Meet The GREEN LADY KILLERS... Tretchikoff and Loaded Guns
by Tammy Moore

Ask any man and he'll tell you that there's not many things as attractive as a confident woman. So when not one but three beauties that have it in spades took the stage at Dirty Dog for the fourth slot on the Rusty Knuckles showcase the Saturday of SXSW '11, testosterone levels started skyrocketing and the enchantment that the GREEN LADY KILLERS invoke was in full effect. The ladies brought their cool blend of attitude-fueled rock and electric sexuality for a show that teased of potentially grand things to come. There weren't many men in the house that weren't paying attention. Not many women for that matter either. This is a good time to tip the proverbial hat to Ralph Miller, founder and superhero behind Rusty Knuckles, a label poised to bring some much needed new flair to music with it's roster of what can only be characterized as both ultra extreme successors and innovative predecessors of all things Southern and sleazy. Miller wisely scooped up GLK in 2010 and, while still finding themselves, this chick band can absolutely hold their own with the rowdy gang of fringe flying artists that are defining his new label. Drummer Cherrybomb, who rocks a look that could serve as national poster child for the femme fetale set, gave me the skinny on the self-professed strictly good time rock n roll band.

Voted Best Power Trio of the Year in November 2010 at the LA Music Awards, GREEN LADY KILLERS came together when childhood friends and neighbors, Lady Van Buren and Cherrybomb, both took an interest in music. Their relationship predates early childhood when a mysterious green lady spent nights hiding inside Cherrybomb's closet and terrorizing the poor child. Think Tretchikoff's 'Miss Wong.' The two little girls survived those years together and unbreakable bonds were formed. When the rock bug bit, Van Buren, a broad range vocalist and guitarist, also turned out to have a knack for songwriting and serves as the primary writer to date though it is a collaborative process. Meanwhile, Cherry blossomed into a steady beatkeeper with a propensity for the screams rock n roll, at times, calls for. The chemistry that springs from the bff dynamic has served the band well and made the craft of creating songs a treasured experience for these women that place huge value on their relationship. With the addition of bassist and honey throated back up vocalist Annie Venom, the power of three was officially unleashed in 2005 when GLK was tapped for the Van's Warped Tour Shiragirl Stage, the tour's first stage dedicated to women in rock. GLK's single, "Psycho Ellen" was released on the "Shiragirl Stage Crew Compilation" with world wide distribution.

In the years since the band has steadily toured the West Coast venturing as far as the Midwest hitting all states north and south in between. Heavily influenced by The Cramps, Eagles of Death Metal and even Jack White, the amplitude of their material has allowed them the opportunity to share the stage with artists as diverse as Dexter Romweber and new wave pioneers Missing Persons to psychobilly kings, The Nekromantix. This year, along with several Rusty Knuckles label mates, plans are in the works for a European tour and possibly Japan.

In addition to joining forces with Miller last year and taking home the power trio award, GLK has released a 12 song full length CD, 'Just Fine', and, with the help of Thumbin' Sleazoid Cinema's Mike Ashcraft, were able to create a video for the record's opening track, "My 45". As far as the band is concerned, it's a remarkably definitive piece of film and the decidedly cool Cherrybomb couldn't mask her enthusiasm, when recounting the experience. "Mike is an uber talented director and filmmaker and he helped us to get across to our fans, visually, who we are as a band and as artists. The song itself is based on a true story and the video is truly a representation of what our band is about. We couldn’t be happier with the way it turned out and we have had a phenomenal response from our fans."

Finally, it turns out that that in addition to all other good things in motion, the band has even come to terms with Miss Wong. Her portrait hangs in a place of honor in the home of Van Buren. Her creepy presence in their life and the need to face her down might have been a catalyst for shaping these young women into street tough sirens . The picture gracing the back cover of GREEN LADY KILLERS' 'Just Fine' shows Cherrybomb, Lady Van Buren and Annie Venom with guns pointed and tattoos and leather gleaming. They look incredibly comfortable in character as ass kicking alphas. And why wouldn't they? They're young, loaded with talent, growing everyday as artists with, from the looks of things, nowhere to go but up.

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