Pansy Division is back! They never really went away, but they're putting
out their first album in five years, TOTAL ENTERTAINMENT!, on a new
label, Alternative Tentacles Records. The first all-gay rock band, Pansy
Division first emerged a decade ago, when being gay and playing rock &
roll seemed like diametrically opposed ideas. Though there are many
queer musicians out today, in the early '90s this was not the case, and
that obvious lack of visibility is part of the impetus that formed the
band.
But that was ten years ago. Many rock musicians are now out, if not on
the radio or MTV. Where does that leave Pansy Division? A lot less
lonely than before! Seriously, Pansy Division is a great rock band that
sounds better than ever. The fact that they are gay is important, but
it's not why they are still here a decade later. They're still here
cause they're a great band, known for their lyrics but underrated for
their music, and they took the time to make a great album before
reemerging. They've always written great songs, and TOTAL
ENTERTAINMENT! has fifteen of their best ever.
They began in 1991 in San Francisco, started by guitarist/singer Jon
Ginoli. Soon joined by bassist/vocalist Chris Freeman, they both had
the experience of being ostracized by other musicians for being gay and
by other gays for being rock. "We tried to turn our alienation into
something positive," says Ginoli. "Instead of being depressed about it,
we tried to make music that would make us - and our audience - happy. We
could laugh about it, so we put that joy into the music." They wrote
in-your-face lyrics, but did it with a sense of humor. Raised on a diet
of 60s pop and 70s punk, their sound was suitably crunchy and catchy as
hell.
Starting in 1993, they put out an album a year for six years on Lookout
Records. Their music caught the attention of former Lookout band Green
Day, who took Pansy Division on tour for a couple of months in 1994 at
the height of Dookie-mania. Says Ginoli, "When we started our band we
thought we'd be playing our music to people in their 20s & 30s who were
gay or gay-friendly. Suddenly we faced thousands of high school kids
each night, an amazing opportunity we never expected to have." The
response was decidedly mixed, but their popularity soared. Pansy
Division toured and recorded almost non-stop for five years. Along the
way they recruited a permanent drummer (Luis) and a lead guitarist
(Patrick Goodwin), making them the quartet they are today.
Their previous album, ABSURD POP SONG ROMANCE, was a departure from
their earlier work, a more serious album both lyrically and sonically.
TOTAL ENTERTAINMENT! finds a happy medium between the broad humor of the
early records and the more (dare we say it?) mature approach of the last
album. In an era where most albums have the same sound and tempo from
one end to the other, they've made a diverse album that'll kick your ass
in a bunch of different ways.
OK, so what does it sound like? It sounds like a combination of Cheap
Trick, The Ramones, Neil Young, Galaxie 500, AC/DC, The Sonics, The
Beatles, Tom Petty, Blondie, The Muffs, The Saints, Tones On Tail,
Queen, XTC, The Go-Betweens, Motown, and more...that is to say, a
thorough blending of influences that ends up being great rock & roll.
Personnel: Chris Freeman - bass, vocals Jon Ginoli - rhythm guitar, vocals
Patrick Goodwin - lead guitar, vocals Luis - drums
Search:
