Sunday, January 22, 2006
The Pinkz - USA
The Pinkz USA 7" (Radio Beat, 2000)
Ah, the Pinkz. Here we find one of the finest exemplars of a re-emerging powerpop consensus, a process that consciously started in the USA with bands like the Bobbyteens in the mid-90's. Powerpop and punk were mutually exclusionary forms dating from the days of early hardcore in 1981, since the skinny tie fags were all just looking to sell out while the muscle boys were all about channeling a far more 'real' teenage (male) rage. Plus, they weren't political. So, a bunch of phony poseur powerpop dorks got 86'd ultimately in favor of a bunch of phony poseur sweaty jocks. Neato. That's a rather condensed take, but there you go.
Of course, really great powerpop dating from the late 70's was as much a violent (if sugar-coated) reaction to mid-70's bloated rock excess as early punk was (paging Mr. Shaw) but the themes that ran through great powerpop (idealized love of the anthemic kind, for one) had become the province of Top 40 synthpop hacks by the mid-80's. What's happening on this 45 is the recasting of powerpop as a club-level, real BAND experience, taking it back as a garage-level genre. There were alot of bands doing this style by the time this 45 came out, but gosh if this isn't a real charmer, so we'll start here. This band featured ex-Loli & the Chones members (we'll get to them later this year!), and both tracks on this 45 are covers in keeping with the unapologetically retro character of this scene. It was just another style that had been prematurely abandoned in the rush for fast-faster-fastest, and 45s like this were a refreshing paen to idealistically naive pop smarts in a truely "pop-punk" setting, recalling bands running from the Real Kids to The Beat to The Beans. A return to deliberate songwriting in a punk sense, if you will, absent the forced overdramatic howling clangor of the post-Husker Du, emo-style of 90's songwriting.
The Pinkz managed another 7" on the Gearhead label a little after this, then faded away. Perhaps they weren't meant for an LP, but this 7" will do as a headstone. -Ryan W.
// posted by W/S @ 10:29 AM 
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Absolutely great 7". Everytime I put it on though it just makes me think "unrealized potential" overandover. When had their shit together, they were great live too, but that was often the exception.
However, my top pick in this narrow sub-category of '90s punk might be the first Candygirl 7".
However, my top pick in this narrow sub-category of '90s punk might be the first Candygirl 7".
No, not chopped liver at all, but I think the first one is the better of the two. Both of those singles seemed to really fly under the radar.
Both Candygirls are great, but icki is right about the first one being the better of the two.
My favorite record of the Late 90's West Coast Power Pop Revival Mini-Explosion is the Donny Denim single. You should totally post that one too!
My favorite record of the Late 90's West Coast Power Pop Revival Mini-Explosion is the Donny Denim single. You should totally post that one too!
# posted by 
: 7:58 PM
: 7:58 PM
This area I know 'bout. Cal-Irvine power. Seriously, if you know the Pete Frame Family Tree there are links to Loli Y Los Chones, the fevers, Bitch School, and awesome college radio tapes of the Donnas. The Santamaria family rools. However at this point the Donny Denim record came out and I decided to hate music pretty much forever. Most of all, Mary Lou Santos utterly rocks.
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# posted by : 11:19 PM
: 11:19 PM << Home
