On the dreadful yet somehow oddly addictive sitcom "Full House," Kathy Santoni was the often talked about yet never seen nemesis of oldest daughter D.J. Tanner (Candace Cameron) -- the too-cool-for-school, wise-beyond-her-years beauty who always made our heroine feel inferior. The Chicago quartet the Cathy Santonies could just as well have called themselves D.J.'s Revenge, since they even the score for uncool but hard-rocking girls everywhere with their ferocious mix of punk-rock venom and unrestrained head-banging glee.

"Our music is a subversive mix of riot grrrl and [macho] rock," guitarist-vocalist Mojo Santoni, bassist-vocalist Radio Santoni, guitarist Jane Danger and drummer Johnny Swanko write at www.cathysantonies.com. You might not think those two genres make for easy bedfellows, but like chocolate and peanut butter, once you've put 'em together you've more than doubled the delights. These girls (and guy) ain't kidding when they boast, "We're cocky, loud, full of wild energy and catchy as hell!"

The foursome released a self-titled EP a few years back, and the five songs are streaming at www.myspace.com/the cathysantonies. But the group is finishing up a new album, and anyone who's ever been tormented by a Kathy Santoni should scoop it up the minute it's available, because the last laugh is always the sweetest.