Girl Trouble

Tacoma, Washington, 1988: A town where hazardous waste and pulp mill fumes smelled like a breath of fresh air, old buildings were being leveled in order to “revitalize” a dying downtown, forests and farmlands were giving way to industrial parks and shopping malls, a cultural event was wrestling at the Tacoma Dome, and Girl Trouble could be found practicing with their plywood speaker cabinets and a drum set purchased for $70 from the Sears surplus store in a shed beside Bon and Kahuna’s parent’s house, where they still practice today.

This reissue of Girl Trouble’s debut album, Hit It Or Quit It! [KLP229], includes eleven original songs, one Northwest classic (“Steppin’ Out” by Paul Revere & The Raiders), and two bonus tracks, "White Lightnin'" and "Shakin' all Over". To keep the energy level up and the over-production level down, these songs were recorded “live” with only an occasional added guitar or vocal track, with Steve Fisk at Velvatone Studio in Ellensburg, Washington (the same studio that gave the world Beat Happening albums Jamboree and Black Candy). With the minimal pounding of Bon’s drums, the steady cool of Dale on bass, the buzzsaw scream from Kahuna’s Ouija guitar, and the rabid rock ‘n’ roll stylings of K.P. Kendall, Girl Trouble continues playing throughout the Northwest, 30-plus years on. So that’s the story, kids. Use it or lose it. It’s my way or the highway. Eat it or wear it. Hit It or Quit It!

The digital version of this album is available from Bandcamp.