Queens of Noise
“Up Against the Wall” b/w “Victimized”
scum stats: 200 on red vinyl, 200 on black
On occasion I can use my position here as a bully pulpit. And sometimes…I just want to type the phrase “bully pulpit.”
The latest release on my Cass Records imprint (has it really been almost three years?) is a 7-inch from a group of teenaged Nashville girls. Originally started as a Runaways cover band (hence the name), they eventually evolved into writing their own original songs.
I’d seen some of them around the neighborhood, when taking my daughter to dance class, and eventually my wife took the girls to a daytime concert of theirs about a year ago and my daughter Violet just loved it.
I get it…seeing people not THAT much older than you, on stage, playing music, in your town, somewhat breaking down that metaphorical barrier between performer and audience…THAT is what can inspire someone for a lifetime.
We had Violet’s 6th birthday in the Blue Room last year and booked Queens of Noise to play and pretty soon thereafter, it just seemed like the band needed some vinyl in their arsenal. That’s something I could help make happen.
The songs just have a classic timelessness to them. “Up Against the Wall” is half-reminiscent of the Go-Go’s “How Much More” (and if I’m being pedantic, the Stiff version of said song) and put a smile on my face because the title reminds me of the 1960’s countercultural revolutionaries the Up Against the Wall Motherfuckers.
That name itself coming from an Amiri Baraka poem and having been shouted by Patty Hearst during one of her bank robberies…I doubt these nice kids are even aware of ANY of this, but it doesn’t matter…it makes ME happy.
“Up Against the Wall” is also vinyl-only…so I don’t even have a digital way of sharing it with you. The link we’ve got is for the flipside...
“Victimized” is both an impressive song title and a cracking, punk-powered chugga-chugga song. A solid two-sider. Two thumbs-up. Must-listen.
I don’t really offer to put bands out on Cass any more. But I have a theory that I feel strongly about, I’ll spill here…
The chances of Queens of Noise of becoming a huge famous band are very unlikely. It is FAR more likely that in a few years, someone in the band is probably embarrassed by this release.
But I live for lighting the spark. The chances that someone in the band holds the 45 in wonderment, with their performance permanently cut into those grooves, to last longer than any of us will ever live…that can be the impetus for an entire career.
The desire to want to write MORE songs, to put out MORE records, to share your music with MORE people. I know that’s how I felt when I was a teenager on my first piece of vinyl.
Encouraging and motivating fresh artists to KEEP ON GOING is something that truly brings me joy. Sometimes even the most pre-destined genius or greatness still needs just the tiniest push of motivation to be on their path.
Maybe that happens here. Maybe it doesn’t. Either way, it’s a worthwhile endeavor. And supporting kids down the block by releasing their records is some incredibly unique neighborhood pride that I am quite happy to put out a little more widely into the world.
I’m giving away a copy, hell, multiple copies, for my favorite comment(s) posted here of a story about the older kids in the neighborhood when you were growing up. Maybe they were troublemakers. Maybe they had a band. Maybe they positively or negatively influenced you.
kid across the alley had an older brother, this is 1979 went up to his bedroom above the garage covered in Zepplin and Black Sabbath posters mattress on the floor ashtray overflowing with cigarettes and I opened my 8 year old mouth with “I like Led Zepplin” he looks at me and says “name one song” sigh*
I just realized your nose looks good!!! Yay!!! Thank God.
The only old kids in my neighborhood had someone renting out their garage as an apartment. We all stayed away.
I love that you chose to help that girl band, too cool!!!
I was a young kid new to the neighborhood, and a few years younger and smaller than most of the youth. Yet they were kind enough to allow me to play with them. On occasion, my eldest sister would let me hangout with her new friends. This is where I met two of the most handsome brothers ever that left a lasting impression on me. The first one I met while going to the store with said sister. He had long dark wavy hair, tall and thin with dark brown eyes. I remember thinking he was sooooooo good looking!!! Later I met his brother. He also had long wavy hair, but it was golden brown, and he had hazel eyes. I had such a crush on him, so much so that I told my sister that I like him. I think I had asked her to tell him. Ha ha! She kindly let me know that he had a pretty girlfriend, and that she was developed, whereas I was not. Ha ha ha!!! Aaaahhhh childhood! To date, I love long locks/tresses on guys, and hazel eyes still stun me. I find beauty in eyes, they are the window to one’s soul!!!
The older kids in my neighborhood were the first to inform me that Andre the Giant had turned against Hulk Hogan. It was true. So I went along with their recommendations for Run-D.M.C. and LL Cool J. I bought License to Ill but mainly ended up listening to The Fat Boys. Then they were even older kids in the same neighbourhood and were on to Pump and Dr. Feelgood. Those were the last of the cassettes. When the CDs came we had to line up on the day Use Your Illusions came out, but they soon showed me how to exert peer-superiority by putting on Mother Love Bone and Jane’s Addiction. Eventually I learned you had to take your dad’s old turntable downstairs and order NomeansNo records from Maximum Rock n Roll, and stack up 7” on the metal arm and invite M Blanket to come play the legion. Those old kids were assholes but they talked about a lot of good stuff.
When running with the old ‘cool’ kids for the first time on one particular block in middle school, I had an experience. One night we they had a toilet paper the neighborhood type contest and I was still the youngest and sort of new to the group. I helped get my best buds house at the time and then went home while they continued the madness. Turned out my house also got destroyed with toilet paper that night and boy was my pops unhappy. Took me hours to clean up, but while cleaning there was some pride in my knowing they included my house in their pursuit. As if they were showing me I was fun to have around. Teepeeing someone’s house is a highly underrated and very enjoyable activity. If you know the person and it’s safe, I sincerely suggest you do it!
Around 1969 we were 13, my friends and me. 4 of us I on our bicycles on a late afternoon. We saw the 16 year old boys up the block. We were on our wheels and full of our selves. We yelled some obscenities at the older boys. They let out on foot after us, and we took off on our bikes. Stingrays you know with banana seats. We peddled hard for 3 blocks and made a turn up Illinois Avenue thinking we had lost them. Then, what the hell! The 16 year olds come running across the sidewalk from between two houses and snag us buy our handle bars, and sissy bars. Crap! We were out smarted and out maneuvered. Well, they didn’t hurt us, just straddled our front tires and told us what punk ass pussies we were and how they could beat the shit out of us. That was enough for us to tremble in our Keds.
I had some older kids on the bus that I looked up to. They turned me on to Marilyn Manson. I was unfortunately not allowed to buy any Marilyn Manson because of the damn Parental Advisory sticker, but then there was a punk rock kid that showed me some amazing music. I was able to go out and by Misfits, The Damned, Sex Pistols, Nofx, No Use For a Name, Circle Jerks and Descendants CDs because they were on indie labels and didn’t have the Parental Advisory label (Screw you PMRC). My mom was none the wiser and that punk rock I got into holds up much better than Marilyn Manson.
I grew up on the southside of Chicago. In 1970, when I was 10 years old, my parents moved us to Oak Lawn. I saw the band Styx play at Brother Rice High School down the block from me in the mid 70s. Kevin Cronin from REO Speedwagon lived in Oak Lawn and graduated from Brother Rice HS. My friend Scott’s older brother was a respected musician and friends with the members of Styx. One summer night Scott told us his brother was going to be jamming with Styx in his basement so we all hung out and listened in his back yard. Scott, also played a mean guitar and formed a teen band with several of my other friends. One afternoon they were practicing while a bunch of us were hanging out. The drummer stepped out to stretch his lungs so I sat in on drums and jammed out Zeppelin’s Rock and Roll. When we were done Scott came up to me with a big smile on his face and said “that was pretty good!”.
the dude down the road was on a hair metal band and had a drum cage that was made out of fencing and was 360 degrees. when the we’re playing it would rattle the windows in my parents house about 1/4 mile away. I used to sit on the speakers with ear muffs on and would have trouble hearing for hour after!