Here is a great recipe for infectious pop punk. Take one well-funded, reputable record label, lots of combined talent from previous bands like Ruby Joe and The Israelites, throw in four punk-rock-glamour-girls, add a pinch of attitude, and mosh briskly until rockin' and voila--you have the Halo Friendlies.

The Tooth and Nail debut album of the Halo Friendlies, "Get Real," is a raw blend of everything good in punk rock today. It has incredible energy, relevant songs about relationships, and of course, musicianship. The ladies in Halo Friendlies are superb at what they do. Judita plays guitar as well as being the lead vocalist, and is a master at drawing you in to the story she is spinning and getting you to believe in her boy/girl plights. Ginger and Natalie, bass and guitar players respectively, do an excellent job tickling the ear drums with their incredible riffs and well placed vocals. They are a credit to female musicians everywhere as they both seem to predict what the other is going to do before they themselves know they are going to do it. Christina, the bands drummer is unbelievable, and in a world of mediocre punk band drummers, this is an incredible compliment.

The bands influences are clear from track 1. You can hear the alterna-chick crooning of the Breeders in Judita's voice almost immediately. You can also see the Ramones rear their head every once in a while too. Bottom line, the Halo Friendlies took all of these sounds and made them into a groove uniquely theirs in a way that makes you want to get up in a crowded Abercrombie and Fitch store, wearing a fish net shirt and combat boots, screaming, "I am a punk and I am proud of it."

With other all-girl punk bands, like the Donnas, breaking out in a big way this year, it seems like a great time to see four young ladies from Tooth and Nail insert themselves into the mainstream, and rock all of the boy-bands and talent-less slop right out of the current top ten lists.

Jeff Petermann
www.buzzgrinder.com