The Nuns – Rumania

Similar to the more commercial new wave sound, pioneering San Franciscan punk band the Nuns were back after a six year absence and as we know, a lot can change over that period of time. The old hardcore and punk groups were either disbanded or changed styles radically, and the Nuns fell into the latter camp. Sure, they've always had this poppy edge to them, with piano and keyboard a part of their repertoire, as well as male / female vocals, but this bad boy really screams 1986. Founding member Alejandro Escovedo (Sheila E.'s brother!) is long-gone, and the band has rounded their punky edges into a full-fledged synth rock act.

The Nuns New Rip re-booted

The Nuns were a punk rock/new wave and gothic rock band in San Francisco. Best known as one of the founding acts of the early San Francisco punk scene, the band went through a number of hiatuses and periodic reunions, line-up changes, and changes in style. Overall, The Nuns performed and recorded on and off from the mid-1970s into the 2000s. While the band was centred on Jennifer Miro and Jeff Olener through its various incarnations, Alejandro Escovedo, who went on to later success as an Americana and alternative country musician, was also a key member during its years of fame in late 1970s San Francisco.

Despite the likes of the Ramones, Dead Kennedys and X receiving all the hype when it comes to American punk, San Francisco’s The Nuns delivered one of the classics with their eponymous debut (actually the material dates from 1977).

The Nuns featured three powerful personalities, each leaving his or her unique stamp on the material. Alejandro Escovedo is the musician of the group (later a member of Rank and File), but most dominant is Jennifer Miro, both night-life diva and teenage tramp, her glacial keyboards and supreme voice contrasting the sleazy Lou Reed-like monotone of Jeff Olener.

Decadence, rebellion, S&M, street-life, junk, nihilism, laziness, and depravity abound in this exuberant set of songs, ranging from perfect punk-pop that would give Deborah Harry a run for her money (“Savage”, “You Think You’re The Best”), to amphetamine-driven punk oozing charm and attitude (“Media Control”, “World War 3”, “Confused”), to theatrical brilliance (“Wild”, “Getting Straight”, “Suicide Child”) etc.

You could hear their Blondie-like single “Wild” on Bomp! EXPERIMENTS IN DESTINY, and now here’s San Francisco punk pioneers debut slab on Butt records. If you dig new wave stuff like The Rezillos or Blondie you'll probably like this.