Miss TK & The Revenge

Miss TK and the Revenge
''XOXO'' (Gern Blandsten)
-by Ben Sisario

If the 80's revival is dead, Miss TK never got the message. And I'm glad she didn't: Her first album, ''XOXO,'' is the effortlessly stylish, no-frills-but-for-the-vintage-synthesizer romp through New Wave that Gwen Stefani and Le Tigre never made. And, as the notes for the album proudly state, it was recorded in ''a sweltering basement in Asbury Park.''

Miss TK, born Tannis Kristanjson, is New Jersey punk royalty. Her husband, Ari Katz, sang in an influential 90's band, Lifetime, and when it disbanded, the two formed Zero Zero, taking a hard left turn from the pained earnestness of emo punk into a lighthearted, 80's-influenced dance sound centered around Miss TK's keyboards.

With her new project, the Revenge, she steps out from behind the keyboard as a coiffured, street-smart diva seemingly straight out of a Toni Basil video. With spare but irresistibly catchy tunes that recall the Missing Persons and other heroes of early MTV -- one song, ''Fake Italians Ain't No Stallions,'' has a guitar part that's a dead ringer for MTV's old jingle -- she slurs and squeals her way from one sassy pose to another, complaining about a rock star boyfriend in ''Your Show'' and tipping her hat to an insouciant heroine in ''Unicornicopia (I Love Nico).''

The lyrics don't go much deeper than ''Hey baby yeah/I want you yeah/Don't walk away,'' but it doesn't matter much. Miss TK (and Mr. Katz, on drums and synthesizers) learned an important lesson from the original New Wave: it's all about attitude.

- The New York Times

As if the pink sparkles, rainbows, hearts, and unicorns that decorate the cover of Miss TK & the Revenge's debut album, XOXO, aren't enough clues that this band cherishes all things fun, girly, and oh-so '80s, listening to their new wave and dance-pop-inspired musical confections confirms that these are their obsessions. Fortunately, their obsessiveness is infectious: XOXO is a sweet and playful album that should appeal to anyone who likes the frothier, frillier side of new wave. Like many of the new wave revivalists of the 2000s, Miss TK (aka Tannis Kristanjson, who along with husband/drummer Ari Katz used to be in Lifetime and later, Zero Zero) channels Blondie, but she does so in a softer, breathier way than most of her contemporaries. The sassiness of Cyndi Lauper, Missing Persons, and countless other female-fronted new wave bands is also a major influence, particularly on the cheeky "Fake Italians Ain't No Stallions." Brief outbursts like "Locals Only" nod to harder-edged punk, but the album's poppiest, pinkest moments are the best: "Hey Baby Yeah," "Nowhere to Go," "Don't Call Me," and "Elevator" are energetic, innocent, and knowing -- everything that made girly new wave fun the first time around as well as in the 2000s. On songs like the irresistible "Sunshine, Sunshine, Where Are You?," Miss TK and crew are so hooky that they come across like a scruffier version of No Doubt. "Unicornucopia (I Love Nico)" is another standout, a delicate but driving track that makes the most of the album's spare production. The bareness of XOXO's sound leaves some of the tougher-sounding songs, such as "Your Show" and "Basement Demo," sounding a little constrained. However, this is a minor quibble with an album that's as sweetly retro as Love's Baby Soft or a bubblegum Lip Smacker; as Miss TK sings on "Concentrate," this album is the perfect soundtrack for "Dancing in my room/Catching my reflection." - ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide

Featuring the vocals of Miss TK (former keyboard player for Zero Zero), Miss TK & The Revenge combine punk elements from the 1970s with disco elements from the 1980s to create a thumpy and slightly erotic sound. The band's approach is something like a cross between Cyndi Lauper, Missing Persons, and Siouxsie and the Banshees. XOXO is a short album...only lasting about a half an hour. But in that short amount of time, Miss TK and friends pack in a lot. This album features no less than twelve tunes of feelgood dance pop. Some of the electronic drums make the music sound quite dated. Otherwise, this is a fun album of modern upbeat dance pop. Top picks: "Banana," "Hey Baby Yeah," "Sunshine, Sunshine, Where Are You?" (Rating: 4+++)

- LMNOP