Erase Errata
Other Animals

Where was I when Erase Errata debuted on LP in 2001? Why had I never heard of them? Oh, I remember, I was all busy flaunting ties, straightening my hair, and desperately trying to figure out the chords to "Sk8er Boi" by ear on the classical guitar. Meanwhile, quietly, Erase Errata was getting ready to churn out an album that soon would revolutionize the female indie-rock of our times. No grunge, no cliched feminism, no babydolls, no whiskey gargling; just a strong punk attitude, a massive dose of psychedelia, and a bit of healthy anti-Americanism which certainly doesn't hurt.

Take "High Society", the best of the lot, for example: it sounds like listening to a skirt-wearing Pere Ubu on drugs. All the instruments are disconnected from each other: the guitar repeats a riff endlessly and occasionally bursts noisily, the bass literally does its own thing and barely blends with the drums, which stand out noticeably compared to the rest, the vocals verge on spoken. Yet, everything results in an explosive mix, essentially visionary punk tinged with math-rock influences. And what about "Tongue Tied", with a sound reminiscent of Sleater-Kinney? Forget melodies and discreet rhythmic sections, imagine a guitar completely out of the ordinary, add a bit of nervousness and vocal sarcasm, and you'll get a stunning opener that perfectly sums up the album's intentions. In songs like the two untitled ones and "1 Minute" they draw on Japanese noise rock (Boris, Melt Banana), and especially this last one, gets complicated between murderous snare drum outbursts and bass convulsions. "Marathon" and "French Canadia" sound fresh and jovial with Jenny Hoyston's trumpet, the group's singer and guitarist, at the forefront; the sound vaguely echoes the Slits. The rest of the album maintains a minimal and experimental indie-rock that reflects the influences of Captain Beefheart and Minutemen, but without falling into citationism, and reaches its peaks in "Walk Don't Fly", a punk dissociated and carefree enough, and "Dexterity Is #2", which gives the impression that Steve Albini is behind the production.

"Other Animals" is an extraordinary debut that smacks of innovation; thanks to it, the girls will manage to earn the friendship of Kim Gordon, a support tour, and a split single with Sonic Youth.

Erase Errata represents the new frontier of female punk, the real turning point, finally, after years of useless and stale post-grunge (Veruca Salt).

And to hell with Avril Lavigne.