Electric Street Queens – “Live From Your Dreams, We’re The…. “
The Electric Street Queens debut is one of the most exciting CD’s I’ve stumbled upon this year and they’re one of those rare bands that have the true essence of punk within them, though not playing hardcore or any traditional punk form.
They say it best themselves when instead of using genres, they say they play, “sleazy, seedy, raw music,” or when they call it “strut rock.” They do tag the term rock’n’roll but the imbeciles who like that term are usually expecting Led Zeppelin or The Who. I’ll go with “rock’n’roll for mental patients.”
These Queens sound like if The Cramps jammed with Bikini Kill playing sixties girl groups songs with a few numbers by The Velvet Underground thrown in as well.
There was a great New York rap/punk band called E.S.G. in the eighties, this is E.S.Q. and two thirds of them are girls.
Esq. is short for esquire which means an “unofficial title of respect.”
Their music is short, hard, dark, intense and real.
The lyrics on this CD are probably the best I’ve heard all year. Slice of life realism- urban, funny, true. Songs you’d like to hear transvestites screaming at the top of their lungs while walking in high heels down city streets or through echo-y subway tunnels.
Let’s here some songs, son.
“Scum” starts with an eerie dissonant lick with the drums just tom-tomin’ away. “Baby baby are you up all night?/ Tell me, tell me is her pussy tight?/ Tell me, tell me does she fuck like me?/ She’s got no tits or personality.” A low Cramps like guitar line is answered by a buzzing mosquito one. This song is sleazy like a streetwalker with her high heel up against a lamppost. “Tell me, tell me, now, what does she do?/ Does she swallow going down on you?/ Does she know you got the evil seed?/ Does she know that you’re gonna leave?/ “Cause you’re scum.” Scum was the “Society (For) Cutting Up Men” by the koo-koo lady who shot Andy Warhol. And this song is foreboding and real, like a nightmare come to life. The lyrics say “ain’t no fun” but this is one fun song to listen to.
[audio:https://www.thrashnbang.com/wp-content/music/03 – Scum.mp3|titles=Scum]A wave of sound like a surf band starts this song off then the vocals come in like a sixties girl group. “Wooh!” “Beefcake baby with the sunglasses on/ Wake up in the morning and he’s already gone.” This song bops and weaves like waves on an ocean beside a summer beach boardwalk. “Sweaty, salty- never dry.” Drums beating, vocals bleating, cymbals crashing, guitars buzzing a high guitar lead- “He’s driving me crazy,” but so is this goddamn near perfect song.
[audio:https://www.thrashnbang.com/wp-content/music/01 – Beefcake Baby.mp3|titles=Beefcake Baby]With the sax and lo-fi feel maybe Morphine is conjured up here but this is so much better. “Wake up in the morning/ Grab yourself a cold one/ Know that she’s the one…The working day has now begun.” “Dontcha Wanna Work At The Brewery” is a grinding, bluesy splash of city life, of city dreams smeared against the air polluted city skies, where truth and life and passion arrive. Honkin’ sax, blastin guitar, grooving rhythm section, blarin’ aching vocals. And this song is just one perfect rocket into the violet skies of the city night.
[audio:https://www.thrashnbang.com/wp-content/music/02 – Doncha Wanna Work At The Brewery.mp3|titles=Doncha Wanna Work At The Brewery]“OMG, Look at the sky, It’s A Witch!” This song starts with a low riff that reminds me of a Pere Ubu song “Life Stinks” then quickly explodes into a buzzin’ bumblebee, cut off with a couple of door slams. “Brew-ha-ha- Wooh, Wooh, Wooh!” A simple, quick, great tune and here’s their new video for it.
You know, with all this listening and writing I forgot to mention they mention Iggy Pop as an influence and though I don’t really see the connection I do appreciate the appreciation of the best performer and most underrated artist of the twentieth century.
Then I think of “Down On The Streets” off of Funhouse and the connection seems more than right.
And the city streets glimmer tonight with the broken glass and debris lit up by the neon lights, some low and some high, that never loose their illumination.
And city dreams bleed and die, but the people keep rising and believing. The city crushes peoples hopes and dreams but the heart of the city keeps beating and artists keep depicting its birth, it’s demise, it’s rejuvenation.
And this is a band that has the blood of the city in them, the heartbreak and it’s joy, it’s tears and it’s smiles, it’s guts, it’s passion, it’s decay and it’s believing.
And if you’re asking- Well, is that good or not? You’re asking the wrong question to the right person and all I can say is- Damn right, motherfucker, Damn right!
(Slimedog)
