The Launderettes
Shaken And Disturbed
Big Dipper Records

If you're a boy or man and your clothes are dirty, I don't recommend visiting these laundry machines. They seem very hostile towards male persons. By now The Launderettes are four girls and a Greek boy and the songs deal with unhappy and violent love affairs and upbringings - and trouble, from female points of view. Boyfriends, husbands, fathers and men in general are deceitful, violent, sleazy, weak losers and/or cowards. Titles like "I Wanna Jump Your Bones", "You're So Wrong" and "Rebel Love" indicate that the girls have learned their lesson the hard way. Now they're contemptuous and cynical: Got no money, I don't care, Got no job, I don't care, Got no future, I don't care.

The Launderettes play hard garage rock the way American punk bands of the 60s like The Standells, Chocolate Watch Band, The Stooges and MC5 tried to create, only a little heavier. Add a touch of female glamrock queen Suzi Quatro vocals and Stranglers' bass and organ in between and you might know what we're talking about. You've heard it all before, rock'n'roll to the bone. Shaken And Disturbed is The Launderettes debut album. They've released three singles earlier (Rebel Love was presented in a previous Luna Menu). I feared an entire album might be tiresome in the long run, but the girls and boy make full use of the variations within the genre. 10 short songs in less than 30 minutes is just about right. I especially enjoy the tough guitar dominated "You're So Wrong", the ditto Farfisa dominated "Loser" with a touch of Ennio Morricone and the cynical "Transition Man" is another goodie. A garage version of The Isley Brothers' "Nobody But Me" sounds a little more pop-tinged than the self-penned songs, but it works. Guitars, guitars and organ - and no kidding!

Copyright © 2002 JP