Girl In A Coma
Trio B.C.
Blackheart Records Group
With a mix of old school punk, metal and a subtle Tejano spice, Girl In A Coma pounds out quality roots rock. This female trio formed somewhere in the 3rd sub-basement of Texas, and tore up the stage at high school gigs and talent shows until they ran into Joan Jett, who produced this solid and engaging album. There’s solid musicianship under the elaborately produced sound, and if the arrangements are a bit florid, it somehow enhances the experience of this 13-song disk. Some of the proto hits lurking here include the post punk “Static,” the dreamy ballad “El Monte” and the darkly erotic “Pleasure and Pain.” Lead singer Nina Diaz sounds like an updated Exene Cervenka, and her simple bass and drum back up (Phanie Diaz and Jenn Alva) and Jett’s production recall the back end of the first wave of early ’80s punk. If there’s a criticism here, the band’s publicity shots make them look less like a band than three girls who work in a used record shop. They’ve got a great sound, the songs are interesting, and if they come up with a better look, they can go far.
