I was stoked to catch the Rotties again, especially with Slutty Hearts and Bad Sex on the bill. Slutty Hearts is a beloved Portland band with a dark and sexy sound and Bad Sex is a glam punk power pop 4-piece. This show was a pre-tour warm-up for both bands and a nice little primer for me since Slutty Hearts and Bad Sex are very much fixtures of Portland’s Garage Punk scene.
Slutty Hearts blend moody cabaret style retro pop with a dry wit and punk edginess. Led by beguiling chanteuse, Marisa Laurelle, the Slutty Hearts are exactly the kind of band I would love to see on a first date as the moody sexiness and the sly winking humor would set the tone perfectly. This was Slutty Hearts’ first show since March and the debut of their new drummer, Glenn. Fun fact: Slutty Hearts’ former drummer is none other than Joey from The Cry! and before that, Marisa, herself. Despite performing one song from their most recent release, the No-Tell Motel EP, Slutty Hearts‘ set was a mix of covers and unreleased material. Sound issues got things off to a bit of a bumpy start, but this show was something of a pre-season exhibition game for Slutty Hearts, so good laughs and technical gaffes were part of the fun as the band hit their stride with some cool covers (Dwarves‘ You Gotta Burn and Bloodletting from Concrete Blonde) and killer tunes such as my personal favorite, the synthed-out bluesy Devil and Me. Apologies for the song getting cut-off midway ( I forgot to turn off my stupid notifications!) Good news, I found the missing half of the tune and posted the clip, below.
I’m very curious about the story behind the No-Tell Motel EP. With its surge of dark manic, coke-fueled new wave energy in stark contrast to the moodier red wine and cigarettes vibes of their previous releases – is this a hint at what’s to come or a bit of a one-off with a return to more of a cabaret sound? Please forgive my ignorance, I’d love to know more!
[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=1098933943 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small]
I wanna catch up with Marisa, Marty, Cathleen, and Glenn, down the road, once they’ve released their new album, and like I said, find out more about these guys and their cinematic sound. In the meantime, go check We Learned It By Watching You, along with the No-Tell Motel and Bones In The Snow EPs from Slutty Hearts’ Bandcamp. You can also follow Slutty Hearts on Instagram and Facebook.
[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=1993644807 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small]
[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=2187366262 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small]
Slutty Hearts will be playing Real Art Tacoma with The Morning After and Hayley and the Crushers on September 9th.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BYRl_y3BZKe/?taken-by=msmoneynine
Slutty Hearts will also be playing Black Water Bar with The Bloodtypes and Polygris on September 13th.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BYRmWKsB5JC/?taken-by=msmoneynine
I knew of Bad Sex primarily from all my Sadists’ coverage but I was kinda surprised by what I’d heard from their Bandcamp, at least I thought that was their Bandcamp. What I had heard, come to find out, was a completely different Bad Sex band. Needless to say, I was pleasantly reassured to hear some fine glam punk power pop tunes and not the experimental noise surf I had heard online (That music just didn’t seem to fit with a band about to share a stage with The Cry! on Sept. 5th) Bad Sex is more of a laid-back west coast Cheap Trick meets The Cars with a dash of Buzzcocks. I only wish the vocals were louder – not the band’s fault, I know. And Gibsons are a pain to keep in tune! Like I said, pre-season warm-up game.
Bad Sex are definitely ones to watch and I look forward to hearing more from these guys. You can grab your very own Bad Sex tape while supplies last when you catch them with The Cry!, The Sadists, and Street Tramps at Twilight Cafe and Bar on Sept. 5th. Follow Bad Sex on Facebook and Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/p/BX-66E_hd-h/?taken-by=msmoneynine
If you’re in San Clemente, go see Bad Sex and The Sadists with The Flytraps and Leatherette at Knuckleheads September 8th at 8PM.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BYQ7w-RBorh/?taken-by=msmoneynine
And if you’re in Long Beach, go see Bad Sex and The Sadists along with Nico Bones and Eyeliner at Muldoon’s Saloon September 9th at 8PM.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BYRnjAkhcDp/?taken-by=msmoneynine
And of course the Rotties put on a rockin’ show! I nabbed a couple clips before holstering the ‘ol iPhone in order to watch the show like errrbody else. Rotties have just played a successful show in Denver with cult legends, Psychic TV. Very cool, right? I also know that they’ve got a show coming up with The Living End and 50thirdand3rd.com favorites, The Darts – US on September 13th, over at Doug Fir Lounge.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BYRs4kdBQSv/?taken-by=msmoneynine
Rotties’ Show Dates:
9/13 – w/ The Living End and The Darts-US – Doug Fir Lounge 9PM (Doors Open at 8PM 21+) $20-25
http://www.dougfirlounge.com/event/1508273-living-end-portland/
9/29 – Benefit Show for Call To Safety – Ash Street Saloon 9PM (Doors Open at 8PM 21+) $6
w/ The Latter Day Skanks, Titty Babies, and The Variants
“CALL TO SAFETY provides a comprehensive 24/7 crisis line, follow-up advocacy for survivors, support groups, community outreach and education, and sexual assault medical advocacy. They can support crisis line callers in any language through our international language bank, and connect survivors to local culturally-specific resources or co-advocacy. Call to Safety advocates provide every caller with a needs assessment, peer support, safety planning, crisis intervention, and information and referrals to community resources. Their advocates work with specific populations to provide culturally relevant and specialized services for survivors experiencing homelessness, survivors with developmental and intellectual disabilities, and sex workers. Sexual assault advocacy provides specialized services to survivors of sexual assault.” – Benefit Show for Call To Safety’s Facebook Page
And don’t forget to check out Ellis’ book release:
8/28 – The Know – 6-8PM part of Artshitz IV
https://www.instagram.com/p/BYOwDmkB0TS/?taken-by=msmoneynine
