The Chicklettes--We're The Chicklettes
self-released demo 2004
So many people involved with music spend most of their time trying to seem cool, forget that it's about the music, and become phonies. Every now and then, a band comes along so honest feeling in intention, they unwittingly cast an even greater spotlight on such bogus elements. The Chicklettes are one of those bands. Everything these four ladies do is so right, it makes all the pretenders out there seem that much more lame. This demo is the breath of fresh air you've been dreaming about.
In a nutshell, the Chicklettes play punk rock the way it should be done--with agression and an innocent feeling exuberance. Stylistically, they come off as a blend of a sloppier New Bomb Turks mixed with the raw pop infectuousness of early Go Go's demos. This stuff is so righteoous in its lack of pretense, it's incredible. This is the sound of a band uncontaminated by the poseurfied politics of "scene," apparently just playing because it seemed like a fun thing to do. If this isn't the actual reality of the situation, it's certainly how things appear.
The wide-eyed vibe the Chicklettes put out is bolstered a great deal by their stripped-down, no-frills songwriting approach. Perhaps no other song encapsulates how great all this stuff is better than "In My Own World." Essentially, these lyrics are about listening to the Ramones, how great that is, and how nothing else in the world matters while you're listening to them. Needless to say, this tune is sure to propel the Chicklettes to the top of every punk and rocker dude's (or maybe even girl's) crush list. There is so much more of the same in the rest of these cuts, you absolutely can't lose. As a bonus, you get four spare lo-fi indie gems cut alone by guitarist Stacy that are along the lines of Liz Phair's genius early work, before she became a darling of the mainstream. If your jaw wasn't on the floor before this point, it will be.
To be fair, this demo doesn't come close to capturing how good the Chicklettes are live. Still, that's of little consequence. These recordings do their job in giving you the feel that lies at the heart of this band. This disc is packaged in a booklet which even has lyrics to the Chicklettes songs these ladies didn't include on the demo. Memorize it, because you'll be jumping up and down in the front row, sreaming along, getting caught up in the purity of it all, after one listen to this. God bless the Chicklettes for reminding us all how exciting music can be. This band gets the highest recommendation possible--it's virtually a moral obligation to lend them your support.
Score this CD directly from THE CHICKLETTES
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