 - Hotel Maxi
10 - Down To Zero
11 - Angry Faces
12 - No More Plans

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THE DELMONAS - Delmonas 5 & The Delmonas (1993)

"Taking their name from the word for a decorative handbag favored by women in the Klaipeda region of Lithuania, British garage pop girl group, the Delmonas began life as the Milkboilers. If that moniker sounds suspiciously similar to that of the Billy Childish-led Milkshakes, it's no coincidence: The trio got its start by singing backup on the lads' recordings (and dating the boys in the band). Sarah (who went with Mickey Hampshire), Hilary (with Russ Wilkins), and Louise (with Bruce Brand) took the lead on a rendition of the Beatles' "Boys" before striking out on their own with a couple of four-song EPs in 1984". By Kathleen C. Fennessy, Rovi

This is a compilation of two discs "Delmonas Five" (1986) and "Delmonas" (1989).

01. Dr. Goldfoot & His Bikini Machine 

02. Heard About Him

03. Why Don't You Smile Now

04. Black Elk Speaks

05. Hound Dog

06. Delmona (The Temptress of Love)

07. I Feel Like Giving In

08. Keep Your Big Mouth Shout

09. When I Want You

10. Black Ludella

11. Your Love

12. Don't Fall In Love

13. Jealousy

14. Jealousy (French Version)

15. That Boy Of Mine

16. Can't Sit Down

17. Kiss Me Honey

18. I've Got Everything I Need

19. Uncle Willy

20. I Feel Like Giving In

21. Farmer John

22. You Did Him Wrong

23. Dangerous Charm

24. The Long Drop

25. I Feel Alright

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THE COOLIES - The Coolies (2003)

Three girls from South Auckland destroy the world with their guitar, digital CZ1 and Drums.
The Coolies first got together in high school with a common love for the likes of Patti Smith, Bikini Kill and X-Ray Spex before moving to Auckland and establishing themselves with prominent support slots with the Beastie Boys, Cat Power and Rancid. The band then broke up, before reforming in 2002 to once again start playing shows with the likes of The Mint Chicks, as well as recording their debut self-titled album.
The all-female three-piece play a melange of dance, punk and pop twisted through the unorthodox line-up of guitar, keyboard and drums, describing themselves as, "the under- explored mid-point between the Dead Boys and the Shangri-la's". 

01. Come To The Sabbath

02. DIY

03. Fake Letter

04. Mix Of All Good Things

05. Dark Stormy Night

06. Dance

07. 1 Knock

08. Heart Is Deep

09. Bad Dream

10. Blah Blah Blackout

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THE EYELINERS - The First Four Years (2003)

This is a compilation of The Eyeliners early material. Features all the songs off the "Confidential" CD as well as 7" singles, B-sides, and demos.

01. You're All Wrong
02. Anywhere But Here
03. Won't Be Long
04. Big Scoop
05. Six Years
06. Broke My Heart
07. High School
08. Secret Spy
09. You Lose
10. Postal
11. Headache
12. Instramatic
13. Too Late
14. Do The Zombie
15. She's Fallen In Love With A Monster Man
16. Rock-N-Roll, Baby
17. Bad Attitude
18. Broke My Heart (Demo)
19. Postal (Demo)

20. Secret Spy (Demo)
21. Tamara (Demo)
22. Won't Be Long (Demo)
23. Headache (Alt. Version)
24. Tamara (Alt. Version) 

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THE DEL-GATORS - Pound Down! (2001)

 

So few bands claiming to play retro-rock actually capture the energy and verve of the early rock scene. Clear production and smarmy songwriting robs the music of its true roots: the angst-ridden problems of youth. That is where the Del-Gators come in. Armed with an arsenal of country-fried licks and a handful of great hooks, Pound Down is a solid blast of pure rock & roll. Heavily influenced by the New Orleans R&B scene, the bandmembers have a firm grasp on the issues and approach that made that music so great. They play sloppy, they fall out of tune, but their energy level is sky high and they match it with brain-invading songs about old cars and bad relationships and things that people can actually relate to. The sound quality is comparable to listening to a band play in a cave, but hearing Jenna Roker's sweet voice croon "Cruel Game" can easily make you forget about the echoing guitars and muffled drums. Where so many other retro acts fail, these men and women found the exact right way to approach this. Fans of everything from garage punk to rockabilly to New Orleans R&B should give this a listen; there are plenty of good songs to go around.  Bradley Torreano (All Music Guide)

01 Get Down (And Get Stupid!)

02 Dynamite
03 Mudpit
04 Move Mr. Man
05 Bompa My Bones
06 Wiggin' Out
07 Cockroach Crawl
08 Dull-Eyed
09 Car Troubles
10 Crabwalkin'
11 Lay It Down
12 Cruel Game
13 Rubbin'

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FRIGHTWIG - Faster, Frightwig, Kill! Kill! (1986)

 

 Its title a tribute to B-film sex and violence auteur Russ Meyer, this is Frightwig's greatest moment; more trad-rock (i.e., hard rock) oriented, but not losing any of its confrontational bite or over-the-top charm. Rabid fans of the first LP might feel that this was a step backwards, but they'd be missing the point. This is a tremendous record that will pole-axe from the get-go and leave you drooling at the finish.  John Dougan  (All Music Guide)

01 - Beverly Hills
02 - Crazy World
03 - Big Bang
04 - Punk Rock Jail Bait
05 - Manifest Destiny
06 - Booby Prize (Dedicated to Linda Lovelace)
07 - American Express
08 - I Don't Want to Be Alone
09 - Freedom

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THE SHE CREATURES - She Creatures Invade (2009)

 

The look is cool, the vibe is cool, and it's space age garage rock. That's almost enough right there to make anyone submit. Musically, The She Creatures rock like no one else! The opening "She Creatures Invade" is such a bold statement filled with super beats from Elektra Statik, interstellar Vox Continental hits, choppy chords, and the chorus "She Creatures invade! Men, can't be afraid, we'll hypnotize you, yeah, yeah, yeah!" is more than persuasive, but Nancy Raygun deals the final hypno-ray with her strong vocals that remind one of every tough female lead from Grace Slick to Debbie Harry, but with even greater power and seduction akin to Sharon Tandy's vocal on "Daughter of The Sun" that adds a hint of smoothness and range to the likes of Kate Pierson. If that's not enough, the siren's call of The She Creatures singing in unison is going to bring one to their knees on the slow tempo, Motown inspired "Hungry", which is an response equal in musical chops and garage influences to The Fleshtones "I'm Still Thirsty", complete with Princess Slayer's Vox Contintental organ sweeps. 

"Radar" has has a harder, louder feel with some great guitar riffs and some handclaps that are long enough to get everyone on their feet. "Moonman" was so full of great stuff that it's hard to get one's hands around. At first, a slow, bluesy number that reminds one of "Needles and Pins", great background vocals, a little bit of "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend", some awfully loud guitar, the all too familiar lament of "Show me your dark side" and the idea of falling in love in a way that everything is new and full of aching desire and so much unfamiliarity. To expand, it's that feeling of infatuation with someone one's just starting to know and therefore, really does come off as someone from another planet. The closing song "Space Madness" edges towards a sleazy garage punk song complete with fuzzed out chords and a chorus that's going to get everyone screaming along, but it's another pure She Creatures anthem that points to their louder, sleazier garage punk sound with Haley Comet playing both bass and a mesmerizing theramin. The She Creatures have their own theme that permeates these songs as well as their original '60s sci-fi interplanetary invaders inspired intro and outtro, but what one really finds is that the music is so good that it's light years beyond anything. This is Super rock from The Space Age! South by Southwest had the original intentions of giving exposure to unsigned acts. Although that message has sharply changed to having a few well known artists and a strong showing of already signed indie acts who also deserve more exposure, it's a great way to discover those who you might not hear of otherwise, so the unsigned acts that often have more talent and ability than most. This applies to The She Creatures. In fact, this is one act that one should see at least one performance of. As much as we try to remain gender neutral, The She Creatures display a feminist strength in their persuasiveness and ultimately, their music that should make both genders think twice about roles. This is strength, power, dominance, desire, common vulnerabilities that everyone can identify with, and sex appeal that not only has the potential to remind women of their own power, but to really put those in the male category a still needed step down. This is at first alien in appearance, but is also proof that these invaders studied us less evolved humans well enough to know how to take us over. Not only do these vixens from Venus have the look to make everyone submit, but their music is so powerful that it commands admiration. Prepare to submit, puny Earthlings! (The Paisley Umbrella)

01 Intro
02 She Creatures Invade

03 Hungry
05 Moonman
06 Space Madness
07 Outro

08 The She Creatures - Sexy Robot (Video mpg)

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FAMOUS MONSTERS - In The Night!!! (1998)

Famous Monsters leave behind a one-take wipeout, as garage as garage gets. This kind of nonsense makes for an entertaining live show but produces a lacking studio CD. Devil Doll (Sean Yseult), Vampire Girl (Brijitte West), and Shezilla (Carol Cutshall) are three girls who just want to have fun, and In the Night!!! is charming but, except for a couple cuts (the title track, a Cheap Trick cover) and the packaging (personal profiles, great song titles), one is better off venturing out to a Famous Monsters show rather than paying full price for this beach trash. Maybe Yseult and West were tired of their big league days in White Zombie and NY Loose, but their talent and this skewered mix of Dick Dale, Saturday cartoons, Halloween creatures, and garage revival should result in a better record than In the Night!!!  Doug Stone (All Music Guide)

01 - Murder Beach U.S.A.
02 - In The Night!
03 - Lone Wolf Massacree
04 - Destroy Puny Earthlings!
05 - Bloody Mary
06 - The Haunting Of Planet Earth
07 - Hairy Eyeball
08 - Outerspace Deathrace #13
09 - Satan Sends A Rat!
10 - Vampire Cosmonaut
11 - Oui Monstre, Oui
12 - F Is For Fiend

13 - Clock Strikes 10
14 - International Monster Presentation
15 - When I Grow Up  

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BANGS - Sweet Revenge (2000)

Female-fronted loud indie rock with punk momentum, Kill Rock Stars' Bangs is one of the sharpest, fiercest, most energetic rock albums of 2000. Catchy hooks, sharp lyrics, and vocals with a distinct, appealing edge, Sweet Revenge is THE rock album of the summer.

Forget those who say indie rock can't be loud and bold; forget those who believe indie rock is timid and weak music recorded in a lo-fi basement somewhere with nothing going for it beyond its "coolness" factor. Bangs' Sweet Revenge proves the non-believers wrong track after track.

The raging guitars, the bouncy drums, and the earth shattering bass shake and wail, serving up plenty of momentous rock that just refuses to give up. The lead vocals deliver angst and excitement in equal amounts, managing to release tension and create fun within the same bar.

Usually it takes me a while to get into an album. Even some of my favorite albums took me a few listens to have them really grow on me. But from the opening of Sweet Revenge I was blown away. This is exactly what I was looking for. Rock with attitude and substance, not to mention style. I'll give it an A+. Alex Steininger (In Music We Trust)

01 Fast Easy Love
02 Sweet Revenge
03 Train Wreck
04 Docudrama
05 Undo Everything
06 Telephone Game
07 Into You
08 Schick Shadel
09 Licorice Whip
10 Scorpi-Oh
11 Southern Girls
 

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V/A - Hey Beach Girls! Female Surf'n'Drag 1961-1966

It wasn’t just guys singing about surfboards and hot rods during the surf and drag boom in the early '60s; the girls were doing it, too, as this delightful 25-track compilation from Ace Records shows. Although nothing here was really ever more than a regional hit, these female singers and groups add a refreshing spin to a genre that puts a premium on motion and speed and expands love to include the sun, endless waves, and high-performance car engines. It adds up to a wonderful batch of rarities including Brian Wilson's production of “Pray for Surf” by the Honeys (who included Marilyn Rovell, Wilson's soon-to-be wife), “(Dance with The) Surfin’ Band” by Hal Blaine & the Young Cougars (drum legend Hal Blaine with the Blossoms on vocals), “Will You Love Me (Like You Did Last Summer)” by the Westwoods (Gracia Nitzsche singing an arrangement composed by her husband, Jack Nitzsche), a stomping “Drag Race Johnny” by Australia’s endearing Little Pattie, and the first ever effort by the great songwriting team of Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry, “Red Corvette,” which was billed to Ellie Gee & the Jets. Each of these sides is at least historically interesting, and if some, like a rare surf song from Motown Records, “Surfer Boy” by the Supremes, are conceptually improbable, each conjures up the sound and feel of an endless summer where it isn’t just the guys in motion.  Steve Leggett  (All Music Guide)

1. Donna Loren - Cycle Set
2. Susan Lynne - Don't Drag No More
3. Andrea Carroll - Hey Beach Boy
4. The Honeys - Shoot The Curl
5. The Honeys - Pray For Surf
6. Little Pattie & The Statesmen - He's My Blonde-Headed Stompie Wompie Real Gone Surfer Guy
7. The Fleetwoods - Surfer's Playmate
8. Little Pattie & The Statesmen - Drag Race Johnny
9. The Wailers With The Marshans - We're Goin' Surfin'
10. The King Pins - Rod Hot Rod
11. Donna Loren - Beach Blanket Bingo
12. Ellie Gee & The Jets - Red Corvette
13. Carol Connors - Lonely Little Beach Girl
14. Les Gam's - Attention ! Accident (Sur L'autoroute De L'ouest)- Shut Down
15. Hal Blaine & The Young Cougars - (Dance With The) Surfin' Band
16. Duane Eddy & The Rebelettes - Your Baby's Gone Surfin'
17. The Surfer Girls - Draggin' Wagon
18. The Angels - You Can't Take My Boyfriends Woodie
19. The Orlons - Surfin'
20. The Westwoods - I Miss My Surfer Boy Too
21. The Westwoods - Will You Love Me (Like You Did Last Summer)
22. The Supremes - Surfer Boy
23. The Surfettes - Sammy The Sidewalk Surfer
24. The Beach Girls - He's My Surfin' Guy
25. Dee Dee Sharp - Riding The Waves 

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THE DISHRAGS - Love/Hate (1997)

When the Dishrags formed in Victoria, British Columbia, in 1977, they were like the Runaways without Kim Fowley's behind the scenes machinations: three teenage girls -- singer and guitarist Jade Blade, bassist Dale Powers, and drummer Scout -- devoted to the Ramones and the Clash and creating their own short, sharp shocks. Moving to the more punk-friendly Vancouver scene (where bands like D.O.A and the Pointed Sticks were already defining the sound of western Canada's new wave) in 1978, the Dishrags made their debut on the now-legendary Vancouver Complication anthology. If they had never made another recording, the Dishrags would remain beloved in punk-fanboy circles for the track "I Don't Love You." 103 seconds long and built on an insistent, scratchy guitar riff and a positively crazed drum part played primarily on the ride cymbal, "I Don't Love You" is as clangorous and primitive as U.K. second-wavers like the Slits or the Desperate Bicycles, but it also features an instant-classic pure pop chorus that would do the Buzzcocks or the UndertonesDishrags followed that up with a slightly more polished three-track EP, "Past Is Past," and following a lineup change -- Powers being replaced by second guitarist Sue MacGillivray and bassist Kim Henriksen -- the band traveled to London to record the EP Death in the Family. Produced by Chris Spedding and featuring a more traditional punk-pop sound akin to the Adverts' first album, Death in the Family was insistently tuneful and clever. The wistful title track seemed to have actual hit single potential, while "Love/Hate" explored a darker post-punk sound along the lines of Siouxsie & the Banshees. Though RCA's U.K. imprint released the EP, it disappeared almost immediately, and the Dishrags proud. The broke up. Over a decade and a half later, the Canadian reissue label Other People's Music gathered the complete recordings by the Dishrags -- the two tracks recorded for the Vancouver Complication sessions, including the previously unreleased "Bullshit," the single, the EP, and ten demos and live tracks including covers of Lou Reed's "Vicious," the Ramones' "I Don't Wanna Walk Around with You," and the Clash's "Janie Jones," alongside previously unheard Dishrags originals. This is a textbook example of how to do a punk-era reissue properly.  Stewart Mason  (All Music Guide)

01- I Don't Love You
02 - Bullshit
03 - Past Is Past
04 - Tormented
05 - Love Is Shit
06 - Love,Hate
07 - Carry On
08 - You Fit The Picture
09 - Sold Out
10 - Cement
11 - Silence
12 - Can't Wait
13 - Quiet Little Table
14 - Nowhere To Hide
15 - Death In The Family
16 - Beware Of Dog
17 - All The Pain
18 - I Don't Wanna Walk Around With You
19 - Vicious
20 - Janie Jones
21 - Loving Person
22 - Friday Night Date
23 - Cravin' A...
24 - High Society Snob
25 - Gang War

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SLANT 6 - Inzombia (1995)

Inzombia takes Slant 6's trademark style -- fierce guitar work somewhere between new wave bubblepunk and the lighter side of D.C. hardcore -- and gives it a chance to work as an album (Soda Pop Rip Off, the band's other full release, is more of a collection of separate recordings). Given this, and the album's horror B-movie theme, it ends up with far more texture and depth than the band's more single-oriented work, and this is definitely a good thing for them. The song-oriented rockers are still there ("Partner in Crime," "Babydoll"), but they're set into place by tracks like the goofy "Retro Duck," the surfy "Instrumental,") and the sparse "Click-Click," making the album better as a total listening experience. The trade-off is that there isn't as much material there as on Soda Pop Rip Off. It's also interesting to hear their sound -- Christina Billote's all-downstroke guitar and sly vocals -- as prefiguring that of bands like Sleater-Kinney, who created such a buzz a few years later. Nitsuh Abebe (All Music Guide)

01 G.F.S.
02 Babydoll
03 Click-Click
04 Instrumental
05 Ladybug Superfly
06 Retro Duck
07 Partner in Crime
08 Victim of Your Own Desires
09 Eight Swimming Pools
10 Insider Spider
11 Mascaria
12 Inzombia

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