Civet

Kim Fowley didn't just launch the Runaways, the '70s-vintage jailbait group that gave us Joan Jett and Lita Ford. He also created an effective formula — the all-bad-girl band — that's still capable of hitting male listeners where it counts: the ears, and someplace lower. For proof, check out Civet,...

By Michael Roberts

December 4, 2008

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Kim Fowley didn't just launch the Runaways, the '70s-vintage jailbait group that gave us Joan Jett and Lita Ford. He also created an effective formula — the all-bad-girl band — that's still capable of hitting male listeners where it counts: the ears, and someplace lower. For proof, check out Civet, whose four beguilingly tattooed members balance their pulchritude with enough sonic skillage to at least partially assuage the guilt of the average punk-rock horndog. Hell Hath No Fury, recently issued on the Hellcat imprint, is a driving, old-school excursion filled with effective hooks and lyrics that range from entertainingly sassy ("Son of a Bitch") to endearingly naive ("Brooklyn," during which lead singer Liza Graves declares, "I'm gonna stay gold," like a cross-gender Ponyboy). Original? Not in the slightest. But the women of Civet, appearing with Aiden and God or Julie, at least have the good sense to borrow from a method that still works. Fowley would approve.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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