Notes from the underground.

IT CAN BE SAID WITH AUTHORITY THAT GIRLSCHOOL, an arse-kicking metal band that blew out of South London in 1979, is the greatest all-girl band that ever rocked. You can talk about the Runaways, an invention of the '70s featuring Joan Jett and Lita Ford. Some experts will mention the Slits, for their obscure post-punk-reggae-groove thing. Current queens The Donnas are still figuring out their chops. When it comes to pure metal chunkage backed by a wall of Marshall stacks, Girlschool had it down and could trade with any cock-rockers out there. Girlschool were so gnarly that many labelers called them punk, and no lesser rock God than Lemmy Kilminster sought them out to support Motorhead's Overkill tour. How can we back up such a bold claim? With The Collection (Castle Music), a semi-recently released double set of remastered Girlschool faves that should be in any stoner or 'banger's archive. Especially those who are burning brain cells listening to the same old Sabbath/Ozzy/Zep/ACDC tunes over, and over, and ove r again. Admittedly there are some stinkers in this overpriced package ($22.95 at Tower), but they are conveniently contained on Disc Two. The Girlschool line-up that matters consisted of Kim McAuliffe (guitar, vocs), Enid Williams (bass, later replaced by equally talented Gil Weston), Kelly Johnson (lead), and Denise Dufort (drums). A motley bunch they were, wearing leather, spandex, and heels on stage ('cept for Gil and Enid, they wore Converse), belting it out in a natural falsetto that idiots like Dio and Geddy Lee wish they were born with. Songs "Race With the Devil" and "The Hunter" are worth the price--as heavy as any balldraggers can be and featuring guitar damage as bold as any. "Yeah Right (You Can't Do That)" is in a bouncier power pop style with a smirk that was an early G-school trademark, along with "Hit and Run" and "C'mon Let's Go." But that's not all; you also get covers of ZZ Top's "Tush," T-Rex's "20th Century Boy," and Gary Glitter's "I'm the Leader of the Gang," himself on vocals (though he sounds a bit more like Meatloaf here). And here's morel You also get the St. Valentine's Day Trilogy where Motorhead covers Girlschool's "Emergency," Girlschool does Motorhead's "Bomber," and they all do "Please Don't Touch" as Headgirl. 47 songs in all, so get this record, and get with the new wave of British heavy metal. --Thatch Kevnar... I let some of that earlier Dirtbombs stuff go by. Sure, they had Mick from the legendary Gories in the band, but nothing really struck a chord with me for some reason until my friend turned me on to Ultraglide in Black from In The Red. It's been out for a few months. I passed it up, but after a listen I made a beeline to the record store and grabbed myself one. Again, I am not one to fall for covers but I'll make yet another exception--this shit is rock and roll and dirty ol' soul, covering the likes of Miles Davis, Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye, and Barry White (to name the names you might best recognize...), but more rockin' and more dirty. OK, OK. Now I will pay attention... The Dirty Sweets? A cross between garage-noise band The Dirtys and '70s glam rock band The Sweet? Perhaps a lollipop dropped on a playground? Well, it's on Rip Off Records and it's their first LP entitled Bubblegum Damaged. It's pretty straight up femme-fronted garage punk that'll stick in yer side like a shank. What they lack in experience they make up for in attitude... "Rock and Roll with The Okmoniks?" An invitation I could not refuse. It looks to be their debut single for this AZ band (supposedly limited to 99 copies?), and it's a smoker. Farfisa-drenched simple hooks but an endearingly sweet female vocalist. No info on this obviously DIY single makes it somewhat enigmatic. Who is this mystery AZ band that does it so well?... And another farfisa-toting outfit is The Goddamn Gentlemen. Much rawer and rougher, this is some noisy garage punk that packs a punch and reminds me of a band called the Nervobeats who, of course, nobody else has heard of. Well, if you get this you can get an idea of what the Nervobeats were all about because to the best of my knowledge they put out just one seven inch in the early '90s and called it quits. It's noisy and trebly as all get out, and a little greasy and grimy too, just like we like 'em...