Led by vocalist/guitarist Paula Pierce (b. 1960, USA, d. 10 August 1991, USA, ex-Action Now), the Pandoras began their career reviving garage band and girl group genres. Based in Los Angeles, California, USA, Pierce was originally joined by Deborah Mendoza (bass), Gwynne Kahn (keyboards), and Casey Gomez (drums). Bambi Conway replaced Mendoza following the original demo sessions, and the band made its debut in 1984 with an EP, The Pandoras. Greg Shaw of Bomp! Records produced their self-titled debut album, which mixed a na‹ve charm with simple, fuzz-drenched pop songs. Pierce then fired the other band members and was joined by Melanie Vammen (keyboards), Karen Blankfeld (drums) and Kim Shattuck (bass) on 1986's Stop Pretending, which maintained a love for 60s music while playing up their sexual image. However, a subsequent major contract with Elektra Records fell through, and a completed album, Come Inside, was shelved. Blankfeld was replaced by Kelly Dillard and then Sheri Kaplan, and second guitarist Rita D'Albert was added to the line-up as Pierce continued the sexual imagery on the 1988 EP Rock Hard. Further personnel changes saw the departure of D'Albert, Vammen, Shattuck and Kaplan as Pierce and new guitarist Lissa Beltri steered the Pandoras in an increasingly hard rock-orientated direction, where cluttered faux-heavy metal playing and off-key vocals accentuated how dull the material on offer had become. Pierce passed away in August 1991 after suffering an aneurysm.

Listen to The Pandoras at Finetune.

• (2006)  Rock Hard / Nymphomania Live
• (2005)  Stop Pretending

• I'm Your Girl
• I Want My Caveman
• Ain't Go No Soul
• In And Out Of My Life (In A Day)
• The Hump

• Bangles
• David Bowie
• Blondie
• Sweet
• The Kinks
• The Cure
• The Go-Go's
• Joan Jett
• The Premiers
• Lush
• The Magnetic Fields
• Chuck Berry
• Detroit Cobras
• Herman's Hermits
• Neutral Milk Hotel
• Patti Smith
• The Pretenders
• Garbage
• Talking Heads
• The Ramones

• m4z23
• SBMayfair