Baabes – “Ratchet Ass Dance Party”
Baabes are a car crash waiting to happen, it’s irresponsible hands on the wheel. It’s a party when it gets out of control. Which could mean, police involvement or just a really, good fucking time.
Baabes are one of those bands that sound like a wrong choice you make in life.
And yeah, they usually end in embarrassing situations. That either involve you doing community service or maybe, being cut out of a will.
But sometimes, these situations lead to a more wild and fun place. Opens doors to a life that is a little more stranger than most. And now, you’re thrust upon a challenging and different, new life.
And now, not only does it turn out, that this road is the course, you decide that you want to travel your life on. It’s also the one you will spend the rest of your life on.
But guess what? The wrong turn you took turns out to be the right course for you.
And Baabes music is like that as well. It gets to the right direction by going off course, or what you might expect a band to play, all the time. The music is rough and raw, the production is not pristine, the lyrics are rude things you’re not supposed to speak in public. But the emotions and execution is superb.
And if loving them is wrong then I don’t wanna be write.
Someone should write a song about that.
Let’s hear how they execute their emotions:
With ringing cymbals and a low, rumbling bass, “Sooprize Package For Mr. Mineo” comes roaring in like a jet taking off from La Guardia Airport once the grung-y, garage chords and in-your-face vocals roar in. “Stab a motherfucker in the back.” There’s a wild guitar solo complete with screams while the bassist steps outside to smoke a cigarette. This song is about the fairly, famous actor from the fifties and sixties, Sal Mineo. “And I don’t care if he was gay. He was cooler than Doris Day.” And he was- also, and he was also, stabbed to death in an alley at age thirty-seven. But this great song makes me think of more pleasant thoughts. Like as if Iggy Pop ever sang a song with The Cramps, I think it might’ve sounded like this.
“A Snub Nose And Cocaine,” has that sliding up into the guitar chord riff that I first heard with fifties great, Eddy Cochran. That riff since then, was used by everyone from The New York Dolls, The Sex Pistols and The Dead Boys- amongst countless others. Along with a rockin’, poundin’ surf beat and snarlin’ vocals this song manages to be kick ass with a strong, tempered groove. Hey, guns and drugs! What could possibly go wrong?
“Rock N Roll Girl” bursts out with a bunch of energy, like The Ramones covering a fifties tune. Or maybe, more like a fifties song smashing headlong into a sixties, garage song-smashing into a seventies punk rock song. Think of Jerry Lee Lewis, The Kingsmen and The Damned in a three car collision! “I need a rock’n’roll girl, rock’n’roll Queen.” Well, who doesn’t? “And make fun of all the crappy bands.” Not this band by a mile! This song has pop hooks, amazing background vocals and still delivers in spades with the passion, grit and energy. My favorite tune on this release and my pick to become a top ten single!
“No Sale” is a dirty, grimy, greasy punk garage song that is played and sung like as if someone has had too much Red Bull or some other, slightly stronger, illegal substance. There’s no solo during a spot where it’s just drums and bass and bit of guitar. I think this band would want to clobber me if I referred to it as a breakdown. This song may be called “No Sale” but I’m buying everything this band is selling…unless it’s a slightly, stronger, illegal substance.
I’m thinking these hot Baabes are taking the wild and wooly beats of fifties rock’n’roll, mixing it with the lo-fi, grungy, sixties garage rock along with the excitement and anarchy of seventies punk rock.
And if my computations be a bit off, I still know that I’m damned right with saying this music is wild, energetic and fun.
And really good.
Or maybe, it’s really bad. James Brown’s biggest compliment was- it’s “super bad.” Nowadays, it’s “sick” or “stupid.”
I love how on their bandcamp, at the bottom of the page, I believe they’re the first band I’ve ever reviewed that put no “tags” there, refuse to put any description.
A big Fuck you!- music reviewers.
So let’s just let their music speaks for themselves.
(Slimedog)
