The Beautys
The First Seven Inches Are Always The Hardest
Diaphragm Records
You gotta love these obscure little punk bands – pounding out an attitude that was a few years out of date when the bass player was conceived, and beginning to have the same cultural significance as Beatles revival bands and Elvis impersonators. It’s a sign of not only dedication, but a total rejection of whatever trends are forming today’s musical sensibilities. The Beautys hail from the great Midwest, home of some of America’s most influential punk bands, although they don•t sound all that influential. Lyrically, they’re not too bad. Lead cut “Girl From The Planet Fuck” covers blow jobs and the like, pretty much de rigueur for a female led punk band. They address police brutality with “Gas City Cops,” over consumption with “Sleepyhead” and work issues with “A#1 Sex Shop Employee.” Musically, they’re pretty standard with a cluttery guitar sound, lead by the mysterious Kathleen and bouncing off the bass line of Erick Fromindiana. Kathleen does the lead vocal work, pushing her voice to cover the E chord range typical of a punk band, but not drawing out much more. Occasionally, they can do a decent surf instrumental, such as “Purple Knife”, but this retrospective record shows a narrow range of musical skills applied to a style that lost its edge early in the Reagan administration.
Diaphragm Records: http://www.cringe.com/diaphragm/
