I first came across White Murder on a split single from Doormat/Drawing Room Records, based out of LA, they've been playing in too many bands to mention in the area preparing to all come together with Hannah and Mary on dual vocals in this self described "Go-Go's remixed by Slash Records" style, which is perfect actually. A little like Midnight Snaxxx, the thick melodic garage rock is a punky hyper foundation for those two to sing in a manic crackling unison. This A-Side track "Safety in Numbers" seems to be about this idea of not following the status quo which in this case seem to be a lady who is being a real creep and White Murderesses seem to be saying, guess what? It's not cool to be an asshole. It's not exactly the self empowering message you'd expect along with this speed punk. Real power pop at the same time, a heavy tom beat pounding away under precision distortion swapping rhythms with this bassline completely out on it's own. Both vocals together are a serious force that somehow keep getting bigger on this one, the rest of this instrumentation just keeping up in sheer volume. It's a force that you wouldn't even necessarily know is two people and not just a doubled vocal track, so you can guess that live they're going to take over that stage and force you to be a part of this.
B-Side's "Real Tough Chicks" starts out with a slow surf reverb style and rolls into a double time 4/4 freight train beat, this one about a lady friend to the narrator who seems to get rough until she wants to kiss her boyfriend. You could take that a few ways I'm guessing, but the toughness is always present here. Not the gath kind of blood drinking danger, but the bar fight, drunken, knock down, chains and switchblades kind of danger. The guitar is understated, almost muted in the background of this until that chorus about not stopping...just as brief as the A-Side, and this limitation is working for them getting right to the point, the whole thing sounding like early Be Your Own Pet or Sleater Kinney.
On black vinyl in a screened red sleeve and xerox insert, you might have to email these guys to get your hands on the vinyl. Doing it by themselves, this is the exact right package for where this is coming from. It sounds so clean, you might be a little suspect with a glossy 8x10 and slick sleeve...even on a seven inch, but instead that perfection comes off as a hard fought choice and the rest is secondary.
Very cool song. Good post.
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