Screamin' Sirens was an American all-female band from

Hollywood, California Hollywood is a neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. Its name has come to be a shorthand reference for the U.S. film industry and the people associated with it. Many notable film studios, such as Columbia Pictures, ...

that recorded from 1983 to 1987. The band combined

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

, punk rock,

rockabilly Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the South. As a genre it blends the sound of Western musical styles such as country with that of rhythm and blu ...

and a dash of funk to create an eclectic wild party music. Screamin' Sirens predated what is usually referred to as alternative country, but influenced that subgenre's development.

History

:Formation Screamin' Sirens were formed in Hollywood, California in around 1983. The band was formed by drummer/vocalist Boom Boom Laffoon and vocalist Pleasant Gehman, who recalled in a 1986 '' Flipside'' interview:

I just wanted to have a really wild all-girl band that was like a gang or something. And Boom Boom was the only drummer I could think of so even though we hated each other I wound up calling her anyway. We had all the same ideas about bands and life and drinking and everything.

Laffoon brought in, "the best girl guitarist and vocalist I ever met," Rosie Flores. Boom Boom and Rosie previously played together in Keith Joe Dick and the Goners (with cowboy punk legend

Gary Dixon Gary may refer to: *Gary (given name), a common masculine given name, including a list of people and fictional characters with the name *Gary, Indiana, the largest city named Gary Places ;Iran * Gary, Iran, Sistan and Baluchestan Province ;Uni ...

as lead guitarist/songwriter. After going through two bassists who quickly left, Rosie answered the band's ad in the Hollywood Times and tried out for the band in October 1980.XX .. Then the band added guitarist Rosie Flores, namesake of the band Rosie and the Screamers, with whom Laffoon was acquainted from her time with Keith Joe Dick and the Goners. The trio added bassist Laura Bandit, a veteran of the minor punk bands One Doesn't Swallow and Hard as Nails, Cheap as Dirt. A fifth member of the group, Marsky Reins, played fiddle in addition to guitar, helping the band to achieve a signature punked up country and western sound. Sporting

cowboy boots Cowboy boots are a specific style of riding boot, historically worn by cowboys. They have a high heel that is traditionally made of stacked leather, rounded to pointed toe, high shaft, and, traditionally, no lacing. Cowboy boots are normally m ...

and western skirts, the band delivered a high energy live show. "A lot of people tell us we've got more balls than any girl band they've seen because we get real wild onstage," Pleasant Gehman noted. "We're not into wimpiness at all." The band portrayed The She-Devils in Max Tash's film ''

The Runnin' Kind ''The Runnin' Kind'' is a 1989 American comedy film directed by Max Tash and written by Max Tash and Pleasant Gehman. The film stars David Packer, Steven Eckholdt, Larry Cox, Tom Shell, Brie Howard and Richard Manheim. The film was released on ...

'', which took its name from a song written by sister and brother Diane Boom Boom Dixon and Gary Dixon (Fur Dixon's husband). :Lineup changes The band had several lineup changes over the course of their existence, adding Miiko Watanabe on bass as well as former

Pandoras The Pandoras is an all-female garage punk band from Los Angeles, California with a run from 1982 to 1991. The band is among the first handful of all-female rock bands to ever be signed. From the beginning, the band found a strong following in the ...

drummer Casey Gomez. :Later bands Original drummer and songwriter Diane 'Boom Boom' Dixon went on to play with the Baloney Heads and the Real Dixons in

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

. Pleasant Gehman became a writer and editor, professional dancer and a member of the Ringling Sisters. Rosie Flores went on to have a successful solo career in the alternative country and

scene. Genny Schorr, the original guitar player, was also in the original line-up of all girl band Backstage Pass and was involved in The Masque. She later owned Rock clothing store Strait Jacket with Elvis Costello's manager Jake Riviera. She was associated with bands such as

The Bangles The Bangles are an American pop rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1981. The band recorded several singles that reached the U.S. top 10 during the 1980s, including " Manic Monday" (1986), " Walk Like an Egyptian" (1986), "Hazy Shad ...

as Stylist. Miiko Watanabe went on to play with American Girls.

Fur Dixon Fur Dixon is an American singer, songwriter, bassist, guitarist and rock 'n' roll musician. She co-founded the Hollywood Hillbillys with guitarist and then-husband Gary Dickson in the mid-1980s and was the first bass player in any lineup of The ...

went on to play in

The Cramps The Cramps were an American rock band formed in 1976 and active until 2006. Their lineup rotated frequently during their existence, with the husband-and-wife duo of singer Lux Interior and guitarist Poison Ivy the only ever-present members. ...

, The Dixons, Fur Dixon and Blow Up, Fur Dixon and Steve Werner, and a new band she formed in 2015, WTFUKUSHIMA!

Personnel

* Diane ("Boom-Boom") Dixon: drums and

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...

* Pleasant Gehman: vocals * Annette Zilinskas: bass and vocals * Genny Schorr: guitar & vocals *

: bass & vocals * Shayn Taylor-Shubert: bass and vocals; switched to lead

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...

before quitting * Marsky Reins: fiddle, rhythm guitar, vocals * Rosie Flores: lead

, vocals (replaced Shayn Taylor-Shubert) * Miiko Watanabe: bass * Laura Bandit: bass; later switched to rhythm guitar * Casey Gomez: drums * Kathryn Grimm: guitar * Brie Howard: played live with the band after shooting the film "The Running Kind"

Discography

:Albums *''Fiesta!''

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...

Enigma Records Enigma Records (also known as Enigma Entertainment Corporation) was a popular rock and alternative American record label in the 1980s. History Enigma Records launched as a division of Greenworld Distribution, an independent music importer/d ...

produced by Michael Reid, Greg Humphrey & Brian Ahern *''Voodoo''

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, ...

Restless Records Restless Records is a record label that was started in El Segundo, California in 1986 by Enigma Records and primarily released alternative, metal, and punk records. Restless also licensed and released records from Bar/None Records, Metal Blade R ...

produced by Ethan James :Singles *UK Import 45 "You're Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad" b/w "Runnin' Kind" 1984 Beach Culture Records *''Fiesta!''

produced by Michael Reid, Greg Humphrey & Brian Ahern :Compilations *"Sound of Hollywood Women" 1983

Mystic Records Mystic Records is an American record label and music production company specializing in hardcore punk, crossover thrash, underground music, vintage and cult records. It is owned and operated by Doug Moody. The label was first established in Hollywo ...

track: "Ugly & Slouchy" (compilation) *"

Rodney on the ROQ Rodney Bingenheimer (born December 15, 1946) is an American radio disc jockey who is best known as the host of ''Rodney on the ROQ'', a radio program that ran on the Los Angeles rock station KROQ from 1976 to 2017. In the early 1970s, he also ma ...

" 1983 compilation track "Black And White Thunderbird", original song by

the Delicates The Delicates, were an American three-girl singing group, made up of members Denise Ferri, Arleen Lanzotti, and Peggy Santiglia. The group was formed in 1958 while all three members were attending Elementary School No. Eight, in Belleville, New ...

1959. *"Hell Comes To Your House" 1983

compilation tracks: "Your Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad", "Runnin' Kind" *

Enigma Variations Edward Elgar composed his ''Variations on an Original Theme'', Op. 36, popularly known as the ''Enigma Variations'', between October 1898 and February 1899. It is an orchestral work comprising fourteen variations on an original theme. Elgar ...

- 1985

compilation, track: "Maniac" *"Radio Tokyo Tapes" 1985 Compilation, Chameleon Records track "Little White Lies" *"Skaterock" 1986 Thrasher records track: "Heartbreak Train *"Reform School Girls (soundtrack) 1987 track: "Love Slave"

References

External links

* {{authority control All-female punk bands Restless Records artists Enigma Records artists

History

Personnel

Discography

See also

References

External links