Faster Pussycat

Faster Pussycat sounds like the morning after a very long night in 1987. While their contemporaries were polishing their hair and their choruses to a mirror shine, this band kept the dirt under their fingernails. Their sound is built on a foundation of bluesy hard rock, featuring Taime Downe's unmistakable raspy, nasal delivery that feels more like a character in a noir film than a traditional rock frontman. It is music that feels lived-in, slightly dangerous, and deeply rooted in the gritty urban sprawl of Los Angeles.

What sets them apart is the 'sleaze' factor. They traded the bubblegum hooks of pop-metal for a more cynical, street-wise attitude. You can hear the influence of Aerosmith and the New York Dolls, but filtered through a late-80s lens that eventually experimented with industrial textures. They were the bridge between the party-hearty glam scene and the more aggressive, alternative sounds that would eventually take over the 90s rock landscape.

Start with their 1987 self-titled debut for the pure, unadulterated energy of the Sunset Strip scene. If you want to hear them at their commercial and creative peak, 'Wake Me When It's Over' offers a more sophisticated take on their sound, including the iconic power ballad 'House of Pain' which showcases their ability to handle genuine emotional weight without losing their edge.