Sad news in overnight of the passing of the wonderful Kim Shattuck, fabulous punk-pop singer-songwriter with LA faves The Muffs, a former member of all-girl garage greats the Pandoras, and a member of the Pixies for their 2013 tour.
The eternally young at heart Kim Shattuck wrote some of the most infectious and energetic punky pop music of the last few decades and never sounded older than a teenager; it was a shock to hear that she was aged 56 when struck down by complications with motor neuron disease (ALS).
Although unknown to the general public, the Muffs were quintessential Californian pop-punkers. Signed to Warner in 1993, the sound on their killer self-titled album led Green Day to sign to Warner and work with the Muffs producer Rob Cavallo. The Muffs deserved to follow – or lead - Billy Joe and co. up the charts, but it wasn’t to be. Their songs were every bit as catchy, and the 2 girls/2 guys line-up was surely a winner. In the end, they probably weren’t punky enough for the SoCal punk fans - although Kim did guest on NOFX’s Punk in Drublic album – and too punky for your average pop fan. It was a crying shame; Kim knew her way around a gorgeous pop song and those albums sound even better today than they did in the 90s.
Check out these classics from their glory days.
The band was originally formed by Kim and fellow ex-Pandora Melanie Vammen in 1991. Based on Kim and Melanie’s popularity in the Pandoras, and a small handful of brilliant early singles, including one for Melbourne’s Au-go-go label, Warner came knocking.
Melanie departed in 1995 before the bands second album Blonde and Blonder, leaving Kim to lead the band with long-term musical partner Ronnie Barrett on bass and former Redd Kross member Roy McDonald on drums. After three albums on Warner – the third was Happy Birthday To Me - and a 1995 cover of Kim Wilde’s “Kids in America” that featured in the film Clueless - the band released an album for indie label Honest Don’s, in 1999, called Alert Today, Alive Tomorrow. This album included the track "I Wish That I Could Be You", featured on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode The Freshman.
The band released another album in 2004, and what would prove to be their final album, Whoop Dee Doo, in 2014, for LA’s cool Burger Records label.
More recently Kim had picked things up again with her old partner Melanie Vammen - the pair formed the wonderful Coolies, whose debut release, a 6 song mini-LP, was released just a few months ago by Wicked Cool Records, a label run by Little Steven Van Zandt from the E-Street Band. Muffs fans will love it.
Kim Shattuck was a brilliant singer/songwriter/guitarist who meant a lot to generations of punk-pop and garage-rock fans. Her legacy will live on in her music, which will be listened to for decades to come.
