Darlings of the New York underground punk scene in the mid-90s, NY Loose, led by blonde bombshell Brijitte West, shoulda been huge. They had the look, the attitude and most importantly, the songs. But their excellent debut album ‘Year Of The Rat’ failed to set the world on fire, and even high-profile support slots with L7 and Marilyn Manson on the infamous ‘Antichrist Superstar’ world tour didn’t give the band the traction they deserved.

It turns out their record company, Hollywood Records, didn’t really know what to do with a gritty rock n’ roll band who couldn’t give them the polished commercial success they desired. The lack of record company support and internal wrangling led to the band being dropped and ultimately their disintegration. NY Loose left us with one studio album and a few independently released EPs. Many of those early recordings have been lovingly restored here for fans and new admirers of all things 90’s rock n’ roll.

‘Monolith Kids’ is a 12-track affair featuring the full ‘Loosen Up!’ EP and tracks from the posthumous ‘Born To Loose’ compilation album. All tracks have been remastered and re-sequenced for your listening pleasure into one cohesive album.

The title track kicks things off in rollicking style, the bombastic rhythm section powering through a wall of distorted power chords as Brijitte delivers the refrain with guts and glory. This song showcases the energy this band would take onto that debut album.

With its low-slung Johnny Thunders licks and Ramones attitude, ‘Bitch’ is another early standout cut. Brijitte’s sugary sweet vocalisin’ is all Joan Jett meets Josie & The Pussycats, so good it should be illegal! The Thunders influence continues on third track ‘Green Light Semaphore,’ which veers more in the Heartbreakers territory like a motherfucker baby!

Considering these songs were all recorded on a shoestring budget prior to a major label contract, they sound pretty good. Don’t get me wrong, it’s pretty raw and ramshackle, but the songs shine through. The upbeat punk pop of ‘James’, co-written by Circus Of Power man Gary Sunshine, is a dreamy power chord-drenched blast of fun, and ‘The Late 20th Century Blues’, co-written by D Generation man Richie Bacchus, is raw, unadulterated punk rock straight from the streets of New York City.

‘Year Of The Rat’ favourite ‘Spit’ is included in its undiluted original form. At over 5 minutes, the dark and twisted tale skulks along in the shadows; it’s no wonder it was added to ‘The Crow 2’ soundtrack.

Elsewhere, the great ‘Loosen Up’ has a live-in-the-studio feel; the energetic vocals and pumping, bass-driven breakdown add to the jammed-out, delivered-on-the-fly feeling. This could’ve been on the debut album, make no mistake. The album concludes with their cover of The Avengers ‘Cheap Tragedies’, which was previously available on the ‘Tribute To The Avengers’ album back in 2010 alongside NOFX, Dwarves and Ramonas.

While ‘Monolith Kids’ ain’t gonna set the world on fire, it’s a snapshot of the early days of a band who coulda, shoulda, woulda…and in different circumstances probably woulda. In an era when glam punk bands were sneered at (in the wrong way), the likes of NY Loose and D Generation were flying the flag for sleazy rock n’ roll. And this release is essential for fans of either band or those who simply enjoy wearing leopard skin and creepers.

Buy International orders:

Order here: https://elasticstage.com/nylkids/releases/monolith-kids-album

US orders: 

Order HERE

Bandcamp: https://brijittewest1.bandcamp.com/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/brijittewestofficial

Author: Ben Hughes