SECRET PROSTITUTES / CROOKED BANGS – SPLIT 7”

Two bands located in Texas, one was singing in French, the other in Indonesian and I’m gonna put out a Split 7“ for them… Do you know which bands I’m talking about!? If not, here is the answer: Crooked Bangs and Secret Prostitutes. After their stunning first record, Crooked Bangs approach their sound in a way that is sinister but also inviting, a veil of gloom — courtesy of Ginestra’s foreboding vocals and Wendel’s snappy guitar work — with an inducing rhythm section. There are elements of ’70s punk and ’60s garage rock lurking throughout, but these influences don’t override their own ideas. The upfront person is vocalist/bassist Leda Celeste Ginestra, who sings like she discovered punk in the catacombs of a Parisian cabaret. Alternating between French and English lyrics, Ginestra brings uncommon depth and richness to macabre depictions of blood castles and flesh-ripping wolves. At the same time, she’s quick to morph into guttural, Linda Blair-style screeching when the song demands it. Guitarist Samantha Wendel cuts the clutter in favor of finding the perfect surf-goth tone, while drummer Phillip Gonzalez plows through the anxious night like a pepped-up trucker. On the flip there will be the mysterious reincarnation of KBD Punk. In my opinion there’s no introduction needed! You just have to know that the KBD spirit of the band and the music fit genuinely into the era of the style. They would fit perfectly into the early Houston punk scene of bands looking for a place to play. The beat and Indonesian lyrics will cause you to tap your boot, shake your ass and scratch your head while you’re banging it. But it will always make you smile, unlike your KGB counterparts who haven’t been this confused since trying to understand the argot of contempt sung secretively by bands behind the Iron Curtain.