Out in the Mountains

 

by Miki Thomas

Two Nice Girls are actually four
women from Austin, Texas, with an atti-
tude as big as their native state. That atti-
tude was evident ir1 their self-titled 1989
debut with “I Spent My Last Ten Dollars
(on Birth Control and Beer)," a not-so-rev-
erent tribute to the “joys” of heterosexual-
ity. That attitude has been refined in their
recent release, “Chloe Liked Olivia.”

“For the Inauguration” starts off as a
madrigal portraying George Bush as “pa-
tronizing with an obnoxious voice” and
delivering only a “kinder and gentler fuck.”
Its postscript features a Bush impersonator
rapping “wiggle those hips, read those
lips.” The hysterically funny “The Queer
Song” declares that “we’re gonna have a
happy life/Both of us are gonnabe the wife/
I’m gonna tell you how it’s gonna be/It’s
queer, queer fun for you and me.”

It is not all fun and games with Two
Nice Girls, however. As adept as they are
with a satirical song, they can show a sen-
sitive side as well. “Noona’s Revenge” is
about the aftermath of a rape, where
“Noona’s revenge was to write this song.”
“Eleven” is a song portraying the life of a
young girl on the edge of womanhood with-
out the usual corny cliches that mark such
songs about adolescence.

“Chloe liked Olivia” is an excellent
effort by Two Nice Girls, displaying their
talent and abilities in playing different
styles of music and still keeping their in-
sights and wild attitudes intact.

Phranc is another artist who strikes an
attitude, for, as one friend of mine re-
marked, what she may lack musically she
more than makes up for with attitude. She is
an angry young woman; certainly not one
to tangle with. If she were pissed, she'd let
you know.

Women With Attitudes

In Phranc’s 1986 debut, “Folksinger,"
she vented her spleen on female mud-
wrestling and Thomas Noguchi, medical
examiner to the stars. l989’s “I Enjoy
Being a Girl” had her taking on apartheid
and skinheads.

“Positively Phranc," her latest album,
does not entirely show the trademark
Phranc anger. She seems to be a bit more
even-tempered this time around. Her focus
is more on the nature of relationships. “I
Like You” is a gentle song of friendship
that opens the album, while “I’m Not
Romantic” immediately following appears
to be its rebuttal. “Hitchcock” has Phranc
comparing herself to the famous director in
that she perceives certain women to be Kim
Novak and other Hitchcock leading ladies.

Phranc does deal with the issues, again
in a way that masks her anger and causes
her to question the given situation. “Tip-
ton," about the jazz musician Billy Tipton,
has Phranc wondering what made Tipton
pass herself off as a man for forty years.
“Outa Here” is her tribute to those people
living (and dying) with AIDS.

Each Phranc album must have its
“novelty” songs. Such songs marred “I
Enjoy Being a Girl;” “Rodeo Parakeet” and
“Toy Time”were nearly unlistenable due to
either a ridiculous premise or cheesy ar-
rangements. “Positively Phranc” has a
couple of “novelties.” “Gertrude Stein” is a
reworked version of Jonathan Richman’s
“Pablo Picasso” that is actually quite fun.
However, Phranc’s version of the Beach
Boys’ “Surfer Girl” is execrable.

One song does not destroy “Positively
Phranc.” It is different from her first two
albums in that her attitude seems to have
softened. She’s no longer giving her listen-
ers the bird, but she still has plenty to say.

 

$5.00 (U.S.S)

GOLDEN THREADS

a Contact publication for lesbians
over 50 and women who love
older women.

Canada and U.S. Confidential, warm, reli-
able. For free information send self—ad-
dressed envelope; (U.S. residents please
stamp it). Sample copy mailed discreetly,

PO. Box 3177, Burlington, VT 05401

20

V

Join The Fight!
Suppon

The Vermont
Coalition of Lesbians
and Gay Men

in their work to pass legislation
guaranteeing equal rights to Les-
bians and Gay men in Vermont
and insuring protection for
People With AIDS and HIV+
persons. Contribute to our cause
and add your name to our mailing
list. We need your help.

D Yes, I want to be apart of
making Vermont safer for Gays
and Lesbians. Add my name to
your mailing list.

13 Accept my contribution
of to help with ex-
penses and general coalition
building efforts.

Mail form and donations to:
Vermont Coalition of Lesbians and
Gay Men
PO Box 1125
Montpelier VT 05602

Name
Address

Phone

THANK YOUI