Melanie Troxler, more commonly known as Felony Melony, is the provocative, mohawked singer of local punk band The Objex. We talked to Troxler about the band’s new EP, Super Charged Little Nova (released May 25; available at bigcartel.com), notorious punk rocker GG Allin and starting a rock revolution.
The song “Crush” is loaded with independent, sexually charged lyrics. What inspired you to become such a strong, fierce woman on stage—and in your songwriting? A lot of our music autobiography—It’s things that we’re going though at that moment. Me and my guitar player [James Malcolm], we write the songs together. We came up with “Crush” together based off of having a lot of issues with relationships, people and friends. I was going through a rough time during the time when we wrote that song. I was hanging out with the wrong people, making friends with people that weren’t looking out for my best interests. And then I just realized, I’m through with these types of people. I just want to move on and get a new group of friends that are positive, that are on the same path and share the same goals.
The first single off the album is “GG (Get it Done),” which is about the infamous punk rocker GG Allin. How did he become an influence of yours? Well, we watch a lot of documentaries, and we actually just fell in love with his character even though it’s crazy, gross and out there. He made a statement and he got people to watch him. People would be intrigued by him because of the things that he was doing. I honestly feel sometimes, with the music that we’re doing today, we’re almost like GG Allin. A lot of people aren’t listening to the hardcore stuff anymore, everybody’s into EDM and hip-hop and all that stuff. The rock part of music is starting to subside, but punk is still here and it’s not dead and we’re not going anywhere. We’re here to put it in your face just like GG Allin did. People know him for just being that shock rocker and if you think about it there haven’t been that many shock rockers since Marilyn Manson. The point of this whole album is that this music is still alive.
Speaking of shock rock, in the song “Grr,” you say you’re a “violent, robbin’, grave-diggin’ rapist.” Are people ever truly shocked by the things you say in your songs? Yes. When we play live people can’t really hear what I’m saying, but there was a time when James and I did an acoustic set, and some fans came to the show that had seen me live before. After the show a guy came up to me and said, “Oh my god, you messed me up … I never knew you were saying all of that!” [laughs] So it is a shock for people, and it’s more of a shock when they hear the acoustic version because you can hear the lyrics more.
How did you cut your teeth in the local punk scene, and are you a Vegas native? I’m not a native. I’ve lived here since 2001. I’ve lived in Vegas for a long time and I have to say when I came to Vegas, that’s where I got my punk rock roots. I just love the music so much, I could identify with the message. I’ve always been a lover of rock music—Duran Duran, Billy Idol, Tina Turner, Prince. I’d been growing up listening to that kind of stuff, so I was already into rock and then when I moved to Vegas that’s when I got a newfound [love] for faster, harder music. I grew up in North Carolina where everything was just black and white and there was hardly very much grey, and coming to the West Coast I found the grey. You get a little bit of mainstream and you get your underground and you blend it all together.
Black women are underrepresented in punk music. Has that influenced or shaped your experience as the lead singer of The Objex? I’m here to start a revolution—a whole new rock revolution. I feel like Tina Turner, she did her thing and she’s still doing her thing and I look up to her a lot. I love her. She’s not punk, but she is rock n’ roll and rock n’ roll is forever. She’s been an inspiration to me my whole life, so I want to be the person to come out and break the mold.
Where does the title Super Charged Little Nova come from? I came up with that idea because a lot of people tease me about my butt. They always say my butt is really small for a black girl, so I always tell them it’s a super-charged little nova. It’s small, but it does big things.
