(Dead Angel no. 59) Bad Girls, a trio of Mike Khoury (violin), Wade Kergan (clarinet, sax, electronics), and Ben Bracken (guitar, electronics), get to thumpin' and bumpin' on this swell collection of devolved sounds and nifty titles ("Impressions of a Filthy Naked Hippy" is my favorite, on which they bump 'n thump and make extremely unclassifiable noises and a really good simulation of barnyard animals). The jazz-skronk background rears its gruesome head on "Willingness," but it's "Incidental Music (Mix # 2)" that really gets my mojo risin' -- amp drone, squiggly electronic sounds, mondo reverb, incidental clanking and wanking... the ghost of John Cage watches with approval. They get minimalist on "Calcutta Electric Rickshaw Ride," with lots of open space; "Patterns in Nature" returns to the skronk axis, but on the final track, "Wade in the Water," they make a pretty serious stab at getting devolved with hocus-pocus drums, telegraph electronics, earhurt mixing, and other sonic effluvia that'll make your eyes water. Such greatness must not go unheard. When the slave traders of Uranus descend from the skies in their screaming metallic warships, raining fire and death from the heavens, only those who have heard this fine disc will be spared their wrath. You know what to do. - RKF

(Indieville 01/18/2004) Performed in 1999, these "Unauthorized Recordings" feature no bad girls, but rather free improv fiends Mike Khoury (violin), Wade Kergan (clarinet, sax, electronics), and Ben Bracken (guitar, electronics). For listeners other than those deeply into avant-garde music and free jazz, there will be little here of interest; it is clear these six compositions, three of which last well over ten minutes, are strictly for genre faithfuls. The best moment on this album, in my opinion, is the self-explanatory "Incidental Music (Mix #2)." It takes a field recording of someone walking around, doing things, and then uses acoustic instruments and electronics to transform it into an engaging, surprisingly moody composition. Also impressive is the dark "Impressions of a Filthy Naked Hippy," which sees Kergan at his best, creating a cacophonic wall of sound to go with the track's powerful ambiance. Authorized or not, Bad Girls' Unauthorized Recordings is a fine piece of improvised music that should appeal to most free jazz enthusiasts. Though Khoury's contributions are disappointingly low-key, there is still much here to be enjoyed. - Matt Shimmer

(Touching Extremes) The violin/reed/guitar plus electronics formula brought by Mike Khoury, Wade Kergan and Ben Bracken makes for a non-homogeneous, non-regulated series of micro-organisms where noise and hum maintain a strict contact with artistic purposes; as a welcome addition you have the segments where these friends set up a three-way conversation in surroundings that change according to music's pace and intensity. This notwithstanding, phrasing and melodic exchanges are quite often gobbled by torrential waves of electric and acoustic mayhem where any personal ostentation is forbidden. This is one of those improvised projects where you can calmly do your things while listening, as everything comes and goes naturally like an every day's soundtrack. - Massimo Ricci

(Vital Weekly no. 385) Bad Girls are from Michigan and is a trio of Mike Khoury on Violin, Wade Kergan on clarinet, sax and electronics and Ben Bracken on guitar and electronics. Here too we are in improvisational grounds of music. I don't know in what way these recordings are 'unauthorized', maybe they thought it was just a funny title. Six pieces of improvised music, over an hour long. 'Impressions Of A Filthy Naked Hippy' starts out this release with a heavy saxophone improvisation, pushing the other players back. In such a lead, I am never fond of saxophones, but in the other five tracks the balance is more right between the three players. Although the improvisations are not as worked out then on the Sotto Voce release, I found them altogether more interesting, because of their free from any influence' playing. Bad Girls seem to do whatever they like and not hindered by any of influence of theoretical background. My favourite here was 'Incidental Music (mix #2), in which everything seems to be gliding next to eachother. - Frans de Waard

(All Music Guide) Since these Bad Girls are in fact three guys, I'm willing to bet that their Unauthorized Recordings came out with their full knowledge and blessing. The music on this album was recorded in 1999 and released four years later. The Bad Girls are violinist Mike Khoury, saxophonist Wade Kergan (also spending time on clarinet and electronics) and Ben Bracken on guitar and electronics. Khoury's previous recording for Public Eyesore was an attitude-filled, fierce free improv session (Insignia). This project is another creature altogether, focusing on the quiet and the tactile. We rarely hear Khoury's fiddle taking center stage. Instead he sticks to the shadow, knitting a wavy shroud with his bow. Kergan is more prone to step up, or maybe it's only because his reeds produce naturally clearer sounds that cut through the layers of electronics. Bracken alternates between noise and prepared guitar -- in 'Calcutta Electric Rickshaw Ride,' the longest piece by far at over 22 minutes, he limits his input to softly pressing steel wool over his guitar pick-up, with limited results, understandably. 'Impressions of a Filthy Naked Hippy' gets dirtier, with Kergan being tempted to surrender to the attraction of Peter Brötzmann's powerful screech. 'Patterns in Nature' features Bracken on acoustic guitar leading the proceedings into a twisted recontextualization of the music of the Spontaneous Music Ensemble (but it lacks the gripping fascination exerted by the latter). The session sounds like it has been recorded in a narrow hallway, with Khoury standing behind and Bracken sitting up front. Most of what the violinist brings to the trio is either lost in the distance or drowned by the foreground sounds. It¹s too bad, since he seems to have something important to contribute. - François Couture

(Aiding & Abetting no. 245) An improvisational trio consisting of strings (violin), reeds (clarinet or sax) and guitar. With some electronic noodling tossed in for good measure. Very, very messy, but in a most approachable way. I like the way these guys channel their energies. - Jon Worley

(Neo-Zine) Minimalist improv jazz-noise performed with violin, clarinet, sax, guitar, and electronics. It is screechy!! Some of these impromptu jam sessions are over 20 mins, and none of them are mercifully short. This is a mixed up and confused mess of stuff that needed to be done, but may not be listened to very often. I get what is going on here, but it is pretty hard on the ears. This is art, not music. It comes close…but my ears tell no lies. Sometimes it gets near-pleasant, but never truly makes it all of the way. You can hear the dead air in the background as the bumps, whistles, scratches, and ear-piercing shrillnesses fly out at you from out of nowhere and attack the central nervous system to a cringing effect. Recommended only for the audio-masochist and those who relish concept above comfort. - C.H.C.

(Ampersand Etcetera 7/2005) Mike Khoury on violin with Wade Kergen (clarinet, sax, electronics) and Ben Bracken (guitar and electronics) with some material recorded in 1999. They open with Impressions of a filthy naked hippy who is twittering with some electronica and mournful tones (shades of Neil) and then rapid and edgy Willingness. Incidental music (mix #2) is true to its name, the music is abstract and almost overheard in the distance beyond an electronic buzz and something non-organic. The fare must have been expensive on the Calcutta electric rickshaw ride as this long track traverses some very varied terrain from all the instruments, some mellow and musical others more crackling. A skittering track before we Wade in the water to bleeping electronics, more devolved instrumentals and some snakey guitar. More than enough here to keep anyone entertained - the improv is good, and the Incidental music suggests an interesting direction which I wonder if they pursued. - Jeremy Keens