It’s A Family Affair: Top Ten Musical Siblings from Garbo’s Daughter

5. Paley Brothers
Jonathan and Andy make their second Popshifter appearance with their cover of Ritchie Valens’ “Come On Let’s Go.” The Paleys were backed by The Ramones on this track, which features prominently in the 1979 cult classic Rock And Roll High School. For more Paley Brothers, please refer to our first Popshifter podcast.

4. The Shangri-La’s
Quintessential New York girl group The Shangri-La’s contained two sets of sisters: Mary and Betty Weiss and Marge and Mary Ann Ganser. In a relatively short career, they forever changed the pop music landscape with their tough-girl image and melodramatic mini-masterpieces such as “Leader Of The Pack” and “Remember (Walkin’ In The Sand).” Written by Brill Building power couple Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry and produced by Shadow Morton, “Heaven Only Knows” is taken from The Shang’s 1965 sophomore LP on Red Bird records. Fun related fact: In 1977, The Shangs (sans Mary Ann, who passed away in 1970) participated in unreleased recording sessions for Sire Records with Andy Paley producing. This partnership led to the girls performing a short-notice show at CBGB, backed by Paley, Lenny Kaye, and Jay Dee Daugherty (Patti Smith Group).

3. The Cowsills
To get to know this legendary family act, check out our multimedia feature, A Conversation With The Cowsills. “Most Of All” is an early single from 1966.

2. The Little Girls
True blue pop dynamos from the Valley, Caron and Michele Maso shook up L.A. with “The Earthquake Song.” Along with their band, featuring former Shock guitarist Kip Brown, they recorded some of the most jubilant, sing-and-dance-along songs of the era. Blending their love of The Beatles with an arresting female take on Everly Brothers harmonies and new-wave energy, The Little Girls released Thank Heaven! (which contains the early MTV staple “How To Pick Up Girls”) in 1983 and collaborated with Blondie’s Clem Burke and Nigel Harrison two years later on a handful of criminally overlooked cuts that failed to pique industry interest.

These tracks caught the ears of the fine folks at Ramo Records and were released as a seven-inch EP, The Clear Album, in 2007. The Little Girls reformed in 2004 and continue to record and perform for new fans and adoring die-hards alike. Keep your ears peeled for upcoming releases of classic and new material.

1. Redd Kross
Haunting the Hawthorne High halls once inhabited by The Beach Boys, skewed prodigies Jeffrey and Steven McDonald forged their brotherly bond into the world’s rawest, youngest, and most fascinating rock and roll institution. From their brat-savant beginnings to their current status as bona fide underground legends, the McDonalds have excelled in experimenting with a variety of genres while remaining true to their unique brand of trash-culture obsessed, hook-laden pop pastiche. Their constant evolution, multimedia pursuits, and thirty years of principled persistence may qualify Redd Kross as “art-rock”, but with none of the pomp and pretension that term often implies.

Despite a near-decade-long hiatus, they are as youthful and vital as ever. Their recent shows with Neurotica alums Robert Hecker and (unrelated) Roy McDonald have created a tsunami of anticipation for their forthcoming album. Ever reverent of their sonic forebears, the band enlisted Susan Cowsill for backup vocal duties on their 1990 album, Third Eye. Her crystal-clear voice features prominently on “Bubblegum Factory” and serves as the perfect foil to Jeff’s signature Left-Coast-Lennon delivery.

RELATED LINKS:

They Are All, So Don’t Even Try: NXNE 2008 with Redd Kross, Popshifter July/August 2008 Issue

Looking For A Visionary: Redd Kross on YouTube, Popshifter May/June 2008 Issue

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