THE BRAZEN HUSSIES -- 'BRAZEN HUSSIES'

Released in 2000
Peoplesound.com
ART5918-CD01
Dave Queen -- guitar/vox
Lunch -- bass guitar
Russell Curtis -- drums

Thoughts

The second Brazen Hussies EP -- exact personnel unknown, the peoplesound.com label is/was one of those vanity CDR things that gives you only just enough information -- starts with the barely one and a half minute long "The Whole World Envies Us," feedback squeal, a quick riff, a snarl of a verse, harmonized choruses and an unsurprisingly quick tempo. It all feels a bit Ziggy Stardust sped up and angry somehow, but perhaps I'm on crack. "Heavy Electricity" at 4:12 is practically a sidelong Pink Floyd song in comparison but the glam tinge lingers here too, not only in the title but the mannered singing and the sense of lush space created. Mixed with a more ominous slow melody than one would find in "All the Young Dudes," say, it's a surprisingly good anthem that doesn't quite announce itself as such. "Touch It" is the most overtly classic rock thing the band had done yet, thanks to the manic playing on the chorus and the somewhat swaggering singing, though it's not quite boogie as such -- as refracted through Dave Q faves like Urge Overkill, though, perhaps. And logically it's short and has a calm sweet harmonized break as well. The concluding "Whole World Pt. 2 (For Kim Il Sung)," the first titular reflection of Dave's obsession with the state of the world and how collapse is more likely than not, is a clattering, industrial-glitch demolition of the original song (if it's even in there) -- it's a bit like Atari Teenage Riot but without the slogans.
All selections of Dave's are his alone! All links to outside sites, that's under their copyright deal. Anything else, I guess that's copyright me, 2004-whenever.