The Gonks is one of my favourite bands of 2020 so far. Based in San Francisco, they’re a duo and at least one of them is still a teenager. Influenced by the likes of Tronics, in their own words, they’re probably the best shoddy punk band since Beachniks from New York. Sonny (of Sonny & the Sunsets) first included them on a compilation of new SF bands, on his new label Rocks In Your Head (also including Rays and Toyota). In early winter he released their first album Five Things You Didn’t Know About the Gonks, and from there… they’ve made history. All 10 tracks on the record are short but ingenious in the same way The Moldy Peaches were 20 years ago.
Btw, a gonk was novelty toy doll from 60s England. The Gonks was a name used by both a 60s band from Sweden and one from South Africa. In this century, there was also a Belgian mod group called The Gonks. All good stuff.
