September 2002 • Rockbites Alternative Daily
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Bangs: punk pop heroes for the Oh’s 12 September 2002
Olympia, Washington guitar rock trio Bangs (just a bit touchy about getting pigeonholed, as they have by the press, as 'girl band,' 'power pop punk band,' or 'punky girl power band'), this week released a CD version of their recent EP, Call And Response, on Kill Rock Stars. It’s their first studio set since May, 2000’s Sweet Revenge full-length. Since then they’ve toured Europe, the US, Australia, and New Zealand multiple times, and have shuffled their lineup with a string of drummers. Bangs 2002 comprise front woman Sarah Utter (Motel No-Tell, Plastique, The Seductive, and Witchypoo), bassist/vocalist Maggie Vail (Bonnot Gang & Frenchie And The German Girls, ex-Gene Defcon, The Slatternlies, and The Stowaways—and whose prolific sister Tobi was in, among many other bands, Bikini Kill and who provides backup vocals on this record), and new drummer/keyboards player Peter David Connelly (from Mona Reels, who appeared on the recent Fields And Streams two-CD compilation from KRS). Call And Response includes five high-energy rockers and one nice & noisy ballad, with all the songs featuring the charismatic vocals of Utter and Vail—solo, in harmony, or trading off in call and response. Titles are Call And Response, New Scars, Kinda Good (the noisy ballad), I Want More (check our link), Leave It Behind, and Dirty Knives. The vinyl 10" version also includes a cover of the 1979 song Get Over You by The Undertones. Punk is a hard genre in which to succeed, having long since been assimilated into the pop mainstream and yet depending on defiance as its defining attribute. When defiance is fashionable (uh... Britney Spears singing Satisfaction? Get me off this planet), what’s a pissed off girl to do? To be punk and relevant in the 00’s (say: 'the Oh’s') is no mean feat, yet Bangs make it look easy with great songs, impassioned playing, and the unmistakably sweet taste of doing exactly what they truly love. On New Scars—easily the best punk anthem of the year so far—Bangs yell out “Keep a list of things I want to do/ Got ten new scars I want to give to you/ Do you remember/ We lived like we wanted to die?” The punk ethic is all about defining new politics and new fashion—the antithesis of what the masses recite, in unison, in Monty Python’s Life Of Brian: “Yes, we are all individuals!” In this tricky context, Bangs are fresh, vital, and make some fine and compelling noise. Four bites out of five. Rockbites ratings 5: life changing, 4: stunning, 3: captivating, 2: amusing, 1: annoying. Bangs begin a US west coast tour tonight in Portland, and will tour the US next month and into late November with dates to be announced. Check the Kill Rock Stars tour page for details. | Bangs on Kill Rock Stars | | I Want More (full length MP3) | | tour dates on Kill Rock Stars | | We are all individuals | | top of page | |
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