Cannibal Cheerleader

If you weren’t at Emo’s here in Austin, Texas last night (and believe me, not nearly enough people were) then you missed out on a proclamation on the state of punk as we know it in mindblowing form – the resurgence of Jemina Pearl, infamous for her stint as the Be Your Own Pet vocalist, as a solo artist quite possibly could reaffirm even the most cynical hardcore kid’s faith in the spirit of ‘77. Featuring John Eatherly, former Be Your Own Pet drummer now on guitar duties, the group ripped and snarled through what seemed like the entirety of the singer’s debut album Break It Up, with standouts like “I Hate People” and “Retrograde” sounding all the more pummeling and sharp in the live format. Complete with ‘fuck-all’ attitude and a cast over what one imagines is the gnarly broken toe injury the songstress featured on her blog, Jemina Pearl lives and breathes the punk rock frontwoman role, pouty lip-sneer and all. Wailing and spitting her way through track after track, hardly giving her band any room to breathe in-between songs, the singer seemed disconnected, bored, and altogether very punkish in a very genuine manner. Her attitude was reflected in the blazing guitarwork of the surprisingly articulate guitar-playing of Eatherly, whose chops behind the axe makes one imagine why he wasn’t shredding in BYOP to begin with. 

Overall the band’s performance reeked of harsh punk sensibilities in the same manner as early Buzzcocks records. With a wry sense of humor, a lack of any ability to take herself seriously, and a serious attitude problem, Jemina Pearl reinvigorated our faith in the punk lifestyle, horrifying us with her immediacy and raping our sonic senses in the best way possible.

A great big fuck you to Jemina Pearl – and we mean that in the congratulatory punk way (seriously, how can you not love her?).

The night’s other story however is the utterly shocking and rocking opening act solo artist Arum Rae of the local Austin band White Dress. The full band was on the original bill for the show but according to Rae, legal issues barred her bandmate from attending the gig. Still, the group seemed almost unnecessary upon hearing the singer’s subtle Southern croon and her understated blues finger-picking guitarwork as she belted out heartbreaker after bodyshaker on what proved to be an incredibly engaging performance. Sounding like a Black Keys meets Cat Power combo, Rae makes us want to stalk down and listen to every track she’s ever conjured – a bedroom pop sensibility strapped behind a mean, gold-faced guitar. We look forward to check her out as the year progresses.

Overall, a fantastic night here in Austin – definitely check these leading ladies out soon!

Jemina Pearl – “I Hate People”