When a mainstream alternative band unwittingly takes the name of an underground group and uses it as an album title, the only appropriate response is to return the favor. See The Nimrods' Green Day or, more recently, Candy Ass' Orgy. These three women (and one male drummer, who is amusingly absent from all press material and the record's cover art) play surprisingly poppy punk with tight harmonies that bring to mind the dual vocalists of the Dance Hall Crashers. At times, Candy Ass merges tough lyrics (I hate you/I hope you die) with cheery music, while other rough-edged tunes talk the talk and walk the walk, such as the Joan Jett-style kiss-off "Better Than You." Singer Galadriel pens some memorable bad-girl lines (I do the warden a real sweet favor/I get out on good behavior), but perhaps the most intriguing tune is "Popular Girls," a cheery, hand-clap-accented, first-person cheerleader putdown coming from a stylish trio that looks as if it could've achieved the titular status by electing to sing a different style of song. (Bassist Siani Pop looks like a punky Christina Aguilera.) Instead, Candy Ass decided to rock, and this satisfying release proves the scene is so much the better for it.
