Mika Miko - We Be Xuxa

 Mika Miko – We Be Xuxa
 9/10

Hard, fast, lo-fi punk rock in the vein of Sleater Kinney, The Slits or The Ramones, LA’s Mika Miko have been lovingly described by some as “pony thrash”, possibly because of the girly element the four girls and one boy create with their punk aesthetics. They’ve been described in terms as creative as their music: “Imagine a high school dance where Red Cross, Black Flag, X-Ray Spex, The Slits and The Germs are all playing at with an updated flare of excitement and anxiousness.” Combining their love of noise/punk with their unstoppable youthful energy they create a captivating, hedonistic blend of spirited, funny and structured punk music. It’s a blast to listen to, the best thing I’ve heard in ages.

They’re totally fun as they put on silly voices in ‘Turkey Sandwich’ and race through ‘I Got A Lot (New New New)’. The unision of guitars, bass and vocals in the latter and in ‘Totion’, with its echoey, layered vocals, adds further embellishment and total fun chaos to their already ultra compelling sound. The bomb blast at the end will shake you. There’s also elements of surf rock, particularly in ‘Turkey Barnyard Mix’’s backing vocals and rhythms. Mika Miko’s melodies are memorable and their lyrics often silly but totally real, everyday stories. There’s so much classic sounding punk rock in We Be Xuxa, such perfectly formed songs, sung with such grit and resistance and soul. Some might frown on the messy production and jumbled way they sprint through some of their songs like ‘Sex’, but that can’t-sit-still feeling you get from Mika Miko is part of their charm. There isn’t a lot to it, but it’s endless fun and celebratory sounding. They’ve been/are part of Not Not Fun, Kill Rock Stars and The Smell communities, volunteering and often playing at the latter. With the 12 songs on Xuxa reaching only 22 minutes it’s just how punk should be – short and sweet and totally echoing inner DIY punk sentiment.
Sarah