Quick Discussion: Vanity Theft

Damn, I love blogging this week!

Vanity Theft is an indie-pop (this is what I hear, labeling is never my thing...listen for yourself) band out of Ohio. They're currently signed to Adamant Records. I just wanted to give a little introduction to my few faithful readers cause this band has really been impressing me lately.

I'll admit I initially checked them out because of their connection to Sick of Sarah, whom you all know by now. Given they're label-mates of that band I was hoping I would like their material. I did. So far I'm liking the new material even more. I loved bobbing my head to "Where's The Action?" but more than that I'm loving the chorus on "Anatomy". The bass is smooth and prominent, the drums are upbeat and the vocals just flow. You have to sing along, it's an irresistible combination.

That smooth bass is delivered by new band member, Lalaine Vergara-Paras. YES, she's who you think she is, moving on.

One thing that still holds my attention is Vanity Theft's snappy lyrics. Every song has me hearing a hallelujah chorus of "BURN!" in my head. This was true with Postscript: Pace Yourself and still is with new tracks from The Anatomy EP.

Speaking of snappy lyrics and that new EP, here's a new video/song from it called "Limb From Limb". The song is catchy but not sickeningly so. It's cool. It's a fist air-pump kind of catchy, not a sway catchy. What's the difference? If you have to ask, clearly you need to go to more concerts. Alicia's voice is sensual, she sounds angry on this song. It's a bit darker than the first single, "Anatomy". Darker is better my friend, always.

And again, Lalaine, with the bass! Seriously, my main complaint is always "Where's the bass?", "I can't hear the bass"- NOT an issue here folks, not at all!

Impressive track. And Shane Nelson proves yet again he knows how to make a good video with simple concepts.

It's likely this track will never get the attention it deserves. The indie scene is as competitive as ever, and there's lots of stuff getting thrown at us these days. But don't let the gems pass you by homies.

LINKS!!!

http://vanitytheft.com

http://twitter.com/VanityTheft

What Were You Listening To This Summer?

So it's starting to feel less and less like summer everyday now. Believe it or not there's a few weeks left. All we've been talking about here are summer records; I listed my favorite record releases of the (spring and) summer and LLV basically gave a run down of what she's been into this summer with a wide range of selections from Eminem to Fleetwood Mac.

I had this idea to ask a few people what their favorite records were to listen to in the summer. For me it's Weezer's Blue Album, hands down. It's as if I forget that record exists until it gets warm outside. The opening chords of the acoustic on "My Name Is Jonas", the lyrics in "Surf Wax America" (and the title!) and the visual I get from "In The Garage" seem to just scream "It's summer, get out, enjoy the weather, have fun!!!". Hell, I don't even own a car this is the feeling I get from popping some ear buds in my ear so I can only imagine what fun I'd be inspired to have if I hopped into a car and cranked the volume up to 'obnoxious'. This summer however I've gotten a bit dark. Along with my beloved Weezer summer pick-me-up I've been putting Kittie's discography on repeat. Ironically, one of my favorite songs by the band is called "Summer Dies"

SO, I asked Raimy Rosenduft, Sarah Bastin, Jamie Holm (Sick of Sarah), Brad Hale (Now, Now Every Children) and Lindsey Byrnes to fill us in on what they've been blasting this summer. I'm nosy, I ask a lot of people a lot of things and you're no different. I'd love to see what you guys have been listening to this summer in the comments!

And yeah The Byrnes' answer is kind of short. But if you're a fan of The Byrnes then you know how busy she is, seriously, I don't think the woman sleeps! Glad I could get a hold of her to get this! Enjoy

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Nada Surf's 'Let Go' it just happened that way, I got back to Los Angeles after being gone for almost a year and it's just what has been on my ipod. That and Next Stop Soweto and Miriam Makeba's Greatest Hits and a bunch of other afrobeat... and the new LCD and Washed Out all on shuffle. It reminds me of walking around Park Slope and Ft. Greene... home.

-Raimy
http://raimyrosenduft.com
http://twitter.com/muthafunka

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my record of the summer 2010 is ra ra riot - boy
because before them i hated the cello and the violin. because their new record makes me sad, happy, joyful, melancolic and summer is all about that. it's the moment of the year to reach a new level in work and life, you start a new year in the summer. ra ra riot is a great band for roadtrips !

-Sarah
http://sarahbastin.net
http://twitter.com/sarahbastin
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The album I've been listening to the most is my boyfriends band, Vaudeville, I'm a nerd. Haha. Other than that I would have to say Mermaid Avenue, Wilco & Billy Bragg. I'm addicted.

-Jamie
http://sickofsarah.com
http://twitter.com/jamiestrange

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I'm not big on summer, so whenever summer happens to come around I need to listen to music that distracts me from the heat. Every summer for the past handful of years I have found myself retreating to the Sufjan Stevens "Songs for Christmas" albums. Maybe it's a bad habit, but it totally gives me this nostalgic feeling that I can never find anywhere during summer.

-Brad
http://nownowband.tumblr.com
http://twitter.com/poopybrad

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Steel Train/Steel Train
Pixies/ Doolittle
Tegan and Sara/Sainthood

These are the CDs that are currently on rotation in my car.

-Lindsey
http://lindseybyrnes.com
http://twitter.com/lindseybyrnes

Illustrations by Jodi Sandler

http://jodisandler.com

http://twitter.com/jodisandler

Sick of Sarah Unveils '2205'

Sick of Sarah has released the title and tracklisting of their new record. The new record will be called 2205, which every Sick of Sarah fan will find adorably sentimental.

And the tracks:

1. Overexposure

2. Simple Parts

3. Giving Up

4. Kick Back

5. Cigarettes

6. Kiss Me

7. One Night Stand

8. Shattered

9. Autograph

10. El Paso Blue

Only 10 tracks??? Yeah I know bummer right? Well, the beauty in that is, as with most indie bands SoS tends to release EPs every once in a while and they seem to always be writing so think of it as just more to look forward to; B-sides baby! Also four of the tracks you already know ("Simple Parts", "Kick Back", "Kiss Me", "Autograph") and I'm pretty sure you can hear some of "Cigarettes" and "Overexposure" in the band's latest "Making of the Album" upload on Youtube. Apparently some material was written over the time spent in the studio in El Paso, TX where the girls recorded. With this in mind I'm guessing "El Paso Blue" is about baby raccoons. No but seriously, there should at least be baby raccoons on the cover.

The band has been speaking on the album being darker, less poppy this time around since the demoing phase. From what I can tell, they're delivering on that. And I don't think that means we'll be singing along any less or that the songs will be less catchy. I just think this means less upbeat with more(complex)structure. Release date yet to be...released.

The first "single" (cause I don't know how seriously indie bands take that word) off the new record will be "Overexposure". Abisha (lead singer) tweeted that they plan to shoot the video for it next month. Also, having wrapped up the recording process I'm sure they'll be touring again soon, probably with Vanity Theft (that's just my guess). So lots to look forward to.

http://sickofsarah.com

http://twitter.com/sickofsarah

http://youtube.com/sickofsarah

Everything You Need to Know: Sick of Sarah

by Heather Patterson

Sick of Sarah is an all female band out of Minneapo....booorrrrring.

You can read their bio dozens of different places, the story behind their name, their influences, that's all in the bio on their facebook , the bottom line is YOU HAVE TO CHECK OUT THIS BAND. I promise you will not be disappointed. Their music is catchy alt pop-rock combined with interesting, heart-felt lyrics.

I first heard of this band about a year ago when I saw Abisha on Brunch With Bridget, of course a few minutes of Abisha and anyone would want more. I immediately started checking them out and by the end of the first time I watched the music video for "Bittersweet" I was in love. Abisha, Katie, Jessie, Jamie and Jessica are talented, unique, hilarious, super sweet, and let's face it, smoking hot. I saw them live for the first time in September 2009 and I was blown away! These girls are AMAZING live. I've been to a lot of concerts and shows, but I have never seen a band that is as fun to watch as Sick Of Sarah, there is nothing I can say here that would do their live show justice, it's something you need to see for yourself. And make sure you don't leave without meeting them, they're very approachable and so nice. I adore each and every one of these girls, they're the sweetest people I know and even let me pretend we're friends.

Sick of Sarah is in the studio in El Paso now recording their next CD and I couldn't be more excited. They previewed some of the new stuff on their most recent tour and HOLY SH!T, so good....so so good. So check them out, buy the music, check out their HILARIOUS youtube vids and go see them as soon as you can.

If you've never heard them, start here:

Kickback (Youtube)

Kiss Me (youtube)

Bittersweet

Fall

Not Listening

Mr. Incredible

Autograph (youtube)

Breakdown

Common Mistake

Hardest Part

~ Heather Patterson (http://twitter.com/Heather_D_)

photo by Amber Mcdonald (http://photo.ambermcdonald.net/)

footage by Karyn Brawley

Band: http://sickofsarah.com

Happy New Year!!! My Personal '09 Recap

Hi, how are you? Hungover? Yeah...me too, crazy party last night dude! Ok, I was at work BUT I have had some crazy NYE throw downs (also, not true), so I know that at this moment the last thing you want to do is read some long drawn out blog post. I dig it! I dig the energy, how about a quick recap!?

Jan/Feb: Tegan & Sara's Macbeth shoes come out a week early and everyone's all freaking out like "omg omg they sold out!" "oh no Sara's are sold out in my size"! And I freak out and tell my friend Jaime to get me a pair of "Tegans" ASAFP!


March: Thanks to a post by Trish Bendix on Afterellen.com I discover Sleater-Kinney who are now my favorite band!
I also attend my first Sick of Sarah show! Love at first face rock!


April: Silversun Pickups release Swoon, which I will still not listen to for another four months so...moving right along!
And I now attend my first 'Cliks show!!! Which is a show I suggest you all go see at least once cause it's amazing. Lucas' powerful voice filling up an entire venue with his own shredding guitar as his only competition...brilliant!

May: I see Sick of Sarah again! Also, excitement builds in the Tegan & Sara fan community as pre-production of what would soon become Sainthood begins!

June: IT'S MAH BIRTHDAY!!! I get a tattoo, see An Horse AGAIN, TnS & Co. begin recording Sainthood and The Cliks release Dirty King!
Gossip also releases Music For Men with a delicious looking album cover might I add;-)

July: Death Cab For Cutie puts on an amazing show at The Hollywood Bowl!
And you know who we haven't heard from in all of 5 minutes? That's right! Tegan & Sara were there too!

August: Mutemath releases Armistice, one of the best records of the year! And I finally listen to Swoon which was released 4 months ago and was also one of the best records of the year. The TnS/Tiesto collabo, "Feel It In My Bones", makes it's debut on the interweb. I also posted my first interview ever to/for this blog with Lindsey Byrnes. O I saw Sick of Sarah AGAIN. This was a good month!


September: Everyone had a birthday and Tegan & Sara (o look who's back) premiered 6 tracks off Sainthood to a VERY approving audience.

Footage from http://youtube.com/wojo4hitz

OCTOBER: BEST.MONTH.EVER. Went to see Sick of Sarah, yes, AGAIN! At that show I discovered The Action Design, and am still obsessed with them. I saw An Horse AGAIN, and Silversun Pickups for the first time ever and it was the best show I've been to so far!

After MUCH anticipation Sainthood is released!

November: ....I got nothing...


December: Ugh! Christmas music! JUST saying, not my thing. Not even Fucked Up can get me to voluntarily listen to a Christmas song. Not even when they have it action packed with awesome bands/singers! O yeah I need to throw some movies in here: Bitch Slap, Avatar, and It's Complicated are all "must sees" apparently.

A book I have to now recommend to everyone after reading it this month, 'The Lovely Bones'. Absolutely brilliant. It's very very very sad but an excellent read! I also recommend going to see the movie in theaters Jan. 15.
Well that sums up my year. Obviously Tegan & Sara win for the "In Your Face" award. People always attack TnS fans by calling them obsessed. It's clear to me after experiencing my first full year as a fan that they are obsessed with their fans too. It's a mutual vibe. I can't think of another band quite as present as they constantly feel the need to be.

I need to read more this year. Any suggestions? I can count on one hand how many books I read this year.

New Music: Expecting new music from Sick of Sarah, Kaki King and Nine Inch Nails this year! Pretty excited about that!

Brooke Svanes: The Beat Speaks

On March 15, 2009 I met Brooke Svanes (and the rest of Sick of Sarah, but let’s focus). It was the best night of my life. I mean I’d been blown away by Brooke’s drumming via Youtube for some time at that point. I mean I’ve seen her drum on storage containers, sofas, trash cans…etc. To see her live is amazing. She hardly moves her head when she drums, the only thing that moves is her hands (at what speed? I don’t even know! FAST!). She’s so meticulous. If she wasn’t drumming so loud I think we could hear her keeping time in her head. She’s quite a fascinating individual. She’s a quiet individual (mostly) and it’s my honor to present to you what I’m sure will be one of few interviews throughout Svanes’ career. How did I get so lucky???

So I've heard a couple times now that you started drumming when you were 10. That's really young. How old were you when you joined your first band?

I joined my first band at age 14? We were called the menstrual tramps. I totally thought I was genius because I thought of the name in 9th grade physical science class. But then found out that was already the name of a Minneapolis band. Ha. Other bands I played in were: Disrespectfully Yours, The Pseudonyms, Bootleg, Vertigo, The Pink Slips. All through high school.

Who were you're biggest influences?

I was super influenced by bands like Motley Crue, Firehouse, Saigon Kick, and Guns n Roses at the young age of 5. I had older brothers so I would get really addicted to their music. I was always wearing headphones and listening to my little cassette tapes. Like constantly. It was my escape really. And then I got into bands like Nirvana, Garbage and Hole. That's when I met my friend Elija, who basically runs the ND music scene. And he lent me Sleater-Kinney's self-titled album and Bikini Kill's CD version of the first two records. From there I started listening to all sorts of bands, like The Third Sex, Team Dresch, Bratmobile, Heavens to Betsy, Sarge, Unwound, Bangs, Minor Threat even! haha...

How do you come up with your beats? Could you take us through that process?

I've always been obsessed with numbers and counting (praise OCD here...lol) and so I just always kind of hear beats in my head. I might hear a drumbeat I like and then sort of elaborate upon it and make it my own, as it is impossible not to be influenced by music one listens to, I think.

You're a bit more reserved than the rest of the band. I guess drummers have a reputation for being kinda crazy. Do you find that people are surprised at how cool and laid-back you are?

Well, I think that being crazy is sort of a prerequisite to being a drummer. I mean, we like to hit things. A lot. But yes, I am a more introverted person by nature. Though I'm also a Gemini, so there are many different facets to my personality. I am a pretty private person. Laid-back? Depends on the day and what I'm on. haha...

Is there a specific venue you want to play that you guys haven't yet?

I'd love to play the main-room at First Avenue in Minneapolis.

Sick of Sarah has accomplished a lot in a short period of time. Could you offer some advice to any young aspiring female musicians?

Advice? Keep practicing. Don't let anyone try and dictate to you what you should be playing or how. I mean, suggestions are rad, and we all need help, but in musician world, there are a lot of egos floating around and people who like to call the shots. Just play, and be open to constructive criticism. Let it inspire you. Play to get better. Play to get it out of you, because you have to. Play for the right reasons.

Photo Credit: Amber McDonald

Sick of Sarah!!!

Sick of Sarah is a pop/rock/punk-ish band based out of Minnesota (finally Mid-West represent bitch!!!). The band consists of:
Abisha Uhl: vocals & rhythm guitar Katie Murphy: guitar, vocals Jessie Farmer: guitar, vocals Brooke Svanes: drums Jamie Holm: bass, vocals

Jamie is the newest addition to the band, but you wouldn't be able to tell by the chemistry she has with the other members. Who are all hilarious by the way. If you love watching ridiculous Tegan & Sara stuff you'll love them, their "behind the scenes" stuff involves cigarettes and alcohol so...I can relate a little better! Tracks to check out, "Not Listening" and "Mr. Incredible".
This is Mr. Incredible....with pictures;-) oooo

O! One thing I forgot to mention, they're a queer band!!! I know, you knew it was coming!!!
And this is "Not Listening" LOVE THIS SONG!!!It's the theme song to Brunch With Bridget!!!

Fun times in the studio!!!:-)