Nikki And The Corvettes: S/T (1980)

Here's some Detroit-based girl-band punk-pop from 1980 that was (not entirely unfairly) overshadowed by the likes of the Go-Go's at the time, wallowing in obscurity but getting a second chance when later reissued twenty years later.  This is hardly world-changing music, but if you're going a little stir crazy in the midst of a pandemic, this is light, joyful, three-chord pop music that is guaranteed to provide a brief reprieve.

Nikki and her band are a bit of a mash-up of the Ramones, early Blondie, and the Go-Gos, though leaning much more heavily on the power pop and retro-girl-group side of things than on the punk.  They bring to mind The Donnas (though, again, with a much less heavy crunch).  Everything is buoyant and perky, lo-fi bubblegum that takes the basic early Beach Boys formula of girls, cars, and beach parties and gives it a slight tweak (i.e. boys, cars, and beach parties).  Is it silly and lightweight?  You bet, and in the best way.

I'm not gonna pick out highlights, because, c'mon, it's a dozen tracks (plus a few CD reissue bonuses) checking in at about 30 minutes, and they're all variations on the same basic motif.  Play it fast, play it loud, have some fun!

(They disbanded after the lone album, but Nikki has formed various follow-up acts in recent years; 2006's release by Nikki & The Stingrays saw the same sound revamped with better production, and, like the 1980 iteration of the band, was great fun.)

Here's a YouTube audio rip of the album:

Here's "Let's Go" live in 2014:

 ...and "He's A Mover" from the same performance: