Bangles lead guitarist Vicki Peterson, who was recently declared by the LA Weekly to be one of LA’s greatest ever guitarists) has appeared in two new projects over the last few weeks.
Firstly and foremost there’s Vicki’s own new group – and LA supergroup of sorts – called Action Skulls, which features Vicki up front together with her husband John Cowsill of legendary LA pop family band the Cowsills (the real life Cowsills were the inspiration for the fictional Partridge Family; John also currently plays drums in the Beach Boys), and, bizarrely, multi-instrumentalist Billy Mumy, best known to baby boomers the world over as Will Robinson, the kid in from evergreen ‘60s sci-fi TV show Lost in Space.
If that’s not a wonderfully crazy enough combination, the Action Skulls’ bass player when they started making newly-released debut album was Crazy Horse’s Rick Rosas, who sadly passed in late 2014.
Action Skulls have independently released their debut album Angels Hear and it’s fantastic - a modern update, much like the Bangles were at their best, of the classic ‘60s LA folk-rock/pop sound. The album currently seems to only be available as a download from CD Baby, but you can have a listen to the album’s fabulous title track here.
Oh and Action Skulls photographer and designer is none other than Angela Cartwright who played Billy Mumy’s Lost in Space sister Penny Robinson!! So that’s two reasons for Lost in Space fans to check this out too.
In addition to Action Skulls, Vicki also appears as a guest on – and in the first video from – the debut solo album from current day Bangles bass player Derrick Anderson. Derrick’s album A World of My Own is also a cracker – and in similar style to Action Skulls – and you can check out Vicki & her sister and fellow Bangle Debbi Peterson, along with Kim Shattuck of the Muffs, backing Derrick in the wonderful first single and video “When I Was Your Man”.
Check out our I Like: the Bangles playlist on Spotify now!
-DL
