http://loudandquiet.com/articles/6/695/finally+punk
Billed as the new flag bearers for the Riot Grrl scene, Finally Punk follow in the oestrogen-charged wake of Bikini Kill and Sleater-Kinney, gaining admirers in the form of Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Gossip with their Texan take on the Olympia Punk sound.
Support tonight comes in the form of Andrew Anderson from The Hipshakes in his one-man band guise, Proto Idiot. Equal parts Jeffrey Lewis and Bob Log III, he kicks the shit out of a bass drum, spitting out barbs over ‘Live Alone’ and ‘I am Not a Man’. His anger is barely contained, his lyrics mostly unintelligible and the crowd love every minute of it.
Appearances can be deceptive and Finally Punk look, to the casual observer like a garden-variety bunch of All American girls. As singer/drummer Stephanie Chan intones with a shy smile, “We’re Finally Punk, after all this time”. As introductions go, it’s all a bit too gosh darn cute.
‘JD Vs Gator’ soon shatters these illusions with a mess of slurred vocals and offbeat drums. Crammed onto the tiny stage the band clatter into each other, knocking over the drum kit as the pace escalates into chaos.
Like a smooth Pens, they rotate effortlessly between instruments so everyone gets their turn at the front. Singer/guitarist Elizabeth Skadden uses her time to announce her relief that she’s gotten her period today; a fitting segue into ‘Pregnant’. Everyone shuffles uncomfortably as the band chatter on oblivious. This is a band who like to share, boundaries be damned. Keeping a conversational tone, the songs are littered with pop culture references about Johnny Depp and Wonder Woman alongside the difficulties of finding a decent boyfriend. There are some awkward moments when they try to describe how “Manatees are dying and shit in Florida” and when the drum kit collapses through ‘Coffee, Tea and Misery’ they have to start all over again. Despite being an all girl band though they never descend into twee territory. Rushing with Ritalin-induced energy, singer/drummer Veronica Ortuño gets gradually more pumped up with each song. So much so that she dispenses with her top, clad only in black bra as she screeches “What the Fuck?!” over the opening bars of ‘Missile’. The inevitable cries of “Get yer bra off!” from lairy hecklers at the back slightly knock her off her stride as she powers onto the finish line.
Their intro into ‘Penguin’ borrows from the 90’s Punk band of the same name – “You say this is Generation X. We are Generation Fuck You!” With their irreverent approach to shambolic punk rock they couldn’t have put it better.