Be Your Own Pet

iTunes Review

Be Your Own Pet are not the type of group one imagines being a “Nashville-based” band. But 17-year old Jemina Pearl isn’t concerned with fitting in anywhere. Her group’s raucous punk rock draws immediate comparisons to anarchy-loving ensembles such as X Ray Spex, Sleater-Kinney and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. No cowboy hats need apply. They even named one track “Stairway to Heaven,” signifying the strong sense of tease that’s laced throughout their music. No Led Zeppelin fans need inquire. Though ex-Redd Kross singer Steve McDonald “produced” this album, his role is mostly curtailed to staying out of harm’s way and letting the band’s unrestrained mayhem occur unfettered. Granted, the band does slow down a tad for “October, First Account,” but that’s the exception. “Bunk Trunk Skunk,” “Bicycle Bicycle, You Are My Bicycle” and “We Will Vacation, You Can Be My Parasol” exhibit a reckless silliness that only a band of teenagers can pull off convincingly. They’re raging for the sake of raging and having “Fuuuuuun” as if Iggy Pop had given them private lessons on how best to avoid maturity and keep a pure rock n’ roll heart.