A Silver Key Can Open An Iron Lock Somewhere*
Updated: Jun 14, 2022
Vive le Swiss Punk!....
...and pretty much this reflects my feelings after discovering the fantastic LiLiPUT/Kleenex ! When I was writing this I was more than sure that my "research" on Swiss punk would eventually turn out to be a "descent" into a rabbit hole and I was not wrong. LiLIPUT were a Swiss (female - if this makes a substantial difference in order to be mentioned) punk group initially formed as Kleenex in Zurich back in 1978. Of course big conglomerates like Kimberly Clark could not accept any association of their product's name with punk music and made them change their name to LiLIPUT under which they released their only album (an EP and some singles have preceded under both monickers).
I personally loved LiLIPUT/Kleenex music and their cool - almost jazzy - approach which even though quite simplistic in its initial conception, is very much addictive. Of course the term "punk" here is to be taken in its more broad meaning, in others words do not expect any raunchy Discharge-style music but something more in the same context that Fugazi are considered as a hardcore band. Kurt Cobain from Nirvana reserved spot number 20 for "anything by Kleenex" in his list of his 50 favourite ever albums and I think that pretty much says something about their significance...
Mentioning about Cobain's list, also the (in)famous album Philosophy of the World by The Shaggs took the 5th place in it. I am not sure though if this was not an attempt to throw some justice to a band whose story is more sad -actually a history of parental abuse- than funny or if Cobain really liked the album. We will never find out I guess...
There is actually a second album by The Shaggs out there, named Shaggs' Own Thing which contains tracks from a 1975 recording session that had gone unreleased due to the death of Austin Wiggin (the band members' father and manager) and the band's subsequent disbanding. In addition to the three Wiggin sisters (Dot, Helen and Betty), this album includes contributions from their father Austin Jr., their younger sister Rachel, and their brother Robert. The album, consisting of cover songs in its biggest part, is the closest thing to "normal" music that anyone could listen from The Shaggs however if it was not for the notoriety of their first record, it would still go unnoticed...
Closing this post, I would like to write some words about my new "discovery", Psychic Hit the Hard rock/Retro-Metal group by the multitalented Andrea Genevieve. Truth is, that the band has received a lot of "hate" and "dissing" by pure metal elitists but in my opinion this is totally unjustifiable. Maybe their songs "show" too much their influences and maybe there are not so many elements of originality in them but honestly tell me how many of the recent "retro-revival" bands are 100% original...
Their Led Zeppelin, early Scorpions, Ozzy-era Sabbath, Kiss and ACDC influenced Hard Rock is highly enjoyable and very well played and personally I enjoy it very much as it honours its influences right. As far as the "haters" are concerned, I think they are actually just finding it hard to "digest" that someone outside from the "scene" can play metal and hard rock so great. Do not let perceptions stop you from discovering Psychic Hit...
*The Blog post title is taken from the same-named song by LiLiPUT