Electric Street Queens – “Thank You Good Night”
Electric Street Queens are not a punk band.
Nor, would you consider them a hardcore or metal band.
Oh, my! Perchance you can explain, dear old Slimedog, why their music falls within your so unyielding, premises to be reviewed?
It could be because they’re sleazy, seedy and stupid. At least, this is how they describe themselves. (This last objective, I’m sure to be taken in the positive definition).
The Cramps played any form of music but punk, but funny how they turned out to be as punk as all fuck.
I may be fucked as all punk, but I recall describing this band as something like Pat Benatar on LSD jamming with the musicians from Black Sabbath, high on horse tranquilizers at a music festival in the early seventies.
I am unable, to verify this fact, right now, as you see- coincidently enough, I am on LSD and horse tranquilizers at this present time.
My doctor is allowed to prescribe medicinal marijuana to her patients, but in my case, she feels a constant supply of LSD, horse tranquilizers and an ample intake of alcohol is what I need.
Not sure, if it’s exactly working out that well- but I do know that it has given me a new outlook on life.
Which is generally, deliriously cheerful, except when the gray, bathroom linoleum proceeds to devour my lower regions and the walls starts melting into the core of the inner earth.
So, now that I’ve thoroughly explained the music of ESQ- let’s tune in, turn on and drop out:
With an intro worthy from any of the best English, glam rock bands, “Uh-wella-wella-wella,” kicks off this release with the chorus sung across the choppy, rhythm followed by a scream! “Baby, baby don’t be scared. I come, come prepared.” A perfect, four note guitar solo only accompanied by drums leads this great song into an ending of hysterical, excitement. I became so hysterically excited when I heard this song that I wet myself!
An echo-y, twangy guitar lick starts “Men Like Me”, sauntering like Clint Eastwood entering a wild, west town in a sixties, spaghetti Western movie. The lyrics are a bit disturbing as they relate a stalker harassing a woman from a moving car. “Baby, baby don’t be shy. I caught you with my eye.” Along with a chorus of, “Don’t you like men like me?” Which is, obviously, the worst example we have of that gender. “Little girl, look at the car. It’s faster than you are,” just adds to the menacing tone of this song. “There will always be men like me.” I will always hate men like that and love songs so poignant and great as this.
“immadumbteenager” starts with some gnarly, guitar, garage chords and a smashing, one hit to the beat drums that soon lead to a frantic, Cramps like punk chorus. There’s a very simple, very repetitive, very excellent guitar solo that just adds to this joyful, youthful display of juvenile hi-jinks and delinquency. It’s not bad to be dumb and young and break all the rules if you come out with songs as great as this one.
“Hey! Can I come over. Hey! I’ll be your lover.” So begins “Fatal Attraction”. (Someone should really make a movie with that title). This song is fast paced and is the closest this band approaches the hardcore/punk style. There’s a killer, surf, spy movies guitar lick augmented by the echo-y, expressive vocals. This song, also, reminds me of the Dead Kennedy’s or early Blondie. “Hey, are you at home? Pick up the phone. Are you alone tonight?” There’s even an awesome bass solo! No, that’s not true- thank God! Just a part where the bass player has the good sense to just “hold down the fort”. I commend him. And I commend this band for creating a song so ominous and fun and truly great. My favorite song on this album.
I feel that ESQ encapsulate a period before punk, even before proto-punk, more like in the early seventies before punk existed and bands were still allowed to rock in a traditional fashion long before most young people even knew, what the word ironic meant.
And you may not think those rock bands were the “coolest” band but they were a hundred times better that the tripe of most music radio, at the time. Like the dreck of singer-songwriter stuff (Billy Joel, Harry Chapin), the soft rock (The Carpenters, Bread) that we were being forced with then. Like some coma victim that could only move their earlobes while this horrible music seeped in.
(I think I just envisioned what my utmost hell would be!)
Electric Street Queens are not about being modern or cool or ironic. But yes, they have a great sense of humor and they have an even better sense of having fun.
They want to rock out when it really meant something to do as such, and at this I feel they fully succeed.
I think rocking out still means something and ESQ truly does. And I think this is one of the most fun bands you can experience live.
And I wouldn’t prescribe what my doctor does for me, drugs will take you to a place that may well be your last destination.
But a double dose of Electric Street Queen should cure you of all your ills.
(Slimedog)
