It's hard to think of another local band that packs the punch that hardcore punk outfit Flees does. From the opening bass line in "You Can't Break Me" to frontwoman Elyse Perez's grrrly growl to the thrashy chords that dominate Flees' debut album, Drink Me, Saturday's CD-release show should pulsate with the type of unrelenting energy that helps you remember why you liked punk in the first place.
They don't play the kind of hardcore that makes you feel like your brain might explode. But it's still fast and aggressive and exhilarating. Basically, Flees delivers first-rate thrash. When Perez, whom New Times voted Best Female Rock Vocalist of 2010, tells us "Drink me," we respond, "Gladly." When she says "Just fuck off and go away," we meekly resign ourselves. Her flirty satirical tone and vocal dynamism often conjure up Jello Biafra (if not as indecipherable), Donita Sparks, and Exene Cervenka, just grittier and less uplifting. In this era of uncontroversial market-tested punk, Flees' debut provides the raw, direct spirit that, as Perez puts it, will "tear your world apart."
