RIP Patty Donahue
This is a definite gem from 1982, and competes with the best of the New Wave era. It’s full of riffing guitars, saxophones and organs, often with an infectious ska beat. And fully defining their sound are Patty Donahue’s sardonic, largely spoken voiced vocals that tend into yelling. The lyrics are smart, witty and fun. The original album consists of 11 songs, ending with “Jimmy Tomorrow”. This release has the addition of a couple versions of their minor hit “Christmas Wrapping”.
The Waitresses are essentially Chris Butler’s (guitarist) project. He had written the song “I Know What Boys Want” and sold it, then had to put together a band to support it.
For the TV trivia folks, The Waitresses performed the theme song for the short lived 1982 series Square Pegs.
Link to a review on AllMusic.com.
Link to their wiki page.