The Charms – Easy Trouble – Review

dvd-thecharms200The Charms

Directed by Benjamin Oliver
Easy Trouble (Red Car)
by Craig Regala

Reduxified hoopla with a double pantload of singles (a couple dozen pants, really) that’ve recently appeared on the Children of Nuggets box set. I mean, who gives a fuck besides some nerds who bitched (20 years ago!) that the Pandoras “sold out” when they started coppin’ AC/DC licks, or The Nomads were “too teen metal” or that Rudi Protrudi liked Steppenwolf? I do. I think it’s interesting that they exist; that the particular “garage rock” thing has melded and squished into a pair of fishnets worn by Brett Michaels and still kept it’s genre tag intact.

This DVD has a couple of videos which pimp’m out to be more up on the guitar rock side with, like, “the hot chick singer.” It’s also a good look at the desire to “make it” as a band doing retro rock/pop. Hell, it’s often pretty good, but hey, The Hellacopters are great, but that doesn’t mean shit when you’re playing the “good ole” game. Funny thing is, its been so long since the actual “garage rock moment” that The Charms hit signifiers (organ, chintzy brat vocal lines) more than the thing itself. Which is a-ok, but the “rock me shock me” ’78 guitar lines flop down on the bass/drums rather than ride’m. There’re snippets of a couple decent tunes, and you get to see Boston scribe Brett Milano looking like the “sensible” lost Cheater Slicks brother (Jesus, remember when those Forced Exposure guys used to beat up on him?). He rates these guys pretty high and cops the attitude that “stuff this good never gets popular.”

I kinda understand that if your dealing with groundbreaking or outsider stuff, but this? Tell ya what, I probably shouldn’t be talking so much about the music: This isn’t a record or show. Thing is, I don’t want to talk about anyone in the video except the guitar player, and he doesn’t say much; although the manager’s indicative of the “meet the new boss, same as the old boss” thing. Good to hear from; business is, of course, business, and we should all remember that we only get to hear stuff because “the boys” take care of that, so don’t be a persnickety pissant. Kim Fowley appears and is as terrifying and goofy as ever in his 5th! decade of rock and roll. SO; I’d say if you’re a fan, it’s a good one. For interesting sociology, I’d look into the Runaways movie, Edgeplay, that came out in ’04. For music, buy one of their records.
(www.redcarrecords.com)