The Barbarellatones

Temple of Shiva

By Victoria Joyce
(SugarBuzz Hollywood)

SugarBuzz Magazine

Ok, is anyone else doing Trannie Punk Glitter Glam Surf Rock? Rhetorical question. The answer is ‘don’t think so.’ The Barbarellatones have cornered the market. Of course they are from Hollywood. And yes, yes, yes, we love, love, love it. Fishnets on the beach? Leopard print surfboard? Oh, yeah.

We met lead singer and songwriter, Robbie Quine (formerly with Sex with Lurch) at the Malibu Inn a while back at a No Thanks show. Right away, we knew he had excellent taste in music. There have been some changes in the line up for Barbarellatones but joining him on this CD is: Alexis on bass, Roy Stayley on drums, David Arnson on lead guitar, Eletralux and the lovely Kelly Mantle on back up vocals and Go Go dancing.

Songs on the CD are:

“Temple of Shiva,” lots of Hindu imagery and East Indian instrumentation. Hey, it worked for the Stones in “Paint it Black.” Swirling sitars with finger cymbals and tablas with quick beats and lots of twists and turns. You can practically see the belly dancer from here. FYI: Shiva is the goddess who creates-destroys-creates-destroys.

“Glitter Beach”is a smasher! Our favorite. Obvious theme song for band. Hooky guitars and girl group beats, very Shangri Las. Shooby do’s and snaps describe the life and times of a Glam Surfer. Mentions of Stacy Keach getting busted for smoking pot and thrown in a cel with Cheech (rhyme time!). Smeared mascara from surfing? The images are gorgeous.

“Nina Hagen” is a tribute in a time capsule to (who else?) Nina H! Done is a slight German accent. Yavol. References to skinnie ties and other 80’s fashion stays all with a slightly silly and sassy tone with neat 60’s psychedelic guitars ala Velvet Underground and sounding very Lou Reed-y. From his early days.

You can tell a lot about a band from the cover tunes they do. Barbarellatones chose “Pretty Ballerina” from the Summer of Love’s Left Banke. Without doubt this is one of the prettiest sonngs ever done and now redone. Adding Eastern touches of a sitar and lots of smashy finger cymbals and riffy guitars and what sounds like a toy piano and ending with a music box gives this wonderful cover a delicate machine-like ghosting.

“Damn this Illusion” is a sweet sad thing. Maybe the only song with a hint of unhappiness from the singer singing. Low sleepy monotone vocal with machine like guitars and shot-in-cold-blood drums.

“Trashe du Blanc” is a tribute to a white trash beach bunny living on borrowed time. Razor sharp lyrics slice the French language’s integration into English; chartruse, Louis Vuitton, fromage, etc. Wonderfully silly and musically is very very T Rex with lots of ‘fa-fa-fa’s.” Yes, we still wish we could be like David Watts. And those hypnotic fuzzy guitars.

“Verk the Catwalk” could be called “Trashe Two.” It’s an extension of the previous song from the German supermodel point of view. Lyrics are whispered in a purr and guitars beat it out like Lou’s Rock and Roll Animal again with a sitar at the end. Walk on the wild side like a Hindu.

“Dopesick Dolly” is a departure from the rest of this release. A medium slow twangy thing. A totally silly story of a junkie done in a spoofy country alt with funny background singing. Done very well and strickly for laughs. And a hound dog howling at the end.

“IBTC” Standing for “Itty Bitty Titty Committee” relates a story about vengeful teen queens. Too cute. Some nice background singing from the girlies on this one. Like the rest of these songs they tell quirky stories of misfits and outcasts who are laughing at the world that rejects them. Nice.

There is a reprise of “Glitter Beach II” with a lusher approach to the guitars with the same machine beat.

Dead last “Song for Babaji Remix” a beautiful swirling meditative thing chanting in circles with a Hindu prayer at the end reprising the first song. These last two songs wrapping things up nicely.

Overall they had a lot of fun doing this record. Creative and kooky. s said, we heard a lot of Lou in this band with some B-52’s sprinkled over the top like fake sugar confetti candies on a cupcake. Sweet and low.

www.barbarellatones.com

www.myspace.com/theofficialbarbarellatones

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