Dirty Looks

In the late 1970s Dirty Looks took shape in Staten Island, New York, a band unrelated to the metal outfit that later adopted the identical name. Patrick Barnes handled guitar and vocals, Peter Parker played drums and sang, and Marco Sin supplied bass and vocals; together the trio brought their hard-rocking power pop to Max's Kansas City and CBGB, where Stiff Records executive Dave Robinson first encountered them. Robinson promptly signed the group, convinced they would prove to be "the next big thing." The ensuing releases included the brilliant single "Let Go," a strong yet sadly overlooked debut LP on Stiff, and a weaker follow-up record, after which the band receded into obscurity.