TIJUANA SWEETHEART Trash Candy CD
Let me say upfront that, in my opinion, Tijuana Sweetheart, an all girl rock band, have more balls than almost all the guy rock bands out there put together. With the versatile vocals of Helen who can go from screeching, snarling to sweet and soothing at the turn of a dime; the propulsive precision piston pumping drumming of LoWreck; the warm sounding bass and more than able playing of Julie Two Times topped off with the slicing, biting guitar lines (now played by fairly new guitarist Keri), who besides being a great lead guitarist now ranks in Jimmy Thrash’s top three cutest guitarists, you just can’t miss.
The Tijuana’s have all the energy, spit and fire of punk but play too well and have too many different things going on to be lumped into that fine genre. I see them more as gutsy rock’n’roll- a mix of hard rock, garage rock and glam with a sprinkling of pop on top. With this reference I may be dating myself but I think of them as Suzi Quatro fronting Motley Crue. Maybe take a pinch of The Ramones, Motley Crue, The Runaways and Hole, mix and bake till your head explodes across the kitchen floor, sweep up and serve when cooled.
This cd starts out like a rush of horses kicking out the back of your speakers with, “Sugar Daddy.” The main lick of the verse reminds me of something and it takes awhile before I realize I’m thinking of “Spymaster” by one of Boston’s legendary punk bands, La Peste. It’s not at all the same lick but just to make me think of one of that bands best songs, just pushed to the tenth level, is a good sign. And yes, this song kicks all kinds of ass- down your street and back up again and down once more for good measure.
“JoEllen” is next and one of my favorites on a pretty prefect album. It starts with a vocal that could come from someone like Debbie Harry and a few moments later sounds like Courtney Love at her most perturbed. It’s a mix of sweet and sour, kind of new wave popsy and rockin’ out during the same tune with a nice guitar lick thrown in to boot.
“No Mercy” is next and you’re not granted any if you’re begging for any reprieve from their high energy aural assault, a near metal great song.
Later we have “Second Coming” which is gospel if not in the music at least in the lyrics. It talks of the love of Jesus but in a more carnal way. They want to go down on their knees, not to pray, naw! too typical- I go down for the lord/that’s how I say amen/ I’m blessed to take the body of Christ into my mouth again/ I love you, Jesus/Yeah, I do/ You can take me up to heaven and I’ll go down of my knees for you. Elsewhere they say- Now a carpenter is good with wood/That’s why you’re the boss/ And I would like to nail you right up against a cross. It’s nice to see that religion still has a place in rock’n’roll. And as a former altar boy I can certainly relate to the lyrical content. Not sure if Jesus loves me but I’m sure I love this song.
“Sticks and stones will break my bones. But I will break your face if you hurt her” is the gentle, feminine refrain of my second favorite song on the album. The chorus goes, “And this will not be the last time you see my face, ‘cause I know where you live and I will come out swinging.” As Lowreck passionately hits her drums on every beat you can picture this clown’s face turning to puss. This song has words too real not to be taken from real life.
A young songwriter (who I like) Willie Nelson wrote a song here for the band, “You Were Always On My Mind” which refers to women’s sometimes insensitive reaction to men’s emotional needs. I hear that Willie now performs this song as “Pot Was Always On My Mind” but that could be a rumor. Let’s just say the Tijuana’s version is much better and a decade or two from now I predict that the Tijuana’s will still be playing while Willie will not.
Last up is “Trash Candy” and it’s my favorite and yeah, maybe I’m swayed by the video which I love but a great tune, nonetheless. “We’re Tra-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a. We’re Trash. Trash Candy!” All I know is Candy came from out on the islands and you chicks ain’t trash more like diamonds in the rough.
So fellars, watch out. These dames are the ones your mothers warned you about and your fathers secretly wished they were with. There are no losers on the nine songs on this album while the odds they place on us guys don’t stack up as well. Yeah, that includes me, too, but I can listen to this cd and just feel every inch of my ears get pulverized to dust and thank my lucky stars I’ve lived to tell it. Sadly, there’s no sweethearts in Tijuana but there’s more great rock here than you can bare. Face it- girls are better than boys.
(Slimedog)
