Gut Bank was a Hoboken, NJ quartet whose original lineup included Sonic Youth drummer Bob Bert as its “token male.” The band’s sole LP (recorded after Bert’s departure; the configuration here includes a female drummer and a male rhythm guitarist) was co-produced with Roger Miller and features a combination of neo-noise guitar crunch and songwriting reminiscent of Patti Smith at her most Stones-worshipful. Beyond the fact that The Dark Ages is a decent record, the band’s straight-ahead, high-energy shows prefigured those of later non-’60sish gal combos like L7, Babes in Toyland et al. Gut Bank were victims of severe anti-female backlash in the fanzine press, but didn’t hang around long enough to destroy their detractors.