The Weasels

Best known for their dark-humored 1978 single "Beat Her With a Rake," the Weasels were an irreverent, sneering, in-your-face punk band along the lines of Black Flag, the Circle Jerks, and Dead Boys. One thing that separated the Los Angeles-based Weasels (who shouldn't be confused with a 1960s band that had the same name) from other late '70s punk outfits, however, was a definite heavy metal influence. At a time when it still wasn't fashionable to like metal in punk circles, the Weasels combined hints of Black Sabbath with their appreciation of early punk bands like the Sex Pistols and Dead Boys. The Weasels were formed in L.A. in 1977, when singer Mike Brophy joined forces with guitarist Greg Durschlag, bassist Richard Sakai, and drummer Jim Connelly. It wasn't long before they started playing the L.A./Hollywood club scene; their live performances didn't make them a huge name in the punk world, though they did acquire a small cult following in Southern California. In 1978, the Weasels released the metal-influenced single "Beat Her With a Rake" on their own Siamese label, and the equally metal-influenced "I'm the Commando" became the record's B-side. Though some women in the L.A. punk scene found "Beat Her With a Rake"'s dark-humored, misogynist lyrics offensive, others saw the tune as a sick, twisted joke and didn't take its lyrics seriously. Rodney Bingenheimer, who was one of the first American radio DJs to play punk, thought enough of "Beat Her With a Rake" to play it on his weekly radio show on L.A.'s KROQ-FM. The Weasels had been playing the L.A. punk scene for about five years when, in 1982, they decided to breakup and go their separate ways. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide