Kitten Forever - Pressure

Name: Kitten Forever
Album: Pressure
Year: 2013
Style: Punk, Riot Grrl, Post-Punk
Similar Bands: Bikini Kill, Gauche, French Vanilla, Miss Pussycat, Mika Miko
"One-Word" Review: empowering schoolyard punk
Based Out Of: Minneapolis, MN
Label: Guilt Ridden Pop

Cover & Back

Lyrics, Liner Notes, CD

Pressure (2013)

1. Get Loud 0:43
2. Cry Baby 1:44
3. Little Beasts 1:27
4. Rat Queen 1:50
5. Mission Statement 2:06
6. Blood Song 1:50
7. Famous Friends 1:31 (single)
8. Double Disco 1:28
9. Black Ice 2:20
10. Dirt Nap 2:08
11. Diamond Ring 1:20
12. Prey On 2:16
13. Pressure 2:00

Album Rating (1-10): 8.0

Members & Other Bands:

• Liz Elton - Bass, Vox
• Corrie Harrigan - Drum, Bass, Vox
• Laura Larson - Drum, Bass, Vox (Scrunchies, Baby Guts, Fetus Farm, Daisy's Compact Mice, Cadette, Regal Treats)
• Ali Jaafar - Recording, Mixing, Mastering

Unknown-ness: I've never heard of this band, but there are a lot of things going for it. There is a nice chaotic juxtaposition of the name Kitten Forever, with monster hand on the cover, holding a bouquet of flowers over a pink backdrop...seems like this will be some sunny pop-punk with a hard, biting edge. And with track lengths averaging 1:40, i fully expect some driving, harmonized cutesy punk.

Album Review: The tracks are pretty in your face, while embracing reverse sexist stereotypes to render them powerless. Lots of heavy bass and driving melodies with playful sing song chants, a little like Miss Pussycat. it is a short album, but even on repeat, it doesn't grow old or repetitive. Simple drum and bass instrumentation make the minimal punk songs sound thick.

Everything about this band should make them an easy 10 in my honestly flawed rating system. Three women playing feminist punk, knowledgeable about and consciously honoring the past that has opened the doors for them, while writing and playing short punk songs with a messages and view point that shouldn't be, but are still so important to share. The three leads take turns playing the bass drums and vocals, as their live shows report them to often trade during their sets. They've performed a full set of Beyoncé covers in their instrument trading punk style for a night of tributes to inspirational women . They even employ the use of a telephone as a microphone- one of the things that makes Mika Miko (the inspiration for their use) one of my all time favorite bands. I love the fuzzed feedback vocals and raw sound they play, so why can't i give it a 10? I guess the melodies are somewhat same-y so nothing jumps out as uniquely memorable. And I'd love to hear a sax added to their compositions. I do hope I get to see them some day when shows return, as i believe they are still together, and have read their live shows are very empowering and fun. 

Stand Out Track: Dirt Nap

Links:
Wiki

Discogs

bandcamp
facebook
first ave
Soundcloud
Imperfect Fifth
Rebellious Mag
Legacy NPR

Nylon

Reviler

Ex-Optimists - Bee Corpse Collector

Name: Ex-Optimists
Album: Bee Corpse Collector
Year: 2013
Style: Shoegaze Math Rock
Similar Bands: Ride, Slowdive, Superchunk, Track Star, Ride, Lush, My Bloody Valentine
"One-Word" Review: Fuzzy Throttling Dreampop
Based Out Of: College Station, Texas
Label: Sinkhole Texas

 Cover, Record, Credits

Back, Record, Lyrics

Bee Corpse Collector (2013)

1. Postcards 4:39
2. Summer at Sea 3:10
3. Never Lose that Feeling 3:43
4. Dead Eyes 8:00 / 
5. No-High Fives 4:36
6. Let's Go to Sleep & Dream 1:30
7. Portrait of an Artist in Flames 2:41
8. Do No Harm 12:23

Album Rating (1-10): 8.5

Members & Other Bands:

• Steven Kennedy - Bass, Guitar, FX, Producer
• Kelly Minnis - Vox, Guitar, Keys, Drums, Percussion, Producer (Daughters of Joy, Great Unwashed Luminaries, Invasion Boys, Magic Girl & her Ex-Husbands, Redchapterjubilee, The Hangout, The Inators, The Tron Sack, Vast Massive Satellite, Vegas in Flames, Victory Lap, Before the Mast, Jay Satellite, A. Michael Collins)
• Michael Scarborough - Guitar, FX, Producer (Magic Girl, Machine Meets Land, The Hangouts)
• Jessica Kempen - Tambourine (Guns of Detroit)
• Chico Jones - Engineer
• Blake Bickle - Mastering
• Justin Scarborough - Artwork
• Wonko the Sane - Artwork
• Whitney Lee - Photos
• Jason Smith - Photos
• Jake W. Hayward -Photos

Unknown-ness: Never heard of this band. But the black screen printed packaging and pretty splattered record made this an easy buy. Based on the cover, I expect this to have some big psychedelic overtones. How heavy or what direction they go: prog, indie, jam band, pop will be seen.

Album Review: There are some slight trippy elements that basically revolve around echoing reverb, and a little distortion, but it is mostly shoe-gazing math rock. I feel like I've heard a hundred opening bands like this over the years. Sinkhole records is singer Kelly Minnis's baby. There are a lot of solid catchy pop hooks imbedded in the meandering guitars and fuzzy soundscapes. It feel like it could fit into some of the 80's-90's Church-like dark-dreary brit pop pop, or a lot of the mid 90's alternative bands, but it also fits into 2013.The sound like the band you drag your girlfriend to, but end up having a fight and breaking up.

Stand Out Track: No High Fives, Postcards

Links:
spotify
bandcamp
discogs
raised by gypsies
reverbnation
razorcake
tidal