Saw Cunts with Attitude (CWA) last night at Paula's Clubhouse. It was Wednesday, which is Faster Pussycat night, when the coolest girl bands play. It's about my favorite place to see shows. Next week Bratmobile plays there -- they're also playing at Gilman and I think the Chameleon this week.
Anyway, CWA are a white-girl rap group. They have a track on Stars Kill Rock, the 2nd Kill Rock Stars comp (only on the CD version, though). It's called "Only Straight Girls Wear Dresses," and it's the story of a dress-wearing dyke who makes another girl eat her words concerning proper lesbian apparel. Live, the track was one of the big stand-outs.
Remember the Yeastie Girls? The Yeasties generally didn't have backing tracks, and "flowing" wasn't really in their vocabulary -- they sort of chanted. They did perform on one of the few listenable tracks on the last Consolidated Record, "You Suck," which proved that with a bit of production-values, they could be pretty good.
CWA do have backing tracks, but they're not exactly slammin' all the time. Sometimes they just relied on the output from a Rapman toy keyboard, which was o.k., if a bit tinny. On a few songs, they used guitar and bass, but it was a little lo-tech. But they're from Olympia, so lo-tech is fine. I overheard a woman complaining that it wasn't dance-able, and asking her friend if Bratmobile was dance-able, so she'd know if she should come back next week. Some people just can't get past the idea that everything must sound polished, in-synch, and sterile. Most of the audience was much more forgiving, because the lyrics expressed ideas that were unique and worthwhile.
Speaking of which, the other highlight was Chickenhawk [available on the compilation Outpunk Dance Party], in which a butch dyke on a motorcycle picks up a straight girl. The chorus is a joyous chant of "Boy, I fucked your girlfriend -- and she is done with boys!" This song captured the macho, bragging element of rap, and recasts it as bulldyke bravado.
Because I don't really believe in the idea that music must be polished, CWA are fine with me the way they are. But with a producer who could lend a hand with the beats, loops, and samples, they could arrest the ears of even people who won't listen if they can't dance.
Larry-bob
7/30/97