Miesha & the Spanks is a Canadian punk/garage duo from Calgary, Alberta. Meisha Louie (vocals, guitar) formed the duo in 2008. Stuart Bota (drums) joined Louie in 2010. “Sassy vocals, dirty riffs, pounding drums” and “overpowering and infectious” is what they say on their website.
Miesha & the Spanks, to date, have released 3 full albums and 3 EPs worth of Miesha Louie’s ragged garage rock.
I stumbled upon their latest release, Girls, Like Wolves, by chance, on eMusic the other day, and, now, Miesha & the Spanks is my new favorite band (of the week). Imagine Karen O (of Yeah Yeah Yeahs) in Jack White‘s place on early White Stripes. Or, on their latest, Joan Jett fronting The Hives with a heaping dose of power pop tunefulness. Love this band!
Miesha & the Spanks‘ second album, Gods of Love (2011), is overflowing with bluesy ’60s-influenced garage rock. Miesha sings about love (“Across the Country”, “Until You’re Lovin’ Me”), and, even better, sex (“Leather Jacket”, “Gods of Love”,
“Make Love”, “Love, Baby”). Those are all great songs, and, they’re the first six tracks, right in a row! In “Gods of Love”, Miesha demands, over and over: “Don’t go ’cause you know I’m gonna take you home,” then adds, “And, in the morning I’m not gonna let you go.” But, in “Love, Baby”, the honeymoon’s over, and she sings, over a slow, bluesy riff: “It’s been two weeks, baby, since we made love.” Miesha’s like a wolf in heat, a “She Wolf”, in fact, on the prowl, ready to pounce: “And, baby, you make me h-h-howl over you!” Of course, she sings “h-h-howl” as if she’s howling like a wolf. I love that! But, Miesha can croon, too. “Sweetheart” is a bittersweet ballad in which her sometimes shaky voice shines. An excellent album.
Watch the video for “Leather Jacket” here:
But, love, it seems, has let her down. She’s a lone wolf now. In “Something”, she realizes: “All I’m trying to do is get away from you.” In “Wrecking Ball”, she sings, over a ’70s power pop riff: “You’re gone baby, gone baby / Like you were all along baby, long baby.” My favorites, here, are the three “You” tracks: “You Didn’t Show”, “Look at You”, and, especially, “Want You to Know”. In the latter, Miesha snarls her best line: “He said you’re livin’ with that / You could be lovin’ with me.” Elsewhere, “This Time” recalls ’60s girl groups (similar to “Make Love” on Gods of Love), while “Song 10” is a trippy psychedelic slow burner. Finally, in the punky closing title track, Miesha’s howling returns! Awesome! Another excellent album!
Miesha & the Spanks Discography
2008.11 – Miesha & The Spanks (Independent) [EP]
2009.09 – mmmade for me (Transistor 66) [Album]
2010.09 – mean / fuck (Transistor 66) [EP]
2011.02 – Gods Of Love (Transistor 66) [Album]
2011.10 – night danger (Independent) [EP]
2013.08 – Girls, Like Wolves (Saved By Vinyl) [Album]
