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This ep is perhaps the best way to bet introduced to the 2 Nice Girls. It shows that they could take any song and make it sweet and wonderful without losing the song's integrity. It also shows their wonderful use of covers. The speed racer theme is perhaps the best theme song ever covered on a rock album. They wisely concluded this ep with their best known song,"I spent my last $10.00 (0n Birth Control and Beer)" which is the song that hooks everyone to the girls. I miss this band.

I heard this band, and this EP. 2 Nice Girls were an incredible group, mixing beatiful voices, excellent musicianship, and a good dose of humor into their folk rock songs. This album contains 5 covers and 1 original, and since there's no track listing, I'll provide one:

1. I Feel (Like Makin') Love
2. Bang Bang
3. Top of the World
4. Speed Racer
5. Cotton Crown
6. I Spent My Last $10 on Birth Control & Beer

Each song is awesome in it's own way. The first track is a great interpretation of the Bad Company original, but who'd have thought it'd make a great coutry rock song? It does. The second track, Bang Bang, is a great rockabilly number; the original performed by Janis Martin. I've never heard the original, but the cover is fun to listen to, and it's just plain kickass. Top of the World is a great homage to Caren Carpenter, and I can not only feel the affection for the person that's being sung to, but also the band's appreciation of the Carpenters' original. The cover of Speed Racer is a nice surprise, and not only is it a great arrangement, it's also far better than that silly "erotic" one. The producers would be fools not to include this song, or at least a snippet of it, in the new live-action movie. I've never heard Sonic Youth's version of "Cotton Crown", but 2 Nice Girls version of it is haunting and lyrical. Rounding out the EP is the band's original "I Spent My Last $10", a funny and poignant song of a girl trying coming to terms with her sexuality and resigning herself to a life she doesn't want.

Also, seek out the band's other offerings:
2 Nice Girls
Note - search the internets - it's been ReReleased!!!

and
Chloe Liked Olivia

The cover called "I Feel (Like Making) Love" combines Donna Summer's "I Feel Love" and Bad Company's "Feel Like Makin' Love" into one rollicking, knee-slappin' blue-grass hoedown. Truly inspired and worth buying for that track alone. That the other songs are good too is just icing on the cake.

This EP is a lot of fun from a unique band of talented alternative folkies. According to cofounder Gretchen Phillips, Two Nice Girls was originally a trio of Girls with the mission of "Making Lesbianism As Attractive As Possible." Back in 1985, that was still a fairly radical idea. Their tactic: making people have fun with lesbians, whether they agreed with them or not. I'd say they succeeded well with those who actually heard them, though that number is still too small.

By the time this, their middle CD of three, was recorded, there were four Nice Girls. They brought their alternative sensibilities - ranging from rock to country to punk to ... post-punk - to this set of folk-flavored covers, throwing in at the end a wildly popular (where known) original from their first album. Only six songs in all, few enough to go through one at a time.

"I Feel (Like Makin') Love" (6:13)

Donna Summer's "I Feel Love" done in its full disco/bluegrass glory, followed as summer follows spring by Bad Company's "I Feel Like Making Love," done as you would expect nice girls to do it, though they do exert themselves on some rather vigorous tuttis and acoustic guitar/mandolin riffs. Fine harmonies.

"Bang Bang" (2:17)

How did they find this? Written by Clavelle Isnard (yeah, *that* Clavelle Isnard), this was originally recorded by Janis Martin, "The Female Elvis," in 1958. It's pure rockabilly. The cover here is done pretty, um, straight, but obviously with a smile. It's a blast. The Girls seem to have inspired Kelly Willis to record this the next year.

You can hear the original online: google aceterrier + "bang bang" and find the song, down towards the bottom of the page. The rat-a-tat-tat percussion on the original is a fine touch.

If you like this, try out k.d. lang's A Truly Western Experience. Yeehaw!

"Top of the World" (2:50)

Pam Barger does her best Karen Carpenter imitation, with just an acoustic guitar and a backing vocal from Kathy Korniloff. Who would be Richard Carpenter, in this case. Pleasantly mellow.

"Speed Racer" (2:13)

Hmmm. It's the theme song from a 1960s Japanese cartoon that was translated into something like English and shown in the US. The Girls seem to remember a slightly different cartoon: "He's poppin' speed as he guns his car around the track, he's freakin' out so hard it's like he's never comin' back." But there's still "Go Speed Racer, Go Speed Racer, Go Speed Racer Go!" It's a cross between lounge and Patsy Cline, somehow relaxed and energetic. Great bass line by Meg Hedges, and Korniloff's vocal is perfect.

"Cotton Crown" (3:10)

Colossal Youth meets Sonic Youth. That is, it's like Young Marble Giants doing Sonic Youth. Gretchen Phillips does an Alison Statton vocal better than Statton (in that she sings better). Actually, she reminds me even more of His Name Is Alive's Karin Oliver, and if someone had told me this was a cut from one of their albums, I might have believed it. Beautiful.

"I Spent My Last $10.00 (on Birth Control and Beer)" (4:13)

This is the Two Nice Girls original from the first album, written by Phillips. It starts at Gram Parsons and immediately turns into an ironic pseudo-post-lesbian honky-tonk lament. "My life was so much simpler when I was sober and queer / But the love of a strong hairy man has turned my head I fear / And made me spend my last ten bucks on birth control and beer." Once you know this one, it's hard not to sing along.

There were rumors once that this EP was going to be rereleased. Let's hope so. The five covers would make great disc-mates with their last album. Their first is available at Amazon and cdbaby.

Drawn to the Speed Racer cover. Alas, the other tracks do not measure up.