Spanking Charlene had to point themselves out to us, quite embarrassing really because once you’ve heard the down home, old school garage rock howlers you’ll understand why writing about it is exactly what a website named rock nyc should be doing.
So yes we are really, really late on Spanking Charlene. Missed their debut album., 2012’s Where Are The Freaks, missed them beating out 1000 bands to win Sirius’ “Best Unsigned Band In America”, missed Steve Van Zandt producing two songs off the album and Eric Ambel producing the rest. Even Drew Carey beat us to it.
Charlene McPherson is the lead singer and then some, a tough gal someone dubbed attitude with ovaries, hail Mary of a one liner if ever there was one but on in keeping with their hard edge riff and rock power blasts of three minute infinite rock songs. She struts, she sticks out her chin, she wails, it’s like she jumped 30 years from the Blackhearts to Spanking Charlene and now we are getting another woman ready to go ballistic on us. It is all mini skirt and heels and pithy putdowns: "I was sick of getting excited to go out and see some great live music, only to find some sensitive, acoustic guitar playing girl bearing her soul to the audience and putting me to sleep in the process."
But, SC is a band and the rest of this rootsy tootsie blues based rockers is Mo Goldner on guitar (and has a coupla killer solos on the album) plays rhythm section Alison Jones on bass and Phil Cimino on drums. There is no doubting why these guys are so popular, none at all. Charlene kicks it and the rest of the band scrimmage round her like it is 1977.
Alyson will be reviewing the album soon and In the meanwhile you can stream Where Are The Freaks? On Spotify. After 8 years, it’s the least these rockers deserve.