The Chubbies

chubbies

 

Taking influence from 70’s film soundtracks, weather phenomena, childhood Halloween parties and a David Lynchian vision of suburbia, The Chubbies will take you on a very strange journey indeed…

Musical style: Garage/powerpop/pop punk

The Chubbies started out as one girl named Jeannette Kantzalis, an old 8 track and a lot of really great songs. Long Gone John from Sympathy For The Record Industry discovered her little demo cassette and the rest is a bit of punk rock history!

She found Christene Kings (one of the greatest drummers around!) in a garage in Long Beach, California and together they toured the world in a bright yellow shortbus. 11 Sympathy releases and 15 more on other indies and they’re still great friends.

Jeanette Chubbie aims for songs about fun, boys, girls and incorporates all that is involved with that killer called love. She is an amazing songwriter and singer, who communicates with a simplicity that is lost on most rock and rollers these days.

From an interview with Shane Jesse Xmass and The Chubbies for furious.com, 2001:

PSF: What are you most proud of in relation to The Chubbies?

That I did it my way, like Frank, no compromises and that it’s still a challenge. I’m most proud of the fact that I’m still here… all of my friends have pretty much quit music being that it’s such a tough business but no matter how much I’ve been beat down, I still get right back up…

PSF: How would you describe the sound of The Chubbies?

Power Pop. Definitely Power Pop… It’s hard to say what influences other people hear in my stuff. Usually the stuff they name, I’ve never actually owned a record by the artist they mention. I’ve been compared to Holly and the Italians, Stiff Little Fingers… I know of those bands and have since heard their stuff, but had never listened to them when I was writing the particular release they were reviewing.

PSF: OK, situation advice. I play ’60’s Girl Group music to someone, your stuff etc., basically rock and roll with girls singing. This someone says “I like the music but the words & singing’s a bit soft”. Whadya do?

There’s nothing soft about a rock and roll girl! Not that she’ll let you see, anyway! You just happen to have better taste in music than that so and so. I’ll show them soft, why I oughtta!

PSF: Now lemme get this straight. Do you own a record store?

Yes, I own Filthy’s Music Exchange. It’s small, but we specialize in indie and underground stuff. And we have shows with touring bands in the store, the only place around here that does that.

PSF: I read somewhere that you didn’t make a conscious decision to play punk…

Yeah, I did say that, I just didn’t think anyone was listening. I didn’t make a conscious decision for any musical style. I never learned to play other people’s stuff. I just started writing my own from the start so any influences I have come from what I heard on the radio, probably, but I’m just not a good enough interpreter to copy…

PSF: Go-Go dancing onstage with/against The Offspring. Do you wanna explain?

Oh. We opened for them. And we got a little tipsy. And we went on during their set and go-go danced. They didn’t mind but they’re personal trainer/groupie/chef got really angry and tried to beat up Christene. I stepped in between them but this girl was really big. Then one of their guys pulled her away and we kept on dancing. We had a good time that night. Oh the things that went on!

PSF: Who is the worst musician, band or music around at the moment?

Fiona Apple is pretty awful and Mariah Carey. Whew, stinko. She riffs out so much that you never get a hold of the actual melody. Creed. all male singers like that who try to sound like Cher…

PSF: What’s your relation with your tattoos & what are they?

The star’s half of the French flag (where my mum’s from) and half of the Greek flag (where my dad’s from), quite a mixture, eh? The word’s around the star are “Honour and Courage.” It’s a reminder, not a declaration. The other is a cat woman who’s sort of the artists rendition of me. She’s holding a string of lit firecrackers, (pop, pop, get it?). The one on the top of my butt bears the name of the man I love.

PSF: What do you think of the song “He Hit Me And It Felt Like A Kiss” by The Crystals?

Oh geez, this is a great pop song with really DATED lyrics. Well maybe not so dated. These things go on, but we don’t glamorise them in pop songs anymore. The Crystals were one of the great girl groups of the sixties, the Phil Spector wall of sound kind of thing.

PSF: Any free rants or general comments?

God, how I love you.

Are you a major fan of a small all-girl band and want to help them promote their music?

Post their link on the Mookychick music messageboard and we’ll do what we can to track them down and host them as MP3 of the week. Thanks for your direct action xxx

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