Ten High - Party Store

Total Energy was (is?) and offshoot of Voxx Records, where they released some of the more high-energy, Detroit-styled punk'n'roll bands and Ten High certainly qualified! Now I don't remember (if I ever knew) the story behind Wendy Case's combo, but I believe that they were Detroit-based and they mixed 60's garage with high-energy, mid-west rock'n'roll.

Wendy handles the lead vocals here, with a powerful, raspy voice, and adds guitar and harp, while being backed by Craig Claunch (guitar), Tom Robbins (bass), Milton Hill (keys) and Adam Berg (skins). They blast out of the gate in "Get On" with power chords, keys, and fierce, fuzzed out guitar leads ala the Fuzztones or DMZ taking on the Sonics (the song even has hints of "Shot Down"). In "Crazy Ways" they mix frantic r'n'b and garage, they channel the Fantastic Dee Jays "Fight Fire" in their own "Mindreader", take on the Seeds' "Satisfy You" and crunch out a stompin' rhythm on "Sins of the Family". There's a Bo Diddley beat propelling "Dollrod", they demolish Cuby and the Blizzards' "Your Body Not Yer Soul" (much different feel with a female singing), give us pure-power-garage in "Slow Burn" and take on the Smoke Rings' "Love's the Thing" with wild abandon.

Cool call'n'answer garage on the sensual "He's Gonna Do It", poundin' r'n'r in "Hey Driver" (using the analogy that's been around since at least Memphis Minnie), frenetic Wailers'-styled garage in "Tree" ("I wanna climb a...") and, in an odd twist that really works, they turn the Beach Boys' cutsie "Do It Again" into a punk raver!

Great rock'n'roll record that sounds like a Detroit muscle car is revvin' up inside this garage! Not sure what became of these cats'n'kitten, but this is worth pickin' up if ya find it around.