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Oriphiel · 01-06-2015, 08:36 AM

Looking through Bomp Records' extensive catalogue of albums and singles, I found a band that caught my interest. Named "Les Hell on Heels", from Phoenix Arizona, they're apparently the remnants of a short-lived band called "The Peeps". After starting over with a new name, they joined Bomp to cut their self-titled debut album, which was received fairly well (by the few people who heard it, that is). While information on this obscure band is hard to come by, Bomp's listing for their CD credits production to Jack Endino (who has a good reputation, working with bands like Mudhoney). Comprised of Chela LaRue, Paula Monarch, Katie Rose, and Kristin Machynski, here is their 2004 debut!

Les Hell on Heels

1. "My Kind of Trouble" - Opening with a straightforward Punk-style rocker, Les Hell on Heels attack with short and rough bursts of guitar work, loud and solid drumming, and steady bass playing. The dirty and laid-back vocals tie it all together, allowing these girls to kick things off with a fun and memorable bang!

2. "Got What You Need" - A fantastic and catchy Pop-Punk number! It kind of sounds like a roughed up and psyched out version of Nikki and the Corvettes, having clear and sweet vocals/harmonies layered over furious Punk instrumentation! This is a great song, and it leaves quite an impression.

3. "Hell on Heels" - Heavily influenced by the rough-yet-catchy sound of Pop-Punk bands from the late 1970's, as well as the Skate-Punk bands of the 1990's, this is a very rough and uncompromising foot-stomper! These girls can definitely rock with the best of 'em.

4. "He's Alright" - A great mixture of sweet and snarl, the guitar is distorted almost to the point of having a fuzz-effect over it! Another track that slams into you, without a moment's rest.

5. "Said and Done" - This one changes things up by having a slightly less grit to it (although the slamming drums and almost-fuzz-guitar returns in grand fashion). Altogether, a very strong and catchy Pop-Punk song.

6. "Ain't so Cool" - Similar to the other tracks on the album, albeit a little more scattered and sloppy. It's still fairly solid, even if it lacks the catchy polished-roughness of the earlier tracks in lieu of going for a purely raw sound.

7. "Real Thing" - The vocals here remind me of Paula Pierce's gloriously sloppy Garage Rock snarls! The drumming and guitar work are handled very well in this one, having a nice and heavy Punk tone to them.

8. "Broke Down Love" - I like the "Destroy that Boy"-esque lyrics in this Punk number ( like "I'll take him down to the junkyard, and smash him for parts!"). Definitely has a fun charm to it's wild energy, and the slow-down at the end is a nice touch.

9. "Waste of Time" - Starting with a nice guitar riff, this rough track has a good amount of fairly clean vocals harmonies to give it depth. Of all the songs on this album, this is the one that borders most on Hard Rock/Garage Rock territory.

10. "Pretender" - A very infectious number, I quickly found myself drumming along to it! Another Punk track that relies on a core guitar riff and steady drumming, although they mix things up by changing the riff near the end of the song, before the guitar break.

11. "Snake Eyes" - This one edges on on a Metal sound when it begins, having heavy use of bass drumming and low guitar playing. However, it quickly becomes a Pop-Punk song, finishing the album just as it started; with a beautiful bang!

If you listen to their album on youtube, keep in mind that whoever uploaded it made a mistake; they mixed up the names of two tracks. Their upload of "Said and Done" is actually "Ain't so Cool", and vice versa.

Les Hell of Heels are often identified as a Garage Rock band, and their inclusion to Bomp Records lends authenticity to that label. However, I think it's much more accurate to say that they're a Pop-Punk band through and through. In that regard, this album is a very solid piece of work, and is a fantastic marriage of brutal minimalism with bubblegum hooks. Although it lacks much experimentation and variety, it's also incredibly catchy and engaging. All in all, I highly recommend it, and I'll be keeping an eye out for more of their work!

01-06-2015, 08:36 AM	#73 (permalink)
Oriphiel Ask me how! Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: The States Posts: 5,354	Punk/Post-Punk Looking through Bomp Records' extensive catalogue of albums and singles, I found a band that caught my interest. Named "Les Hell on Heels", from Phoenix Arizona, they're apparently the remnants of a short-lived band called "The Peeps". After starting over with a new name, they joined Bomp to cut their self-titled debut album, which was received fairly well (by the few people who heard it, that is). While information on this obscure band is hard to come by, Bomp's listing for their CD credits production to Jack Endino (who has a good reputation, working with bands like Mudhoney). Comprised of Chela LaRue, Paula Monarch, Katie Rose, and Kristin Machynski, here is their 2004 debut! Les Hell on Heels 1. "My Kind of Trouble" - Opening with a straightforward Punk-style rocker, Les Hell on Heels attack with short and rough bursts of guitar work, loud and solid drumming, and steady bass playing. The dirty and laid-back vocals tie it all together, allowing these girls to kick things off with a fun and memorable bang! 2. "Got What You Need" - A fantastic and catchy Pop-Punk number! It kind of sounds like a roughed up and psyched out version of Nikki and the Corvettes, having clear and sweet vocals/harmonies layered over furious Punk instrumentation! This is a great song, and it leaves quite an impression. 3. "Hell on Heels" - Heavily influenced by the rough-yet-catchy sound of Pop-Punk bands from the late 1970's, as well as the Skate-Punk bands of the 1990's, this is a very rough and uncompromising foot-stomper! These girls can definitely rock with the best of 'em. 4. "He's Alright" - A great mixture of sweet and snarl, the guitar is distorted almost to the point of having a fuzz-effect over it! Another track that slams into you, without a moment's rest. 5. "Said and Done" - This one changes things up by having a slightly less grit to it (although the slamming drums and almost-fuzz-guitar returns in grand fashion). Altogether, a very strong and catchy Pop-Punk song. 6. "Ain't so Cool" - Similar to the other tracks on the album, albeit a little more scattered and sloppy. It's still fairly solid, even if it lacks the catchy polished-roughness of the earlier tracks in lieu of going for a purely raw sound. 7. "Real Thing" - The vocals here remind me of Paula Pierce's gloriously sloppy Garage Rock snarls! The drumming and guitar work are handled very well in this one, having a nice and heavy Punk tone to them. 8. "Broke Down Love" - I like the "Destroy that Boy"-esque lyrics in this Punk number ( like "I'll take him down to the junkyard, and smash him for parts!"). Definitely has a fun charm to it's wild energy, and the slow-down at the end is a nice touch. 9. "Waste of Time" - Starting with a nice guitar riff, this rough track has a good amount of fairly clean vocals harmonies to give it depth. Of all the songs on this album, this is the one that borders most on Hard Rock/Garage Rock territory. 10. "Pretender" - A very infectious number, I quickly found myself drumming along to it! Another Punk track that relies on a core guitar riff and steady drumming, although they mix things up by changing the riff near the end of the song, before the guitar break. 11. "Snake Eyes" - This one edges on on a Metal sound when it begins, having heavy use of bass drumming and low guitar playing. However, it quickly becomes a Pop-Punk song, finishing the album just as it started; with a beautiful bang! If you listen to their album on youtube, keep in mind that whoever uploaded it made a mistake; they mixed up the names of two tracks. Their upload of "Said and Done" is actually "Ain't so Cool", and vice versa. Les Hell of Heels are often identified as a Garage Rock band, and their inclusion to Bomp Records lends authenticity to that label. However, I think it's much more accurate to say that they're a Pop-Punk band through and through. In that regard, this album is a very solid piece of work, and is a fantastic marriage of brutal minimalism with bubblegum hooks. Although it lacks much experimentation and variety, it's also incredibly catchy and engaging. All in all, I highly recommend it, and I'll be keeping an eye out for more of their work! Last edited by Oriphiel; 03-06-2015 at 04:22 AM.