Local Review: The Zissous – She Devil

The Zissous
She-Devil

Self-Released
Street: 02.14
The Zissous = The Darts + The Coathangers

I love the name of this band—The Zissous.  It’s a name most likely gleaned from the fictional, nautical legend Steve Zissou (Bill Murray) from Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic. Perfect; I was immediately prepared to love this band. Steve Zissou once said: “I’m going to find it and I’m going to destroy it. I don’t know how yet. Possibly with dynamite.” The Zissous bring that dynamite. The band consists of Georgina and Casey—Georgina brings the vocals and bass and Casey adds the drums and guitars.

She-Devil comes at you fast and furious, leaning heavily toward a raw-punk/rockabilly vibe with a running guitar, heavy-handed bass and a relentless back beat. “Momma needs her cigarettes!”Georgina sings, describing the titular character and also adding, “Momma’s ready to get mean!” Like the “She-Devil,” The Zissous are ready to get mean, and they mean business. The Zissous rock to the senses of freedom, confidence and independence, and they don’t mind telling you. “I hate being told what to do / Probably live longer than you,” Georgina sings on “I’d Rather.”“I’d rather be talked about / Than not talked about at all.” The Zissous continue this manifesto on the Ramones cover “I Wanna Live” to a relentless, chug-chug-chug guitar and an accelerated, beefed-up back beat. “I give what I’ve got to give / It’s important if I want to live.”

On the last track of this wonderful EP, The Zissous slow things down with a quieter guitar and a jangling tambourine. “Everyone’s acting so wary / I just feel so weary,” Georgina sings on “I Just Feel So Wary.” This is a perfect example of how anger and intensity can slow down enough for reflection. The phrase that weaves in and out of this song, “I don’t know where the river ends / Hope I have time to make amends,” gives advice for all of us. I love this record. After a long, sludgy, dark and depressing winter, I needed a record like this. I keep saying this recently in all my reviews: I can’t wait to get back to live music. I absolutely can’t wait to see a band like The Zissous live. The Zissous provide the perfect vaccination to loving and experiencing music again. –Russ Holsten