Those of us who remember the 90’s no doubt remember a wave of early grunge and rock bands that emerged fronted by female musicians – Veruca Salt and Babes in Toyland come to mind – that possessed an innate coolness by standing out in a genre and scene that was unmistakably male dominated – at least on the commercial level. Decades later, it was what set these bands apart rather than the similarities that makes groups like Concrete Blonde, L7 and the Lunachicks worth seeking out.
Cut to the present and 90’s era alternative rock meanders its way through the sound of musicians who often are too young to have been around during the emergence of those artists. Worm Shot’s new Skin, Bones, Virtue ep has these elements all over its five songs. Guitar led songs laid over a bed of mild distortion, the group has been cutting their teeth in Reno and Tahoe area basement and club shows and each song on the ep displays a clear growth in developing their sound and abilities since the release of their debut Dream Girl single several months ago.
The obvious description is that Worm Shot is made up of four female musicians, a side note that doesn’t seem to be as explicitly mentioned for any all male groups. However Worm Shot right now is comparable to those early Babes in Toyland recordings, when the playing had more of an edge that tends to fade as experience and age iron out the fringes and replace it with a refinement that can never quite capture those earlier songs.
Worm Shot’s ep of mid paced rock songs encapsulates a bit of punk, some squeals and yells, and a heavy leaning toward that 90’s alt rock in its pre over-commercialized state. Think 7 Year Bitch, but with more of an underground club cool in their sound, Skin, Bones, Virtue is a good debut ep from a group that is emerging from the pack of 90’s influenced local bands.
Check out Worm Shot’s Skin, Bones, Virtue ep on all of the streaming services.
You can follow the band on their Instagram.
