Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers, or the Teeny Jeanies for short, is an Australian four-piece punk rock band hailing from Canberra, Australia. The band consists of high school friends Anna Ryan singing the house down on vocals, Scarlett McKahey shredding the guitar, Neve van Boxsel smashing it at the drums, and Jaida Stephenson bringing it all together with some sick bass.
The band draws influences from the Riot grrrl movement, Cherry Glazerr, Dream Wife, and WAAX, adding to their signature sound and breathing new life into the grunge genre. A majority of the group’s songs are written by Ryan, who, in an interview with New Musical Express, stated that she “just want[s] to create music that is relatable and meaningful [to] women especially.” This sentiment shines through in all of the band’s music and is best shown in their debut EP, “Pretty Good for a Girl Band.”
While the former EP technically isn’t their first EP, the first being the since-scrubbed-from-the-face-of-existence “Creepshow,” the band prefers to label “Pretty Good for a Girl Band” as their debut. The EP’s name comes from a common sexist remark made by some listeners who are shocked by the band’s abilities. “Pretty Good for a Girl Band” consists of four songs, most of which were released as singles in anticipation of the EP’s debut in 2022. The EP as a whole speaks to the core of what the Teeny Jeanies are all about, featuring some very slayful punk rock covering themes of standing your ground, catcalling, being your own person, and anger.
The tracks that stand out the most are “AHHH!” and “Girl Sports,” which draw inspiration from the same remarks as the EP’s title. “AHHH!” was the single that originally caught my interest and eventually led to my full-blown fan behavior towards the band, and truly serves as a staple of what to expect from these punk-rockers. Much like the track’s title suggests, this song is perfect to scream along to, dance around to, and pump yourself up with some good ole-fashioned rock-fueled rage. Thematically, the track is all about standing your ground and not putting up with anyone else’s bullshit, sonically paired with heavy guitar and Ryan’s impeccable vocals.
“Girl Sports” was the final single released prior to the EP’s release, which is about catcalling and was inspired by the stupid shit men have consistently said to women time and time again. With the chorus including “Maybe you should try sticking to girl sports / And men would like it better if you didn’t talk / Don’t get me wrong you’re pretty good for a girl band / It’s kinda complicated, you won’t understand.”
“Girl Sports” speaks to a universal issue women face everyday, men, while also maintaining a classic showing of punk rock that truly feels as if it is bringing an entirely new energy to the genre.
Undoubtedly, Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers have more than just a sick name going for them; they have a bright future moving forward, truly becoming the Riot grrrls of this generation. If you are in need of some good noise, need to let out pent up rage, or just want some good songs to sit in your car and scream along to while punching your steering wheel, then the Teeny Jeanies are 100% the perfect band for you!
