"Every now and again, I’ll do a search on MySpace music for Punk music. What I usually find, and have to sort through, is a lot of recycled crap (most of which isn’t even close to being “Punk”, but anyway…) and a few really good bands. During one of these searches, I happily stumbled
across Vagiant.
Vagiant is an all girl, all punk rock band hailing from Allston, Massachusetts (USA). All of the songs on their MySpace profile come from their debut album, Public Display of Infection. The entire album is everything that Punk Rock should be. It is loud, it is unapologetic, and it kicks ass. If this album got into a fight with you, it would probably walk away with your shoes and your lunch money.
The five songs on the band’s MySpace page all give you an excellent idea of this band’s talent. By far, “Fuck the Kells” is probably the best of the lot. The song is all about The Kells Bar, a semi-famous bar/nightclub in Allston. As you can tell from the name of the song, Vagiant are not fans of the place and they pull no punches in their song as they explain their reasoning. The lyrics are incredibly raw and yet catchy at the same time, a feat that other, less talented musicians would be left struggling with. When you combine crashing guitars, raging drums, and lyrics like, “You can take this bar and shove it up your fucking ass!”, it’s hard to loose.
You should listen to Vagiant. You should also buy their album, “Public Display of Infection” (available on iTunes and through their website). Any fans of Punk Rock (and really, who isn’t…), will be fans of Vagiant. It really is that simple, folks. All for now."
- Posted at spfh.wordpress.com by CHEek - March 18th, 2008
"I’m
only 3 songs into Vagiant’s album Public Display of Infection
and it’s wooping ass. There are plenty of chick bands, and
plenty that sound like ass, but very few that can actually play
(and write) well enough to carry themselves beyond the initial all-girl
novelty.Vagiant - Public Display of Infection Vagiant does a great
job all around. They’re punk through and through, with distinct
Joan Jett sounds a’la The Runaways and some undeniable comparisons
to (what used to be) The Distillers, with loads of sing-along choruses
that stick with you. Vocals are great, drums are great, guitar is
great… They do a cover of Angel of the Morning that’s
fantastic, followed by a great oi-punk’ish tune, Fuck The
Kells, that’s catchy as hell. Later on, it’s lyrics
like “I like tattooed women and those fucked up catholic boys”
in Tattooed Women, and then another holy-shit-this-is-great moment
with a song called Manhattan.
It’s really rare these days for me to hear a CD and like it,
front to back, on the first listen. I’ve been through it once
and haven’t heard one bad or even mediocre song out of all
8 tracks. Granted, 8 songs is a bit short for a punk disc, but I’d
much rather have 5 or 8 solid, kickass tunes than a 15 or 20 track
disc with only a handful that are actually worth listening to. It’s
a great album. More proof that punk is most certainly not dead (really,
how fucking asleep do you have to be to think otherwise?)
I just read that Vagiant is on Guitar Hero and Rock Band, and I’ve
played neither so this is all new shit to me. Might be old news
to everyone else… Either way, I like it and am glad I didn’t
have to hear it first in a video game."
- Posted in Music by Decavolt (SCREAMING AT A WALL) - December
27th, 2007
"Vagiant - Public Display Of Infection Recorded, mixed, and
mastered at Galaxy Park Studios in Allston by Richard Marr
Vagiant's debut release, Public Display Of Infection, is beaming
with punk-rock attitude and catchy buzzing guitar hooks. As the
album begins with "Cocktease," we're introduced to the
aggressive and edgy vocals of frontwoman Hellion, whose vocals are
remiscent of Courtney Love. The band sports the same kind of "fuck
you" attitude that Love displayed her entire career. Refreshing
in its vintage, no-bullshit tone, the record bears a "don't
worry, just party" attitude best exemplified by epic sing-alongs
like "Fuck The Kells" and "Angel Of The Morning."
Compositionally, Vagiant relies heavily on basic three-chord jams
with lyrics about how little of a shit the band could really give
about anything outside of drinking, sex, and a mangled sense of
honor. The most exciting aspect of Vagiant's sound is their deliberateness
and sense of clarity. They know what they want and they aren't afraid
to blurt it out loud and clear. Take "Seven," for example.
With sincere conviction, Hellion belts out: "I've got your
back until I die / I won't let nobody hurt you again / I'll fuck
up your next girlfriend if she breaks your heart." As a closer,
Vagiant offers a reprise of "Fuck The Kells" with some
amazing guitar shredding, which actually spices up the song quite
nicely.
Despite the band's rough edges, the record's production is actually
on the slick side. Vagiant's sound would be much better paired with
a gritty low-fi recording - similar to the way The Exploding Hearts
recorded Guitar Romantic. Aside from this aesthetic issue, though,
Vagiant have something special going. With their tenacious and scrappy
attitude, Vagiant will continue to cast their perverted punk-rock
net throughout the Northeast."
(Self-released)
www.myspace.com/vagiantboston
-Michael Aceto
"After yet another round of the idiocy and aggravation that
is parking in Somerville, I finally arrive at the Abbey a few
songs into Vagiant’s set. The first thing I notice is that
the place is PACKED. Those who can’t fit into the main room
are trying to peer around to the stage from the bar area and Helen
is singing at them with a huge grin on her face. Vagiant finishes
the song while the crowd is still yelling lays into 'Fuck the
Kells,' which just might be the best song of 2006. During 'TNT,'
the audience does its duty by yelling the chorus as loudly as
possible, and LoWreck puts some extra muscle into her drumming.
A few songs later, the set ends despite demands from the back
of the room for one more. I’m hoping the next band keeps
the club’s energy level up this high."
- Seth Cohen, The Noise
"You’ve been warned: This town will soon belong to
Vagiant. Don’t believe us? Consider this: Once 'Vagiant'
shirts and stickers hit the streets, you won’t be able to
go anywhere without Vagiant in your face. Though still in their
pre-merch stage, the four ladies of Vagiant are slowly swallowing
the scene by playing sloppy, sweaty, four-chord punk that recalls
the whole riot-grrl thing minus that vegan, man-hating element.
We get the impression that Vagiant just wants to get drunk and
get down—and the blistering snarl of 'Fuck The Kells' confirms
this. ('Fuck you / Fuck your mom / Fuck your whole entire clientele!')"
- Weekly Dig, "Boss Ten - The 10 locals we'll be keeping
an eyes on in '07"
"Vagiant (rhymes with 'The Bryant') played a blend of grrrl
punk and metal that harked back to the days when L7 and Babes
in Toyland were alt-nation mainstagers. By the time they had blown
through a set that included a guest appearance by Guitar Hero
II programmer James Fleming during a cover of Danzig’s 'Mother,'
they’d established themselves as one of the breakout stars
of the evening."
- Boston Phoenix
"...They didn’t care a toss and just played through
rough and raw, true to the punk roots that grew into the riot
grrl performance. Vagiant was able to... start really ramming
music down our ears... The band decided to sing the uncensored
version of 'FTK' from GH2. The actual lyrics are a bit too raw
for Netjak, but the song isn’t just a broadside at people
messing with you. No, it’s actually a musical slam on The
Kells, a particularly odious bar/venue/pit of iniquity in the
Boston’s Allston neighborhood. My wife and I lived in that
area for a couple years – trust me, there’s plenty
of reason to write a song complaining about The Kells, and 'FTK'
is much more fun to hear when you know them."
-
NetJak.com - "While My Guitar Hero Gently Weeps"
"Helen McWilliams is cool as tits. Or cool as, um, you know."
- Weekly Dig - "Defend Yourself - Helen McWilliams of Vagiant"