Milk Carton

A group of teenage girls from Santa Monica High School, the Grown-Ups had a short, brilliant career before quickly imploding. Far from your average teenage group, this gang was a spectacle live, with singer Paloma Parfrey usually in full-on spaz mode, along with a tiny little kid who would jump around the stage, who was also responsible for their rap number "Ode to the B-Dog," and a saxophonist, who could use a few more lessons. Five or six in all, the Grown-Ups were a band to reckon with and a knockout live act. It wasn't long before they caught the attention of Eric Erlandson of Hole and Bill Bartell, who produced their only record, Milk Carton. Unfortunately, this record isn't the best example of the band's skills, and even some of the members weren't crazy about the way it came out. It's a bit too raw, and Paloma Parfrey's screaming, which is endearing live, doesn't come off nearly as well on record. Her vocals often don't meld well with the music. It is the less juvenile-sounding songs which work best on the record, like "Discard Me" and "Scarz." Still, Milk Carton does give a taste of the chaos that was once the Grown-Ups.