Local Label supports women rockers

The trendy garage rock movement has been lacking one key element: women. Yes, you might… The trendy garage rock movement has been lacking one key element: women. Yes, you might argue the Donnas know how to move and Sahara Hot Nights have some serious Joan Jett moments. But, how can they really capture the grittiness of rock ‘n’ roll in between commercials for “Sorority Life II” and “Taildaters”?

Get Hip, the Pittsburgh label that prides itself on great rock ‘n’ roll and, most recently, retro re-issues, is home to two all-female or female-centric bands that embody that sleazy, scruffy noise known as rock. The Gore Gore Girls and the Paybacks don’t share a similar sound, but do share a home city of Detroit and deliver honest music with each electrically driven thrust of their guitars.

The Paybacks released their new album, Knock Loud, on Get Hip last May. The album begins with a fierceness that is rare today. Their take-no-prisoners approach to raw musicality is startling to say the least on the opening track, “Just You Wait.” Wendy Case’s throaty voice and forceful energy drive the album from beginning to end. The huskiness of her voice reeks of two packs a day washed down with a fifth of whiskey.

Knock Loud travels down a fast and furious highway with the usual traffic jams and roadblocks. Not that it’s bad, it just jolts the listener into different shifts with each song, most of which were written by Cas, although a few were penned by Delicato. The final song, “Vegas,” slows things down a bit, but adds a solid ending to an unbreakable album.

The three lads in the band don’t take second place to Case’s strong energy, but rather they just urge it on faster and faster. Marco Delicato, guitarist for The Paybacks, seriously knows how to rock a guitar. His quick hooks and contagious vigor add the complementary wail to Case’s growls. Mike Latulippe on drums and John Szymanski on bass add the final flames to the already huge fire that fuels the band.

While Case rocks with the boys, The Gore Gore Girls hark back days of 1950s girl groups with their matching outfits and glorious singalongs. But this doesn’t mean they don’t play serious music. Their first album, Strange Girls, is full of heavy guitar riffs, and their second release Up All Night doesn’t disappoint either.

Amy Surdu’s thick, rich voice is mature beyond her years. As the only original member, she developed a serious sound for herself during the past seven years. Through the usual ins and outs of a band’s lineup, some serious musicians joined Surdu in her quest for musical purity. Melody Licious, formerly of Broadzilla, and Cathy Carrell, of Inside Out, complete the girl group madness. While their sound may not be groundbreakingly new, it is refreshing and something worth listening to on sticky summer afternoons.

If they’re good enough to tour with The Cramps this spring they’re worthy of anyone’s Discman. And you can support a local label while you’re at it.