White Trash Debutantes

Punk rock has always had its socio-political agitators as well as bands that simply wanted to entertain; White Trash Debutantes are a perfect example of the latter. Formed in San Francisco in 1989, the female-led (though not entirely female) outfit hasn't inundated listeners with serious political or social messages -- its specialty has been wild, rowdy, trashy, decadent, over-the-top fun. Debutantes, who are led by singer Ginger Coyote, have always favored an amusing, tongue-in-cheek approach; their material is as humorous as it is in-your-face. The Californians love to poke fun at pop culture, and occasionally, their songs have employed kinky S&M/dominatrix imagery (including "Crack of the Whip" and "Whipping Boy"), but always in a humorous and ironic fashion. In 1991, Faith No More bassist Bill Gould produced their EP, San Francisco, for Alternative Tentacles. The 1990s also found Debutantes (who once invited the controversial Olympic skater Tonya Harding to join the band) recording albums or singles for various indie labels, including Teen Rebel, Desperate Attempt, Beer City, and 206 (which, in 1996, released their full-length album It's Raw...But You Live for It). After playing the Bay Area scene for over a decade, Debutantes moved to Los Angeles in 2000. Since its formation in 1989, the band has had its share of personnel changes; one former member is bassist Gwynne Kahn, who has also been with the Pandoras. In 2000, Debutantes' part-female, part-male lineup included Coyote, Tonia Bodley, and Rhiannon Pollock on vocals, Jake Goldman on guitar, Dan Humes on bass, and Johny Sosa on drums. 2001 found Debutantes recording seven songs for the Orange Peal release What's It All About?, a split CD that also contains seven songs by fellow punk combo Cell Block 5. ~ Alex Henderson, Rovi