Bangs are the latest Olympia music export but don't confuse them with
the southern California band Bangs, circa 1980 (the group that changed
their name to the Bangles before they hit it big). This is grrl pop
extraordinare, and you'll be bopping your ponytail from the first song
to the last. Reference points include Sleater-Kinney, the Donnas, the
Ramones, the Waitresses, and even the Pretenders. It's the lyrics that
remind me most of Chrissie Hynde because they've got oodles of attitude:
"What do girls want?," asks "Chocolate Cobwebs, "a heart to haunt." The
lyrics are worth reading but most listeners won't want to stop that
long. With ten songs in just over 26 minutes, this disc is too much fun
to stop and take a breathe.
(c) 1998 Charles R. Cross
