Gorevette
(Strange Girl)
The era of distaff garage/punk bands arguably hit its peak in the mid ‘90s when outfits like the Donnas and the Chubbies were cresting in popularity, although both prior to that (say, the Pandoras and the Go-Go's in the ‘80s) and afterwards (Gore Gore Girls, The Ettes) there have been bands who could talk the talk and walk the walk while kicking the boys' asses with the best of ‘em. Before any of those avatars, however, there was Nikki Corvette, who as frontwoman for Nikki & the Corvettes (nee Nikki Corvette & the Convertibles) was one of the strongest and most charismatic personalities ever to emerge from the late ‘70s Detroit scene - which, if you know your Detroit rock city history, is saying a lot. Not for nothing did the Donnas themselves utter the memorable line, "I wanna be like Nikki Corvette" in their tune "Gimme My Radio."
Since Corvette's self-titled LP debut for Bomp! Records in 1980 she's gone through periods of intense activity followed by extended dips off the radar, although in recent years she's been spotted fronting Nikki Corvette & the Stingrays. Now we've got Gorevette, which as the band moniker might suggest is a summit between Corvette and Amy Gore, along with bassist Lianna Castillo (also from the Gore Gore Girls) and drummer Al King (a veteran of numerous Detroit bands, including Mitch Ryder and Scott Morgan's Powertrane). The group came about by a fortuitous sequence of events, and the resulting 7-song mini-album Lustfully Yours, recorded with Jim Diamond and Pete Bankert, won't disappoint fans of either the GGGs or Corvette's previous work, as it's a no-nonsense, straight-up slab of tuneful yet hi-nrg rawk.
It kicks off with manifesto "Nothing's Gonna Stop Me," quintessential MC5/Stooges-styled Detroit in its churning fretwork and pounding beat; that's Motor City alumnus Deniz Tek of Radio Birdman guesting on guitar (he also turns up on a later track, "Brand New Lover"). Then comes the powerhouse title cut, an arena-worthy, strutting, swaggering number with brassy Shangri-Las-styled vox from Corvette (listen for her "oohhh..." right before the break) and a searing, right-to-the-point guitar solo from Gore. Another highlight is the naughty, raucous "Fake It" which takes care of business, Buzzcocks style, in under 2 ½ minutes, while "Honey Don't You Know?" has a poppy, surf-inspired girl group vibe (there's even a classic spoken word interlude) that'll charm the beehive hairdo right off all you sixties buffs.
If this platter is intended to test the waters for a subsequent full-length, I'll cast my vote in the "yea" column. Corvette's voice remains undiminished after over 30 years of belting it out at the mic, and Gore's signature hollow body Gretsch sound is as meaty and visceral as ever - musically simpatico, and a meeting of minds that bodes well for future endeavors. The band is playing a string of east coast dates with the Donnas starting March 24, followed by a quick jaunt over to Japan (tour itinerary at their MySpace page), so if Gorevette winds up coming anywhere near you, attendance is a no brainer. Tell ‘em Uncle Blurt sent ya.
Standout Tracks: "Lustfully Yours," "Fake It," "Nothing's Gonna Stop Me" FRED MILLS
