Lolita Storm: bubblegum and hardcore hybrid

July 13, 2011 9:05 AM

They came on strong, "sounding like The Shangri-Las flying through an electrical storm while having a riot in a speed garage club," but only survived for an album, an EP, and a hand full of singles. They were Lolita Storm, a trio of female singers (Romy Medina, Nhung Napalm, and Spex), backed by a guy on the noise-makers (Mr Jimmy Too-Bad), recording and touring from 1998 to 2003. Their brief life totaled around an hour of recorded music, available from YouTube user Darkcore2008 (lyrics often NSFW).

In their brief life, they were largely associated with Alec Empire's Digital Hardcore Recordings, and Hanin Elias' Fatal Recordings spin-off label. While their sound and style fit the DHR/Fatal appearance, the lyrical content wasn't political like DHR or feminist like Fatal.

Bonus interviews and reviews:
* Slumber party with Vice, where Lolita Storm answered the "Are You A Drama Queen?" quiz from the teen mag Mademoiselle.
* Pop Matters' review of GFSU (Girls Fucking Shit Up, the title was censored for the US edition)
* Release Magazine review of Sick Slits (YT playlist), their 2001 EP
* Lolita Storm on MySpace, with four otherwise unreleased tracks.
* Red Hot Riding Hood music video
* La Charpillion live video
* Lolita Storm side-project: Joan of Ass - Kiss My Ass (vinyl EP, YouTube playlist)

posted by filthy light thief (11 comments total)

Wait - one of the people in lolita storm is spex?

The song "Spex is a fat bitch" isn't about this person, but the magazine as I always thought, right? Or was that about this Spex?
posted by symbioid at 9:16 AM on July 13, 2011

EDIT: yeah, ok - the lyrics is about the mag - so did this member of lolita storm take that name as a joke?
posted by symbioid at 9:17 AM on July 13, 2011

symbioid, I figured it was a nod to X-Ray Spex, but I'm not sure.
posted by filthy light thief at 9:39 AM on July 13, 2011

Blimey - I remember this lot being played over the in-store PA at Topshop. Blast from the past.
posted by mippy at 10:14 AM on July 13, 2011

If I remember right, I bought the Sick Slits EP when it came out in the basis of the first track "Annabelle" and a general interest in Digital Hardcore's noise-pop shtick. Listening to it now I'm surprised how well I remember most of the tracks. I'd forgotten all about it until this post. Always surprises me how well I remember things I'd forgotten.
posted by howfar at 10:17 AM on July 13, 2011

Aaaaaand i have a new favorite band.
posted by The Whelk at 10:58 AM on July 13, 2011

(this is good)
posted by lumpenprole at 11:42 AM on July 13, 2011

See also Atari Teenage Riot.
posted by el_lupino at 11:51 AM on July 13, 2011

So much art trash, so little time.
posted by 3.2.3 at 12:17 PM on July 13, 2011

el_lupino: See also Atari Teenage Riot.

Previously. Similar, but rather different. ATR are full-on rage, with moments of quiet to set the stage for another audio attack, where Lolita Storm had more poppy, snotty brat vocals and attitude buried in the chaos.
posted by filthy light thief at 12:26 PM on July 13, 2011

Ok, here's the link for all posts by filthy light thief tagged "music", just in case the rest of you want to bookmark it too. I feel like I could devote a solid week to the amazing stuff he's posted here and come out of it hungry for more.
posted by contraption at 7:50 PM on July 13, 2011