Exploding into the late 70s rock scene with a penchant for 60s garage rock and girl group glam, The Rezillos have always stood out with their unique form of punk, heavy on the female-led vocals. While the Sex Pistols and The Ramones were setting the common footprint of punk with their leather jackets and catchy riffs, The Rezillos blazed their own path. The Edinburgh punk band skyrocketed to underground notoriety with their debut single, “I Can’t Stand My Baby” which was featured on John Peel’s radio show in 1978. Soon after that, all the punk and new wave hipsters couldn’t get enough of The Rezillos. Classic singles such as “My Baby Does Good Sculptures,” “Top of the Pops” and “Destination Venus” were soon blasting across all beat clubs and home stereos.
But all good things come to an end … Shortly after the release of their 1978 cult classic Can’t Stand the Rezillos, the band, like many bands on the helm of fame, couldn’t agree on their musical direction and eventually disbanded. With only one studio album to their name, The Rezillos called it quits and went their separate ways. Guitarist Jo Callis joined the Human League, while singers Fay Fife and Eugene Reynolds took a stab at The Revillos, a spinoff of The Rezillos (which lasted through the mid 80s).
Fast forward 37 years later, The Rezillos released their sophomore album titled Zero. The album was just released this past March via Metropolis Records. And it’s actually pretty good (which isn’t something you would expect for such a large gap in music). You can stream it here or purchase it here.
To celebrate the new record, The Rezillos will embark on tour with two stops in Los Angeles. You can catch The Rezillos at The Roxy on May 22 or the Glass House on May 24. More tour dates and tickets here.
Interesting Fact: How did The Rezillos get their name? The band decided to name themselves after club called “Revilos” that appeared in the first issue of the DC Comics publication “The Shadow” in November 1973.
The Rezillos – I Can’t Stand My Baby (original single)
Video: The Rezillos – Top Of The Pops 1978
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DM3f-pRidnU
Video: Rezillos – Flying saucer attack 1978
