Main page

New additions

Pop: 00s   90s  80s  70s  60s  50s

Latin/Jazz

Top 20: DBW  JA

E-mail

Main page

New additions

Pop: 00s  90s 80s 70s 60s 50s

Latin/Jazz

Top 20: DBW JA

E-mail

7 Year Bitch Reviewed on this page: Sick 'Em - ¡Viva Zapata! - Gato Negra One of the defining Riot Grrrl acts, though it's de rigeur for such acts to disavow that label (see Bikini Kill). Coming out of Seattle, the all-female group took on sexism and imperialism with a sense of humor and deafeningly loud guitars. Spurred to greater heights by their outrage over the death of friend Mia Zapata, the group was poised to take over the alt-rock universe. Then, they put out a boring directionless followup, and split acrimoniously. From early evidence, the Bitches haven't left much of a mark on history, but if you give them a chance you should get a lot out of their first two releases. There's a suitably raucous fan site, though it's not being updated any more. (DBW) Personnel: Selene Vigil, vocals; Stefanie Sargeant, guitar; Elizabeth Davis, bass; Valerie Agnew, drums. Sargeant died, 1992, replaced by Roisin Dunne. Dunne left 1996, replaced by Lisa Faye Beatty. Group disbanded, late 1997. Sick 'Em (1992) 7 Year Bitch released their debut just as the Riot Grrrl scene was being noticed by tastemakers and critics. It's relentlessly lo-fi, with minimal overdubs or solos, garage-level recording quality, frequently incomprehensible yelled vocals, and droning distorted power chords on guitar (Stefanie Sargeant, who died after this was recorded but before it was released). The liner notes contain innumerable photos of band members giving the finger to the camera - okay, we get the idea. Frequently they hit on an enjoyable riff ("Gun," "You Smell Lonely"), and when you can make out the words, they're raw and amusing ("In Lust You Trust," "No Fucking War"). Most of the tunes are by bassist Elizabeth Davis while most the words are by Vigil; drummer Valerie Agnew co-wrote the lyrics to the classic "Dead Men Don't Rape." (DBW) ¡Viva Zapata! (1994) This came out right as the Zapatistas surfaced in Mexico, but there's no connection: the record is named for Mia Zapata, singer for Seattle band The Gits, who was raped and murdered in 1993. "M.I.A." deals with that event, and on that song and others the group has a new urgency, whether they're dealing with heroin addiction ("Hip Like Junk"), relationships ("Kiss My Ass Goodbye"), or things I can't figure out ("Cats Meow"). Davis wrote all the songs, and they're all built on solid riffs capably played by new guitarist Roisin Dunne, who mixes Tony Iommi's crushing tone with punk attitude. The furious pace of the record keeps the sameness of the approach from getting to you (there's just one slow change of pace, "Damn Good And Well"), and the clean recording makes it a lot easier to hear all the great licks. I still don't get Vigil's appeal as a lead singer - she sounds a bit like a ten-year old who's just had her lunch money stolen - but hell, I never got Robert Plant's appeal either. (DBW) Gato Negro (1996) The production values improved again here, but conceptually the band turned into Sonic Youth imitators, with Dunne abandoning her hard-edged guitar attach in favor of superdistorted drones and squawks, Agnew neglecting the backbeat for freeform drumming, and Davis trying to hold things together. Unfortunately, the music (all by Davis) isn't anywhere near SY's originality - it's mostly third-rate pentatonic metal riffs ("Crying Shame"). Meanwhile the lyrics, all by Vigil, are prototypical "alternative": angst-filled, rambling, and often incomprehensible ("24,900 Miles Per Hour"), without any of the band's earlier humor ("The History Of My Future"). A sad end to a sometimes terrific band. (DBW) Crying shame, indeed.  Main page   New additions   Pop: 00s   90s  80s  70s  60s  50s  Latin/Jazz   Top 20: DBW  JA   E-mail   Main page   New additions   Pop: 00s  90s 80s 70s 60s 50s  Latin/Jazz   Top 20: DBW JA   E-mail