Cheap Happiness or Lofty Suffering

Their logo and cover art makes them look like a death metal band, but this SoCal femme foursome fall squarely into the noisy post-punk category. Rocking Flock of Seagulls cuts and songs with titles like “Psychedelic Cyclaaid,” naming their album after a Dostoevsky quote (but misspelling his name on the back cover), dedicating another tune to Jean-Paul Sartre — it’s understandable why they didn’t make it much further than this one private press release. It’s still worth seeking out. “Youth Song,” sung by guitarist/cover painter/fashion victim Ingrid Baumgart, is a genuine lost goth gem. The credits on the back list “Complaints by EVERYONE!” Easy to believe.