The Chubbies

The brain behind California's Chubbies was songwriter/vocalist/guitarist Jeannette Kantzalis, who, after a few false starts with actual bandmates, sent a series of self-recorded, solitary demos to Long Gone John at Sympathy for the Record Industry. The antimogul loved them, and he quickly issued the Chubbies' debut 7", as well as the 1995 full-length I'm the King. Soundwise, the Chubbies seemed like a sloppier, lower-fi version of the Muffs, with heavy doses of dark humor and pop hooks. Required to recruit an actual band for the purpose of touring, Kantzalis found drummer Christene Kings through a want ad, and the Chubbies became a duo. Their initial releases for Sympathy established a pattern, and the label would become a mainstay throughout the band's prolific career. Tres Flores dropped in 1997, followed American Swagger three years later. (A series of singles and EPs appeared in the interim.) Kings had departed by 2000's Swagger, making the Chubbies a true one-woman show. Ever the jokester, Kantzalis poked fun at this on the album's triple-exposure front cover. She continued issuing work throughout the early 21st century, both on Sympathy and other tiny operations like Uncontrolled Pussy and Remedial. She released the New Wave Boyfriends LP in May 2002. ~ Johnny Loftus