Best Local Metal/Hard Rcok Act

Gangsta Bitch Barbie

It's been less than a year since Gangsta Bitch Barbie, who took their name from a Saturday Night Live skit, made their stage debut. "We thought it would make a great name," explains vocalist Ken Smith. "You don't forget it." Mixing hard-edge rock with well-picked slices of rap and metal, the Metrowest-based group, who shouldn't be confused with more notorious gang-bangin' gangstas, originally promoted themselves as "Keepin' It Real," which now alternates with "You're Soaking in It Right Now" and "Kid Tested, Mother Approved" as attention-grabbing mottoes. "We look to hook ourselves into people's heads. Plus they're funny things to put on T-shirts and posters," says Smith (a former drummer for Controlled Aggression), who's backed by guitarists Todd Nickolaus and Chris Fitzgerald, bassist Jim Shippey (who recently left Schwa, with whom he had been sharing musical loyalties with), and drummer Dan Marques.

The group's winning formula came about accidentally when the musicians who would become Gangsta Bitch Barbie were practicing in the same rehearsal complex as Controlled Aggression. "We went down the end of the hall, and I jokingly started messing around," Smith explains, "and they said, `These are the vocals we're looking for.'" Soon afterward, Smith dropped the drums and Gangsta Bitch Barbie were in the studio recording their debut self-titled CD and playing the Paradise, Mama Kin, the Middle East, and the Palladium. They're regular visitors of Sir Morgan's Cove, where they've opened for Tree and Murphy's Law.

Gangsta Bitch Barbie hope to have a new eight-song CD, Vanilla Ice-T and Body Count Chocula, available in June. A recent win at a battle of the bands in Weymouth will help pay for the disc, which will include the tracks "Suplex," "6.5," and "Godzilla." Release parties are slated for Sir Morgan's Cove and Mama Kin.

-- Brian Goslow