Pussy Galore – Reflex: Pussy Galore (PRESS, US)

In the two years of Pussy Galore’s existence, I’ve been hurled through a frightening deja-vu history lesson. Unlike any I’ve had in school, this was the origin and evolution of the twisted side of Rock ‘n’ Roll. I don’t mean to say that Pussy Galore has shed any light on the old, typically banal arguments of who did what first. Nor did they clear up the equally trivial discussion of how many parents Allan Freed drove to drink; or whether or not Elvis has formally been lifted to a state of dification. What they have done however, is miniaturize a twenty year span of rock degeneracy and echo those sentiments in their own demented style of music.

Let’s start with the 60’s. Pussy Galore has emulated, in a let of ways, the brash rebellion of the early Rolling Stones material. They seemed to have travelled back in time, taken a Freudian look inside the collective heads of Mick and Co., and learned just what it was that made the Stones “The Stones!” They flaunt the same type of rawness in their music that drew people to Mick Jagger’s wailing and juvenilistic antics. Only they do it together as a band with screeching guitars, noise and primal screams.

They’ve also embraced the punk mentality of the 70’s. The same “fuck you” attitude is spat at us countless times with each utterance of that very phrase throughout their songs. Let’s face it Pussy Galore isn’t big on lyrical content. They’re not big on sentimentality either. They borrow from the same upturned lip sneer the Sex Pistols gave us during their brief roman candle career. They just pelt out their garage-punk-psychedelia and don’t care if people like it or not.

Pussy Galore didn’t escape an 80’s influence either. Just as many 80’s artists are rediscovering the merits and impact of noise, the Galore clan has given us a fair dose of it too. They use noise as a central theme, with much the same impact a lot of industrial bands have. On “Rope Legend”, a cut from their most recent release, Right Now! on Caroline Records, distortion isn’t really used as an effect. It seems to be the whole focus of the song! They also use noise as a jumper cable for whomever is listening. Kind of like John Zorn’s input on the Violent Femmes track “White Girls.” Pussy Galore uses noise to jolt the listener and get them moving again.

Right Now! is reckless and scary. Cuts like “Pussy Stomp,” “New Breed,” and “Knock Up” live and breath an industrial sound of rock that can’t be taken lying down, or sitting up for that matter. This is definitely their strongest work to date.

by Rich Shupe”