Issue #1

Music Reviews
by Kelly

Clone
‘Not Feeling Like Yourself Today’
Evil Eye Records 1998
Hailing from San Franciso, Clone are like nothing else I’ve heard before. Featuring former Year 7 Bitch bassist Elizabeth Davis, Clone’s sound has been described as a mix of punk, garage, goth and metal. I can’t think of any other way to describe it than a bizarre, spooky sound that often seems off key. This spooky vibe is created by the samples and synth work by Kell FIYAH, which at times sounds as if it were taken straight from a b-grade horror film. But roll all this weirdness together and somehow it all works. There are some great tracks on this cd which in the their own way are quite catchy! The opener ‘Freak’, the off beat ‘Superstar’ and track six ‘Throw Me a Bone’ which features my favourite lyric on the album “You want my body but you’re afraid of my mind.” 7 Year Bitch fans might be a tad surprised by Clone. To hear samples from this cd check out www.evileyerecords.com.

My Ruin
‘To Britain With Love… And Bruises’
Madfish / Snapper Music 2001

This live album reveals My Ruin raw and stripped back without studio effects normally found on their recordings. Some fans wondered if the vocals of Ms Tairrie B would stand up live, the verdict is obvious, she’s absolutely awesome. The songs featured on “To Britian With Love..” originally appear on their last two albums, ‘Speak & Destroy’ (1999) and ‘A Prayer Under Pressure Of Violent Anguish’ (2000). This is my first experience of My Ruin and I was completely blown away. The opening song ‘Beauty Fiend’ caught me hook line and sinker with these great lyrics:

“It’s true, I’ve got demons inside me
And sometimes, they need to speak
My dark places make me feel ugly
My lips are glossed but my heart is weak
From disease I’ve seen on TV
Please forgive me
For not being pretty or sexy
God never blessed me
That’s what you’ll find next time you undress me
Scars”

As a feminist and music freak I’m always on the look out for music created by angry, passionate women. The soft sounds of the songbirds out there, as amazing as some of them are, always leave me unfulfilled. Music with hard grit, made to be played loud is what I crave to give this angry feminist some cathartic release. This offering from My Ruin certainly does just that.

Lady!Die
‘Time For Change’ 2000
Formed in 1999, this Netherlands trio is sure to scare the pants off any Royal Family follower. ‘Time For Change’ is the band’s first demo and features 8 songs recorded on 8-track at Dynamo rehearsal spaces in their home town of Rotterdam. Lady!Die originally planned to write “noisy punk songs” but found they enjoyed playing “loud metal much more”. The resulting sound is a great blend of punk and metal with meaningful lyrics. I first heard Lady!Die after downloading the mp3 of ‘Destroy Oi’ from their website, a perfect punk tune the Pretty Ugly team loved so much we awarded it the very first Pretty Ugly Mp3 of the month. The bands lineup includes Ruth (drums), Mandy (guitar/vocals) and Hilde (bass/vocals). Hilde indicated Lady!Die are planning to release another cd soon. Check out the band’s flashy website at www.ladydie.nl.

The Mystaken
‘Absolute Promotional Fodder’ 2000
I saw this Melbourne all-female trio at the Empress in earlier last year. I liked em so much I wrote to them and Maria (bass) sent a copy of their demo they recorded in March 2000. Not bad at all, according to Maria they play a lot faster and tighter now. After listening to the cd and thinking back to the gig I think she’s right. Looking forward to hearing more from this band, new material should out soon. Get your arse to their gigs if you’re in Melbourne. They rock live. Write to: PO Box 1160, Richmond Nrth 3121, Vic.