NFV Song Spotlight: Kill My Coquette's Put Me in Your Movie Quentin Tarantino

It was time to head out to a Swyndle LA night at Harvard & Stone. This night was my first time in 2025. Kind of strange, especially since they've booked bands that I enjoy catching such as Blu Jay and the lovebombs. Something always got in the way and so I finally decided that no matter what, I was going to go to a Swyndle LA night. 

That's how I came across Kill My Coquette, the moniker band name for Natalie Denise Sperl. The band started off the set with "Slipped Him a Mickey." It's an homage to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. That's a book that I finally read last year. I picked it up used at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. I've seen both the 2009 and 2011 movies and so it only took me a decade plus to finally read the book.

Kill My Coquette at Harvard & Stone

Playing drums for the band was Princess Frank (Frank Luis).  It was double duty for the night, as Luis also hit the drum set for Sonic Blossoms. Also, got to give him props for saying the most random things during the set. "Am I supposed to do something here?" "How do you spell that?" "Last song, everyone just start f*cking!"

The moment that will be etched in everyone's mind is what happened during the song "Miss Malicious." A high pitched feedback tortured the band and audience. What was going on? Sperl was shrugging to her bandmates. The band was fiddling with their gear. But they kept on going at it, hoping it would end. The sound guy finally came to the stage and took a quick look and then did the hand motion across the neck. The band stopped playing. With a moment to observe the situation, Sperl realized what the problem was, she'd left one of her guitar pedals on, "I need a stiff drink after that." Perhaps that is one reason why she wrapped herself in yellow caution tape -- one better wear those earplugs, you never know what type of damage I'll cause to your ear drums. The band did do a "take two" so we got to enjoy the song with the pedal turned off. 

Kill My Coquette at Harvard & Stone

The music is garage punk with inspiration taken from the world of Hollywood. As I was listening to the music, I was getting flashbacks where I was thinking about how the band reminded me of another time in my life in the music scene. Deja vu. The next morning, it hit me, The Randies. I had a real addiction for that band. I found the Youtube video to "I Thought I Could Change" and started to play it while writing up this review. If you're interested, you won't find their music on Spotify. You'll need to do a search on Youtube for various music videos. The band broke up when someone stole all their gear from their van in 2009. And for some music history, band member Laurita Guaico briefly played with LA DIY band Spare Parts for Broken Hearts.

"Put Me in Your Movie Quentin Tarantino" is another amusing take on Hollywood. When the song was introduced, one of the band members told Sperl, "Good luck." That gave her a chuckle. The lyrics include "Once Upon a Time . . . in Hollywood" and "Kill Bill." Now the question is did Sperl ever go to a Tarantino movie audition? Maybe, there are these lyrics:  

Kill My Coquette at Harvard & Stone

Don't call us baby, we'll call you. We're looking for brown eyes, yours are blue
But I knew deep down that it wouldn't be long, so I started a rock band and wrote this song

Hey, Tarantino, Sperl is the "Woman of a Thousand Faces." How do you like that James Cagney reference.

Setlist: Slipped Him a Mickey, No D, Miss Malicious, Put Me in Your Movie Quentin Tarantino, LA's Gonna Tear You Apart, Cage, Coffeebean Song, Post Teenage Angst.