The bill was Flesh Wounds, Boykiller, and Fan Modine. Flesh Wounds, with members of the Moaners, Last Year's Men, and Future Kings of Nowhere, play very garage-y, screaming trash rock in the oldest of skools. Nothing too original, but very high energy, and fun. Fan Modine has been around awhile, though it's the first time I've seen them. They didn't light my world on fire, very well made and played indie pop... I'll have to see'em again to make up my mind.
Boykiller was the revelation. Boykiller is Theresa Stone (ex-Organos, North Elementary), Ginger Wagg (ex-Veelee), and Catherine Steele (ex-Animal Alphabet). This trio has a ragged, fun, stripped-down sound, driven by keyboards (Catherine), drums (Ginger), and ukelele and/or guitar (Theresa). Theresa is usually up front singing, but they all chime in with harmonies at times, or pick up a second guitar now and then.
What makes them interesting is that there's a sort of melancholic poppiness, and a serrated edge. Despite the fuzz and fun in the live show, there's a bittersweet undercurrent. They remind me of '90s great Cub, who were bubblegum on the surface, but had a lot more depth than that -- as do Boykiller. And sort of like that band at times (probably moreso), they sing unapologetically about sex, love, and heartbreak. Oh yeah, and pornography. Can't forget the pornography. They closed with a hilarious medley of Let's Talk About Sex and What's Your Fantasy ("Lick-lick-lick-lick you from your head to your TOES...").
Two of their songs on Bandcamp pretty much give you the idea of what they're about. Get Get is them gettin' Ludacris in their own white girl, punky way ("You just wanna get get, you just wanna get get... naked naked naked all the time!"). Funny and fun stuff. Then Double Feature's beautiful and sad harmonies go in a completely different direction. And I LOVE the banner. It doesn't merely say "BOYKILLER". It says "BOYKILLER BANNER!". They took the time to sew in the word "banner". That also reminded me of another (obscure and long dead) band they have a bit in common with, The Furies, who did a great song called Arts and Crafts! So they're artsy, crafty, AND sexy! I mean, check out those Sugarbaker dresses. Seriously.
Boykiller play next at the Casbah in Durham, Friday, May 4th, with Twelve Thousand Armies and Little Bull Lee.
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