Beautiful Creatures

Some may claim glam rock died when Sunset Strip wannabes co-opted the look and cranked out droll, lite-metal in the mid-'80s. It may seem odd for a band to pay homage to a period of music many people would like to forget, but there are those intent on keeping the cigarette-lighter flame alive. L.A.'s Beautiful Creatures, touring in support of their second full-length (last year's Deuce), have opened for KISS and toured with Ozzfest. Fans of Bang Tango may recognize singer Joe LeSte -- he and the band do their best to put the "hard" back in hard rock and capitalize on the success of pop-metalers like Velvet Revolver. It would be great if music had progressed to the point where fashion no longer mattered, and style over substance wasn't de rigueur. Unfortunately, times haven't really changed that much since the '80s -- which could be a good thing for Beautiful Creatures. After all, there are always people who love to hear rock live and loud, and it doesn't get much more rockin' than this.