Review
The Sick Lipstick
Sting, Sting, Sting

Tiger Style (2003) Eric

The Sick Lipstick – Sting, Sting, Sting cover artwork
The Sick Lipstick – Sting, Sting, Sting — Tiger Style, 2003

Everyone enjoys a little no-wave now and again, right? Anyone who is into The Red Light Sting, Arab on Radar, or Black Cat #13 will enjoy this. In fact, half of The Sick Lipstick is composed of members from Black Cat #13, and they have done a split with XBXRX.

It seems like music this cool can only come from Canada. Most of the better no-wave acts are offerings from our friends to the North. Further proving Canada's superiority, The Sick Lipstick plays music that somehow, simultaneously manages to be abrasive and catchy. Vocalist Lindsey Gillard has a bratty voice that would probably be at home on a Bratmobile record, and she utilizes it to spit out abstract poetry that almost always contains some kind of sexual undertones. Meanwhile, in the background a mishmash of guitar, drum and keyboard plays, always threatening to go off the edge into an indiscernible mess...but never quite going that far. These tunes are definitely catchy and danceable. Check out "10-4, Can You Read Me," "Get Up! Catch Up," and "Zombie Cookie" for great examples of the chaos/catchy fusion that they have perfected.

If you've been privy to The Sick Lipstick's previous efforts, you'll be very pleased when you hear this record. Their old songs were raw and hinted towards this "catchy" direction, but were still very abrasive and at times a chore to listen to. "Sting Sting Sting," however, is about as pop as this particular style of music can probably get...in fact, it's one of the best no-wave records I have heard in awhile.

8.0 / 10Eric • February 28, 2004

The Sick Lipstick – Sting, Sting, Sting cover artwork
The Sick Lipstick – Sting, Sting, Sting — Tiger Style, 2003

Recently-posted album reviews

Vial

Hellhound
Trout Hole Records (2026)

I was really into the last Vial record, a quick burst of peppy and pointed brat punk. The early singles off Hellhound lean way more grunge, so I was curious how the band had developed in the past couple of years. And while my very first impressions of "Infected" and "Scorpio Moon" had me thinking of L7 and Nirvana, by … Read more

Mauled

When Your Eyes Are Shut
Silverback Gorilla Records (2026)

Deathcore has spent the last decade mutating into increasingly technical, polished, and theatrical territory. Some bands chase symphonic grandeur. Others lean into hyper-technical brutality. The Indianapolis wrecking crew named Mauled take a different approach on When Your Eyes Are Shut. They drag the genre back toward the raw chaos of its early years. This six track EP feels deliberately rooted … Read more

DMZ

The Lost Studio Sessions-1978
Crypt Records (2026)

The Lost Studio Sessions 1978 finally sets the record straight. This is the raw, ugly power the band’s debut never touched. For years, the DMZ legacy has been misunderstood because of that Sire LP. Look, it was the first record of theirs I ever heard and I still love it—but Flo & Eddie’s production smoothed over everything that made them … Read more