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Freeplay: The Nuns
By Billy Schear
wschear@mscd.edu

The Nuns (415 Records, 1978)

Sexual depravity, drug abuse, the reducing of God to nothing more than a dominatrix with a passion for punishment: few could argue with the Nuns for choosing such a name.

Opening up for the Sex Pistols during their fabled final performance in 1977 at Winterland Palace in San Francisco, the Nuns were quick to make a name for themselves by bringing the urban New York sound to the California punk scene. With streetwise lyrics over keyboard-laden rock and roll, the Nuns helped define what would eventually be known as the new wave sound that dominated the ’80s.

It was the harmony behind the savagery that made the band memorable. The prominently featured vocals of both male and female leads, Jeff Olener and Jennifer Miro, make for a sexual tension that defies definition. Are they lovers? Are they friends? Are they brother and sister or just two strangers with the same fetishes?

This is the self-titled 7-inch that started it all. The first single the Nuns released included the two live tracks “Suicide Child” and “Decadent Jew,” which, rumor has it, couldn’t be laid down in the studio because the recording studio thought they were going to steal all the gear.

Though the band’s studio recordings often sound crisp, clean and finely produced, the presence of these two live tracks reveals the Nuns’ grittiness and threatening bravado.

“Suicide Child” is the classic story of boy meets girl, girl steals boy’s dope, girl kills herself, boy never forgives girl for being so stupid. It is the quintessential example of the Nun’s ability to marry cynicism and self-indulgent humor. “You slit your wrist, you stupid bitch!” Olener spits with contempt, showing no signs of contrition in having led this poor runaway child astray.

Thankfully, debauchery never dies; it just lies in state only to be resurrected when it’s needed most. The Nuns shall forever be here to guide the way.