I
hate cover bands. Or more accurately, I hate the demand for cover bands, the
unimaginative audience that is only too happy to hear a ubiquitous song covered
by some anonymous bar band, a song that they just heard on the radio while
parking the car outside the club. Then there are Tribute Bands whose whole shtick
is recreate bands that usually aren’t that great to begin with ( AC/DC, Def
Leppard) or to pander to aging fans (Beatles, Ramones ). These are musicians with failed careers who justify
their existence by mistaking simpleton fans’ misplaced worship for appreciation
of their own miserable talent. Did you know that there’s even a Guided By
Voices tribute band? For god’s sake, let
Robert Pollard drink himself to death in peace!
Of
course like any opinionated bastard, I make exceptions based on whim and my own
skewed code of ethics. There are two
cover bands I adore. First, the Detroit Cobras who play trashy and many times improved (sacrilege!) covers
of obscure ‘60s R&B. Their success
is in completely making the songs their own and not slavish recreation. And
second, from right here in the Dirt City it’s the fabulous Five Star Motelles,
harmonizing on scads of 60s Girl Group chart-toppers. I’ve been wanting to
profile the band in these pages since their 2009 inception but it was always
shot down as a conflict of interest since half of the group were then Alibi
personnel. That’s no longer the case so I am now finally free to gush with
impunity.
It’s said that you never really outgrow the music you loved in your formative years. Most Motelles shows, it’s a safe bet I’m the only one in the room who was alive when their repertoire was originally on the charts and all over the radio. The Crystals’ Then He Kissed Me and Da Doo Ron Ron , both penned in 1963 by Phil Spector and Brill Building trailblazers Jeff Barry & Ellie Greenwich. Money (That’s What I Want) co-written in 1960 by Motown Records founder Berry Gordy for singer Barrett Strong. “Unchained Melody” was originally recorded in 1955 but became a hit ten years later when Spector produced the definitive Righteous Brothers version. Eighteen year old Leslie Gore’s You Don’t Own Me from 1964. Never gals to be in rut, the Motelles also offer a few fine originals, a Depeche Mode hit and a stellar version of The Passenger that has just as much in common with Siouxsie’s cover as Iggy Pop’s original. A cover of a cover? The mind boggles.
Please
don’t call any of the old girl group stuff doo-wop because it isn’t.
Culturally, every decade’s pop sensibilities take a few years to completely
slough off the previous ten years’ worth. The girl group was no exception, what
with a few shang-a-lang’s and shoop --shoop’s thrown into the mix but for authentic doo wop (which originated as
vocals only on the Black and Puerto Rican street corners of Brooklyn, the Bronx
and Queens), check out the 1950s’ Penguins, Five Satins or Del Vikings.
Producers
like Spector, Shadow Morton and Leiber & Stoller embellished their hits with
symphonic layers of voices, instrumentation and sound effects. This meant that onstage
the Ronettes or Shangri-La’s or the Dixie Cups never had a live band but sang
along to an instrumental track. The Motelles replace those luxuriant sonic
layers with a five -piece pop combo . In their capable hands (and voices), the
heart and foundation -- the
lyrics and melody -- of the originals are front and center. It’s a testament to
the Brill writers that their songs still shine without the ten or fifteen
studio musicians of the original sessions.
It’s also a testament to the Motelles that they can pull off these sometimes
weary chestnuts without a hint of irony. They’re darn good pop songs that stand
the test of time, played by a multitalented and fun band.
The
five stars of the Five Stars are the lovely and talented von Bonbon sisters who
all share vocals. On electric guitar , the coquettish Coco von Bonbon (Laura
Marrich: The Gracchi, Up The Holler ) who, with her fancy fingernails, shreds
the strings and possibly your face if you misbehave. The multifarious Muffin
von Bonbon (Mauro Woody: Lady Uranium and Glass Menageries ) handily works both acoustic
and electric guitars. Frolicsome Frau von Bonbon (Gio Anderson: Hit By A Bus) keeps
a frisky back beat . The giocoso Gigi von
Bonbon (Marisa De Marco; Ya Ya Boom, Bigawatt) thumps the bottom end on bass
and her deep vocals. And the nimble Nastia von Bonbon (black belt babe Amy
Dalness) tickles the keys and your fancy. They’re a vox powerhouse, from robust
to raucous, from sweet to (p)operatic depending on which Von Bonbon is at the mic. To add to the fun, the ladies vary
their not-inconsiderable wardrobe and wiggage from gig to gig. One show, the
theme could be juvenile delinquents strutting down these mean streets with
razor blades in their hair, another it might be
sweet –sixteen party girls at Carrie-stage
meltdown.
Due
to maternity, crusading journalism, commitments to other bands and
stunt-womaning, they rarely gig these days so you best see the show when you
have a chance and that means this coming Tuesday at Low Spirits. Please plan on
stopping at The 5 Star Motelles. No need to call ahead for reservations. There will be metaphorical fluffy clean linen
and a tasty mint on your pillow.
Headlining
is spaghetti-western psychedelia of Spindrift. Also on deck are the
Klondykes, a new local act
self-described as “all-girl psych surf rock dance freak out!” To which I’d add
“with maybe a hint of riot grrrl.”
this originally appeared in the Weekly Alibi in a slightly different form
