If you take one message away from listening to Los Angeles rockers The Regrettes, it should be this: Don’t fuck with The Regrettes — they clearly do not have time for your bullshit. The band’s garage punk is hardly straightforward. A lot of its fuel comes from the spirits of ’50s and ’60s doo-wop and the riot grrrl sounds of the 1990s. Through their sonic mix, what they’ve been delivering in the last few years as a band are songs that encourage finding and utilizing your personal power.
It’s as clear in older songs like “Seashore” from 2016 as it is in recent offerings like “A Living Human Girl.” The former kicks off with this: “You’re talking to me like a child / Hey, I’ve got some news, I’m not a little girl / I won’t give you a little twirl.” The latter, from Feel Your Feelings Fool! is another take-me-or-leave-me anthem, which launches with more realisms: “I’ve got pimples on my face and grease in my hair / Prickly legs, go ahead and stare / An ass full of stretch marks and little boobs / And a nice full belly that’s filled with food.” Catch ’em
live as they rock their you-do-you message, driven by a fed-up angst.
The Regrettes perform Monday, June 25 at The Rebel Lounge. Tickets are $10-$12 at ticketfly.com.