On May 24th, U.K. post-hardcore/punk band PETROL GIRLS released their groundbreaking experimental album entitled “Cut & Stitch”. This album is certainly a patchwork of the feminist movement and putting together all the pieces that were broken from the past.
The interesting thing about Petrol Girls is that they were put on this planet to challenge the status quo. They challenge anything and everything from the rise of nationalism around the world, the perils of capitalism around the world, and even the gender binary code. Petrol Girls take their name from Petroleuses, who are the mythical women of the Paris commune who allegedly set fire to private property with Molotov cocktails made from milk bottles and rejected traditional gender roles.
This record screams “I’m pissed off at the system” from the first note to the last note. Case in point, in the song “Big Mouth”, you can immediately sense the punk snarl that is notorious for this band. The guitars and rhythm makes the listener want to run through a wall, and lead singer Ren Aldridge challenges the status quo in a form of protest during the bridge challenging the traditional roles of women. “Big Mouth” is certainly a call to arms to reignite the feminist movement.
This record is not just liberating for one binary gender, it’s liberating for the other binary gender(the male species), as is the case in the song “Talk In Tongues”. This track screams for the man to feel completely open and honest about his mental health state. This track is so passionate and heartfelt.
In the track “Monstrous”, there is that sense of urgency to slay the demons inside of you and have a sense of urgency when it comes to addressing mental health issues. The guitars and rhythm section certainly provoke that sense of urgency.
The more I listen to “Cut & Stitch” by Petrol Girls, the more I realizing how fitting the album title is. They are able to take different patches and weave them together to make this elaborate tapestry in their body of work. The songs all scream with a sense of urgency, the lyrics cry for change in our mindset, and the music is a call of arms to rally the people to fight the power. In short, this album is absolutely raw and I freaking love it! Madness To Creation declares this wonderful record a solid 9 out of 10 stars. Here is the track listing below:
- Intro
- The Sound
- Tangle of Lives
- Interlude (Q&A)
- Big Mouth
- Interlude (Looming)
- Monstrous
- No Love For A Nation
- Skye
- Burn
- Talk In Tongues
- Interlude (They Say)
- Rootless
- Weather Warning
- Naive
PETROL GIRLS will be touring with War On Women. Check out the dates below.
Mon. 6/3- Autonomour Space in Glasgow, United Kingdom
Tue. 6/4- Red Rum in Stafford, United Kingdom
Wed. 6/5- The Cavern in Exeter, United Kingdom
Fri. 6/7- Magasin 4 in Brussels, Belgium
Sun. 6/9- Booze Cruise in Hamburg, Germany
Mon. 6/10- Bei Chez Heinz in Hannover, Germany
Tue. 6/11- Underdogs in Prague, Czech Republic
Wed. 6/12- Schlachthof in Wiesbaden, Germany
Thu. 6/13- AJZ Bahndamm in Wermelskirchen, Germany
Fri. 6/14- Jugendhaus West in Stuttgart, Germany
Sat. 6/15- Gibus Club in Paris, France
Sun. 6/16- Le Farmer in Lyon, France
Tue. 6/18- Dynamo Werk 21 in Zurich, Switzerland
Wed. 6/19- EKH in Vienna, Austria
Thu. 6/20- Kapu in Linz, Austria
Fri. 6/21- Glockenbachwerkstatt in Munich, Germany
Sat. 6/22- Bollwerk 107 in Moers, Germany
Petrol Girls will also be touring with La Dispute and Milk Teeth. Check out the dates below:
Fri. 6/28- Trabendo in Paris, France
Sat. 6/29- Carlswerk Victoria in Cologne, Germany
Sun. 6/30- Gorilla in Manchester, United Kingdom
Mon. 7/1- Saint Luke’s in Glasgow, United Kingdom
Tue. 7/2- Electric Brixton in London, United Kingdom
Fri. 7/5- Astra in Berlin, Germany
Sun. 7/7- Conne Island in Leipzig, Germany
Mon. 7/8- Schlachthof in Wiesbaden, Germany
Tue. 7/9- Legend Club in Milan, Italy
One off dates:
Thu. 7/11- 2000 Trees Festival in Cheltenham, United Kingdom
Sat. 7/13- Kliko Fest in Haarlem, Netherlands
Fans can find Petrol Girls at the following locations:
