RTX
After a four-year absence, former Royal Trux bad girl Jennifer Herrema re-emerged as RTX, releasing 2004’s The Transmaniacon on Trux’s former label, Drag City. Transmaniacon and RTX’s just-released Western Xterminator echo the grimy, sludgy swagger of Herrema’s old rock band. In fact, the sound doesn’t stray too far from Herrema’s ex-bandmate Neil Michael Hagerty’s current project, Howling Hex (also on Drag City). But Herrema’s undeniable, dirty sex appeal trumps Hagerty’s too-cool attitude, especially on tracks such as “Money Will Roll,” on which Herrema purrs and spits like a cross between Nina Simone and Iggy Pop. RTX doesn’t break new ground on Xterminator, but if you like your thrills cheap and your women painted and wreckless, Herrema’s your girl.
Video of “Balls to Pass” from Western Xterminator:
