Red Aunts
Encyclopedia
The Red Aunts were an all-female punk
band that formed in 1991 in Long Beach, California
when Terri Wahl (aka Angel, or Louise Lee Outlaw) recruited friends Kerry Davis (aka Sapphire, or Taffy Davis) and Debi Martini (aka E.Z. Wider, aka Connie Champagne, or Debbi Dip). Wahl would become the guitarist, sharing vocal duties with Davis who also played rhythm guitar and Martini as bassist. Wahl's husband, Jon Wahl of the band Claw Hammer
stood in as drummer
under the alias Joan Whale until he was replaced full-time by Leslie Ishino (aka Leslie Noelle
, Ishino Destroyer, or Cougar).
None of the women had formal musical training or previous experience in bands. They received slight help from both Scott Drake of fellow Long Beach band, the Humpers
and Jon Wahl. Dip put out the punk fanzine, "Real Life in a Big City," and it was her connections through this zine that helped promote the band. The Red Aunts rapidly developed their own sound, going from raw simple punk to more complicated garage-punk-blues within the space of their seven years and five full length albums. They disbanded in 1998. Singer Terri Wahl invested in a cupcake shop in Los Angeles and other members have gone on to work with other bands like The Screws
, Beehive and the Barracudas and others. Singer and guitarist Kerry Davis currently records under the name Two Tears
.
Singles:
Split singles:
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band that formed in 1991 in Long Beach, California
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
when Terri Wahl (aka Angel, or Louise Lee Outlaw) recruited friends Kerry Davis (aka Sapphire, or Taffy Davis) and Debi Martini (aka E.Z. Wider, aka Connie Champagne, or Debbi Dip). Wahl would become the guitarist, sharing vocal duties with Davis who also played rhythm guitar and Martini as bassist. Wahl's husband, Jon Wahl of the band Claw Hammer
Claw Hammer
Claw Hammer was an American indie rock band from California. Claw Hammer formed in 1986 in Long Beach, California; its members were from several neighboring municipalities. Their name was taken from a Captain Beefheart song...
stood in as drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
under the alias Joan Whale until he was replaced full-time by Leslie Ishino (aka Leslie Noelle
, Ishino Destroyer, or Cougar).
None of the women had formal musical training or previous experience in bands. They received slight help from both Scott Drake of fellow Long Beach band, the Humpers
Humpers
The Humpers were a garage punk band formed in 1989 led by Scott "Deluxe" Drake, formerly of The Suicide Kings. Despite being based out of Long Beach, California, they first won acclaim in Yugoslavia, where their debut EP, My Machine , was released...
and Jon Wahl. Dip put out the punk fanzine, "Real Life in a Big City," and it was her connections through this zine that helped promote the band. The Red Aunts rapidly developed their own sound, going from raw simple punk to more complicated garage-punk-blues within the space of their seven years and five full length albums. They disbanded in 1998. Singer Terri Wahl invested in a cupcake shop in Los Angeles and other members have gone on to work with other bands like The Screws
Mick Collins
Mick Collins is a musician from Detroit, Michigan.- Biography :Collins first played in a band called the U-Boats in 1981 and then in the Floor Tasters from 1984 to 1985. In 1986, the 20-year old Collins helped form the seminal garage punk band, The Gories...
, Beehive and the Barracudas and others. Singer and guitarist Kerry Davis currently records under the name Two Tears
Two Tears
Two Tears are an American garage rock band formed by Kerry Davis previously of the all-girl punk group Red Aunts. She also played drums in the Mick Collins fronted The Screws . She also played in the short lived San Diego band Beehive and the Barracudas who released records on Swami Records. Two...
.
Discography
Main Albums:- DragDrag (Red Aunts album)Drag is the first full length album by the Red Aunts. It was released in 1993 on Sympathy for the Record Industry.-Track listing:#"Kung Fu Kitten" - 3:45#"Sleeping Pill" - 2:12#"Lethal Lolita" - 2:23#"Hot Rod" - 2:58#"Sleeping in the Wet Spot" - 2:44...
(1993, Sympathy for the Record IndustrySympathy for the Record IndustrySympathy for the Record Industry is a mainly independent garage rock and punk label formed in 1988 by record industry anti-mogul Long Gone John...
) - Bad Motherfucken 40 O-Z (often misread as Bad Motherfucker 40 O-ZBad Motherfucker 40 O-ZBad Motherfucken 40 O-Z is the second full length album by the Red Aunts. It was released in 1994 on Sympathy for the Record Industry.-Track listing:#"Silver Moon Motel" - 2:21#"Batman A-Go-Go" - 2:05#"Terri Man" - 1:36#"Die Baby" - 1:53...
) (1994, Sympathy for the Record IndustrySympathy for the Record IndustrySympathy for the Record Industry is a mainly independent garage rock and punk label formed in 1988 by record industry anti-mogul Long Gone John...
) - #1 ChickenNumber One Chicken#1 Chicken is the third full length album by the Red Aunts. It was released in 1995 on Epitaph.-Track listing:#"Freakathon"#"Tin Foil Fish Bowl"#"Hate"#"Detroit Valentine"#"Krush"#"Satan"#"Rollerderby Queen"#"Willabell"#"When Sugar Turns To Shit"...
(1995, Epitaph RecordsEpitaph RecordsEpitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...
) - SaltboxSaltbox (album)Saltbox is the fourth full length album by the Red Aunts. It was released in 1996 on Epitaph.-Track listing:#"Whatever"#"I Can't Do Anything Right"#"Paco"#"All Red Inside"#"Suerte"#"Eldritch Sauce"#"Fake Modern"#"Handsome Devil"#"The Snake"...
(1996, Epitaph RecordsEpitaph RecordsEpitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...
) - Ghetto Blaster (1998, Epitaph RecordsEpitaph RecordsEpitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...
)
Singles:
- The Red Aunts 7" (1992, Hell Yeah Records)
- Retard Jenny 7" (1993, Sympathy for the Record IndustrySympathy for the Record IndustrySympathy for the Record Industry is a mainly independent garage rock and punk label formed in 1988 by record industry anti-mogul Long Gone John...
) - Paco 5" (1995, Sympathy for the Record IndustrySympathy for the Record IndustrySympathy for the Record Industry is a mainly independent garage rock and punk label formed in 1988 by record industry anti-mogul Long Gone John...
)
Split singles:
- Red Aunts/Clawhammer split (1993, Gearhead RecordsGearhead RecordsGearhead Records is an independent record label that started in San Francisco, California. It was later co-run out of Davis, California and is now totally run out of Woodland, California . The label was formed in April 2000 by Michelle Haunold and Mike LaVella. In 2006, the company was split in...
) - Red Aunts/Gas Huffer split (1994, Sympathy for the Record IndustrySympathy for the Record IndustrySympathy for the Record Industry is a mainly independent garage rock and punk label formed in 1988 by record industry anti-mogul Long Gone John...
) - Red Aunts/Constant Comment split (199?, Sympathy for the Record IndustrySympathy for the Record IndustrySympathy for the Record Industry is a mainly independent garage rock and punk label formed in 1988 by record industry anti-mogul Long Gone John...
)
External links
- [ Red Aunts] on Allmusic
- Discography on gunnenrocks
- http://www.venuszine.com/articles/music/features/36/kerry_davis interview with Kerry Davis