Search - Cocktail Slippers :: Saint Valentine's Day Massacre

A New Girl Group Classic

Dewey Gurall | Pittsburgh, PA USA | 06/24/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"COCKTAIL SLIPPERS- Saint Valentine's Day Massacre



Little Steven Van Zandt is a man on a mission. A one man crusade to popularize and perpetuate Garage Rock in it's many guises. And, it's a much more diverse genre than you might expect. From the Stones-y yet trippy rawness of veterans like The Chesterfield Kings (whose 2007 release PSYCHEDELIC SUNRISE is the ultimate example of this form of music at it's finest) to the youthful exuberance of the latest White Stripes wannabes, there's quite a lot of it around. "Little Steven's Underground Garage" is both a nationally syndicated weekly radio show and an entire channel on the Sirius satellite network, dedicated to Garage and it's many relatives. Like any genre, there's good and bad. Just don't make the mistake of thinking that because it's technically simple music, it's easy to be good at. If music was just about technique, we'd all be listening to nothing but really complex classical stuff. Garage Rock, at it's best, is the distillation of the essence of rock and roll.



Which brings us to the Cocktail Slippers. Four girls from Oslo, Norway. This is their third album, and a big leap forward from their last (2004's MASTERMIND), in no small part thanks to Little Steven (you know his day job, I'm guessing) and Jean Beauvoir's (whose musical pedigree would take up several pages- suffice to say, this guy's been around and he knows his stuff) excellent production. But don't think this is a Svengali deal- the self-produced MASTERMIND proved that they're very good on their own. But this disc benefits from better performances and stronger songwriting - subtract a little fuzztone, accentuate harmonies and melodies. I'd say they've matured since their last album, but that sounds too much like they're not having fun anymore, and that's clearly not the case. At it's best, it's a marriage of girl group vocals with music informed (but not overwhelmed) by Punk Rock and, more importantly, New Wave.



The Little Steven penned title track (one of two he contributes) is the best song here. It's a classic girl group song (think Shangri-La's or more recently, early Bangles) with great dynamics and thoughtful production touches like handclaps under a flanged guitar solo. Classic. But these girls are no slouches when it comes to songwriting either."Gotta Crush" could be a Ronettes outtake (a really great outtake, that is). "Sentenced To Love" and "Anything You Want" take their cues from the early British Invasion while the chorus to "You Do Run" cleverly takes advantage of it's similarity to "Da Do Run Run" to great effect. "Round and Round" starts off as a strong garage rocker before a great melodic chorus gives it something extra.Of the two covers, Connie Francis' "Don't Ever Leave Me" is one of the weaker tracks, but Lesley Gore's "She's A Fool" is a highlight and another place where the production really shines.



Musically, these girls play with the energy of the best of their ilk, but it's vocalist/organist Modesty Blaze who elevates the Slippers sound into something special. Her sexy croon is a rare thing in this kind of music (or any kind, come to think of it) and really makes the band stand out. My only complaint is that the organ is too quiet in the mix. This was also true on MASTERMIND but there the fuzztone was a lot louder. Here, there are some songs that would've seriously benefited from the organ being more dominant. Oh well...



Anyway...in the mood for something fun that doesn't take itself too seriously? Something that rocks hard but isn't too noisy? With great melodies and cool harmonies right out of the sixties? Well, my friends, look no further.



Thanks to Little Steven, a lot of bands that wouldn't have a chance on radio have an outlet. He's the patron saint of Garage Rock, and he does it out of love for the music (believe me, he makes a lot more money as a member of the E Street Band). At the very least, he deserves respect. I wish more veteran rockers would take an interest in keeping the past alive, and promoting the future of whatever genre is close to their hearts. OK, off the soapbox..."

Cocktail Slippers New Release Is Awesome

Robert R. | Grafton, Wi | 05/30/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This all girl band from Denmark, I believe, have released a killer no filler release for 2009 in SAINT VALENTINE'S DAY MASSACRE. This is their 3rd release in like the last 10 years but they sure can hold their own against the wave of girl bands and girl groups. It's the Shangri-Las meets the Bangles with a bit harder edge but still maintaining an excellent pop girl group vocal and great harmonies spun together into a contemporary sound. I get chills from the title cut especially and could not wait until this cd was finally released at the end of April on Wicked Cool Records and produced by Little Steven."

My new favorite album

sb-lynn | Santa Barbara, California United States | 05/09/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I can't believe I hadn't heard of this band before. I have become a huge fan of the weekly syndicated program, Little Steven's Underground Garage, where they have put the Cocktail Slippers song Saint Valentine's Day Massacre in regular rotation.



This is just a terrific album. If you were a fan of some of the girl groups from the 80's - in particular the Go-Go's and The Bangles, I think you'd really like this.



I urge you to play the sample of that song, and see if you're not hooked. And here's the great thing - all the songs on this album are good - not a clunker in the bunch. There's even an old Lesley Gore song in there, although it took me a minute to recognize it.



Highly recommended."