by Kathleen C. Fennessy
The title is meant to be taken literally. On Punk Girls, Thee Headcoatees -- with more than a little help from male alter egos Thee Headcoats -- stomp, shout, and work it on out through 12 short, punky rockers in their distinctively appealing lo-fi, high-attitude style. The end result sounds more late '70s than late '90s as they channel such early femme-punkers as Switzerland's Liliput and fellow Brits X-Ray Spex. Covers of punk nuggets by the likes of the Undertones (&Teenage Kicks&) and the Ramones (&Pinhead&) mingle comfortably with originals by mentor and head Coat Billy Childish -- who even pens a number about himself (&Billy B. Childish&) -- that are in the same snotty spirit. It helps that he steals from the best. The title track, &Punk Girl,& for instance, is basically the Damned's &Stab Your Back& (and the same goes for &Punk Boy&) with different lyrics and &Don't Wanna Hold Your Hand& is -- that's right, you guessed it -- the Beatles' &I Wanna Hold Your Hand& in all but name. And why not? When a recording is as energetic and high-spirited as this one, it's hard to give a toss whether the band is breaking any new ground or not (they aren't). If Punk Girls has a more egregious fault, it's simply that at 28 minutes and eight seconds, it's too short. But it sure is fun while it lasts.