World's Forgotten Girl

I reckon most people spent St P's day like I did - at a blue collar bar on New Wave Goth Night, drinking imported beer from plastic cups & trying to avoid clunking your head on the low ceiling.

A few weeks ago I caught a solo performance by Sophia, lead singer from the band Blitzkriegbliss (a moniker I've found extremely difficult to pronounce after a drink or two). She battered a low-slung acoustic & howled passionately in a way that marked her in my mind as a descendent of PJ Harvey. After seeing her in full electric battle regalia last night, though, I've reassessed this impression. A more likely blood relative is Iggy Pop. Whereas she & Polly Jean were probably leaders of rival street gangs in high school. [Cue scene from Switchblade Sisters here.]

Blitzkriegbliss is primal, relentless, & frickin' loud. Sophia is the obvious focal point, right out front with her arsenal of unyielding growls & screams destined to stir up impure thoughts in the minds & trousers of her male audience. But the real sonic anchor is provided by the bass player, referred to by their website as The Sleepwalker (who probably gets mighty sick of being told he looks like Frank Zappa, so I won't mention it). His monstrous basslines are firmly rooted in the mix, like a sturdy corrosion-resistant pipeline running through the more jagged bursts of guitar. Meanwhile, the drummer thunks & whacks with a confidence that proclaims "sure, I could play more if I wanted to, but I choose not to."

It's really pure, immediate, blisteringly cathartic basement rock. What's not to like? They even turn Tom Waits' "Goin' Out West" into Ramones-fueled rockabilly. Clearly they're onto something - take a look at this vehemently negative review for their album from New ("birthplace of punk") Hampshire's 168 Magazine. Sounds suspiciously similar to whitebread America's initial reaction to Chuck Berry, eh? Almost certainly to the first Stooges album. "What's that racket you whippersnappers are listening to? You'll go deaf, mark my words."

Just as long as they don't find it boring. A review to be damn proud of.