UPDATES/LINKS. JACK OFF JILL

Jack off Jill split up in 2000. EDITED TO ADD: Jack off Jill have reformed and have played some live dates in 2015.

(For information on Jessicka and Helen Storer please use the relevant tags).

Robin Moulder (Agent Moulder) founded TCR along with TC formerly of the band, Triggerpimp and they released an album called The Chrome Recordings in 2004 (which also featured contributions from former JOJ members Chris Vrenna and Scott Putesky). Robin is now married with two children.

Tenni Arslanyan (Tenni Ah-Cha-Cha) who co-founded the band along with Jessicka and Michelle Oliver (Michelle InHell) founded Set to Zero. In 2010 Tenni began playing with Zombie Queen.

I know the soundtrack to Down and Out With the Dolls features a song by a band called Lo-Ball that had Claudia Rossi in but I've never been able to find out anything more about them. Claudia founded a band called One of the Loudest Tragedies Ever Heard and apparently skates for the Angel City Derby Girls.

Laura Simpson (Lauracet Simpson) and Jeff Tucci (Ho Ho Spade) are apparently now no longer in bands and are both working in the Florida area.

Scott Putesky (SMP, also known as Daisy Berkowitz when he was with Marilyn Manson) filed a lawsuit against Marilyn Manson after he left/got kicked out of the band (accounts vary). He used to play in a side project of Jessicka's called The Linda Blairs as well as being in Jack Off Jill for about a year.
He formed a band called Three Ton Gate. He then had a band called Rednecks on Drugs which evolved into Stuck on Evil who recorded an album called Suntanic in 2001 beforre reverting back to the name Three Ton Gate. He joined Kill Miss Pretty in July 2010 and is working on a new album with them.

Chris Vrenna and Clint Walsh play in Tweaker. They've released two albums, The Attraction to All Things Uncertain and 2 A.M. Wakeup Call as well as EPs and singles.  They've both played as part of the live band for Gnarls Barkley (and Clint has also played guitar for Juliette Lewis and the Licks among others).
Tweaker's official website
Chris Vrenna was also the drummer in Nine Inch Nails as well as working as a producer for artists like David Bowie, Metallica, Smashing Pumpkins, Hole, Marilyn Manson and Rasputina. He's also done the music for several videogames such as Doom 3, Enter the Matrix and American McGee's Alice. He's now the new drummer for Marilyn Manson

Norm Block now plays drums for Mark Lanegan.

Official Jack Off Jill website

ARTICLE. THE LUNACHICKS BY SOPHIA

The Lunachicks, a New York quintet of hard-rockin' ladies, are probably one of the most important all-fmeal bands of the 1990s; yet they are practicially written out of any history about girl groups of this time.

The Lunachicks original line-up comprised of tattooed blonde and sometime model, lead singer Theo Kogan, lead guitarist and illustrator Gina Volpe, bassist and tattooist Squid, drummer Becky Wreck and rhythm guitarist Sindy.

The Lunachicks had it all - they were attractive, loud, unafraid, had a sense of humour and what's more they were able to combine good musicianship with feminist lyrics. Unlike the Riot Grrrl acts such as Bikini Kill that they were dismissed alongside, the Lunachicks combined a tight, punk rock sound with lyrical content that ranged from the absurd (Cookie Core, Spork, Mabel Rock) to the political (Binge & Purge, Spoilt, Luxury Problem) and covering subjects including menstruation (Plugg, #@!?) female body image (Less Teeth, More Tits), bestiality (Making It With Other Species), transsexuals (Mr. Lady, Lil' Debbie), abortion (Fallopian Rhapsody), Barbie Dolls (Bitterness Barbie), drug abuse (Pin Eye Woman 665) and even the state of their own career (Nowhere Fast)! The Lunachicks have a substantial, impressive body of work that comprises 5 studio albums, 1 live album and a DVD "home movie"/promo video collection.

The Lunachicks burst onto the music scene around 1989, with their debut release Sugar Luv released on Blast First records. This was soon accompanied by their first album Babysitters on Acid, originally Sonic Youth were called in to help out - but a conflict between them and the band (Lunachicks wanted a 'tune', SY didn't!) meant that they soon left the 'chicks to it. Unlike their contemporaries, including Hole and Babes in Toyland, the Lunachicks debut failed to garner much critical acclaim. Maybe it was just too damn weird; maybe John Peel, Everett True et al, didn't appreciate the girls' toilet humour, stupid name and ridiculous antics. Despite a catchy start with opener Jan Brady, and the first single Sugar Luv,  the rest of the album is a chaotic mix of sludgy guitars, silly voices and incomprehensible lyrics, rendering it unlistenable to most people. It didn't have the angry rage of early Babes in Toyland/Hole records - in fact, Lunachicks were just happy mucking around and their musicianship was not yet honed!

Nevertheless, the Lunachicks released their second album in 1992, this time on label Safe House. Binge & Purge would be an indication of the Lunachicks future sound - a faster, punkier sound, coupled with overtly feminist lyrics - Chicks Are Superstrong - and spawned the Apathetic  single. The cover featured the band post-food fight: covered in regurgitated food - they had literally binged and purged! The only let down is the production of the album - it's very quiet, and most of the heavy rock riffs sound muted ...
Around this time the 'chicks also appeared in seminal 'women in rock' film Not Bad For A Girl, alongside Babes in Toyland, Courtney Love and L7.

After much touring which saw the 'chicks develop a small fan base, original drummer Becky Wreck left the band to be replaced by newcomer Chip, and the band moved to NYC-based punk label, Go Kart Records, where third album Jerk Of All Trades was released in 1995. This was a real indication of how far the band had come - both image-wise (the band sport many new tattoos on the album sleeve) and sound-wise (a much louder, tighter, punkier sound) - the guitar on tracks such as Fingerful & FDS was really fast and hard! Lunachicks were a bonafide punk band now. They continued touring and their larger than life songs were showcased by a cartoonish stage presence - wigs, make-up & crazy costumes were always present at Lunachicks shows, as was the odd classic cover song: rock ballads such as Feel Like Making Love  and
More Than A Feeling  became set list regulars.

1997 saw the release of Pretty Ugly - an album that fused humour, pop punk and fun - it probably remains the Lunachicks most mainstream record. As usual, the cover sported the standard controversial cover image - a blonde hairstyling head covered in gunk. Don't Want You was released as a single with a funny video of the girls on a Blind Date style show. In my opinion, this should have been their break into the mainstream. It wasn't. More touring, including a stint on the Vans Warped Tour, continued and a live album in 1998 accurately captured the live experience of the Lunachicks - it is extremely fast & contains most of the content of the previous 2 albums, plus a cover of Iggy Pop's The Passenger. Early 1999 saw the release of Lunachicks - Naked XXX - a combination of promo videos, home movies and larking around.

Later that year, the Lunachicks released their last album to date, Luxury Problem, and perhaps this was a fitting end to what was now a 10-year career. The sound, as usual, was hard and fast - but perhaps now bordering on metal, and a million miles away from their somewhat sloppy debut Babysitters On Acid. It still fused comedy (Down at the Pub), feminism (Bad Ass Bitch) and an apt swansong in Nowhere Fast - the 'chicks had now been slogging away for 10 years and any kind of real success had eluded them. Alas, no one was interested. (I myself can attest to this - I sent a review of Luxury Problem  to Melody maker & received a call from the reviews editor complimenting me on my writing style, but unimpressed with my subject matter - he suggested I get myself to a Travis gig! - of course, dear reader, I did no such thing!) After the odd mention in UK metal magazine Kerrang! Lunachicks soon dwindled into obscurity again.
Maybe it was time to quit.

After a brief tour in support of the album, which saw now departed drummer Chip replaced by Helen Destroy, all went quiet in Lunachicks land. Although it has never been confirmed, the Lunachicks went their separate ways: lead singer Theo Kogan released a disco-ish solo album, and guitarist Gina Volpe formed new band Bantam. The girls reunited briefly for a gig in New York aptly titled The Lunachick Fringe - Bantam, Theo, bassist Squid's new band (Team Squid) and the Lunachicks played together. Since then, Theo has embarked on numerous modelling assignments, magazine spreads and bit parts in films such as Bringing Out the Dead and In the Cut.
Never ones to neglect their political roots, the Lunachicks reformed in 2004 for a Pro Choice benefit, the likes of another album however, look bleak.

For me, the Lunachicks encapsulated feminism like no other band - not overly concerned with image, sex appeal or being cool, the 'chicks combined good music with feminist lyrics and honed their craft over many years - it's just a shame they never got the popularity or recognition they deserved.

Recommended Listening
Don't Want You (Single, 1997, Go Kart Records)
Drop Dead Live (Album, 1998, Go Kart Records)
Sushi A La Mode  (Japanese only EP, 1993, Benten Label)

Website for Gina's band Bantam

ARTICLE BY SOPHIA. ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN DECEMBER 2004.

UPDATES/LINKS. SCARLING.

Scarling haven't released anything new since the City Noise single a few years ago but they are working on a new album.

Jessicka and guitarist Christian Henjal were married in 2007 and took Addams as their new surname.

Christian works as a digital effects film producer and has worked on movies like Spider Man 3 and Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland.

Jessicka made a cameo appearance in the film, Ellie Parker and also appeared in an episode of Germany's Next Top Model in March 2009.  She has also exhibited her artwork at several shows.

She also contributed to Cherry Bomb and is quoted in Girls Against Girls, I Love Geeks: The Official Handbook and Roman Dirge's Lenore issues 5 - 8.

Scarling official website

Official site for Jessicka's artwork
Jessicka on Facebook
Jessicka on Twitter

UPDATES/LINKS. INGER LORRE

Inger played a gig in July 2004 where she performed a mix of Nymphs songs, cover versions and new songs but I've been unable to find out any more details about what songs were performed or find any recordings.  She was supposed to be working on a new album and also an autobiography (in the form of a graphic novel) and possibly a book of poetry but there's no news on these projects being completed.

The Nymphs played several live dates in 2006 but again, I was unable to find if they performed or recorded any new material.  Sadly, their drummer Alex Kirst was killed in a hit and run accident in 2011.

One of Inger's songs appears on the soundtrack to the documentary, The Treasures of Long Gone John (about the art collection of the founder of Sympathy for the Record Industry record label).  She also wrote the soundtrack and some original songs for the movie, The Jesus Factor (see updates/links for Prey For Rock & Roll for further details).

She's quoted in several books on Jeff Buckley and also in the book, Whores (an oral history of Jane's Addiction).

There's also a trailer for a documentary about Inger called Hooked on a Feeling up on YouTube but there's no news if/when it has been completed.

2007 interview with Inger
Inger Lorre on Twitter

UPDATE/LINKS. COURTNEY LOVE

Courtney finally released Nobody's Daughter in April 2010.   It was released under the band name, Hole, but Courtney was the only original remaining member of the classic line-up.   The rest of the band consisted of - Micko Larkin, Shawn Daily and Stu Fisher.   The version that was released differs from the demo version that had been knocking about - the track listing was different and some of the songs had been remixed.   Several new songs had been added (Skinny Little Bitch - the 1st single, Honey, Samantha, Someone Else's Bed and a bonus track on the i-Tunes version, Codeine - a cover version) and some songs had been dropped  (Stand Up Motherfucker, Car Crash and Sunset Marquis - if you do a search on YouTube you can usually find these and they're well worth a listen).

Courtney has been touring again and released a single called Miss Narcissist. She's also been acting again, appearing in TV shows like Empire and Sons of Anarchy.

A documentary called Hit So Hard about Patty Schemel, Hole's drummer, has also been released and it features archive footage and includes interviews with Courtney, Eric Erlandson and Melissa Auf Der Maur.
Site for Hit So Hard documentary

Courtney Love website

UPDATES/LINKS. ROXY SAINT.

Roxy was supposed to be releasing a DVD about her UK tour but although a trailer was released, I don't think the project was ever finished.

Orphan Child was released on CD (which I've read is a re-release of her debut album) and she also released Heart Attack on i-Tunes (a 6 track EP and collaboration with Andy Huxley of 80s Matchbox B-Line Disaster.   There's also a video for a new song called America up on YouTube.

She co-starrred as Lillith (a goth stripper) alongside Jenna Jameson and Robert Englund in cult horror movie Zombie Strippers and the soundtrack featured several of her previously unreleased songs such as Smother You and Don't Kill The Star.

She also did have a clothing line called Trash Couture which produced one-of-a-kind customised dresses but I don't know if it's still going.

UPDATES/LINKS. LIVING WITH EATING DISORDERS.

Before Living With Eating Disorders changed their name to Colt they released several demo CDs and an EP White Like Snow (produced by John Fryer, on Something to Listen To).

They were also involved in a multi-media gallery event called Parliament of Monsters where several artists/directors made videos for LWED songs.

UPDATES/LINKS. TIMES SQUARE

Times Square was released as a Region 1 DVD (and I think it was also released as a Spanish-only release as a Region 2 DVD) but it's still really hard to get hold of.  The soundtrack album is now out of print although you can sometimes get hold of second hand vinyl copies.   Clips from the film are usually up on YouTube though.

The Robin Johnson fansite has quite a lot of information/pictures from the film here.
 and Feminist Music Geek has an excellent article on the film here (which includes a more indepth look at the racial/sexual politics of the movie).

EDITED TO ADD: Shelly sent me the link to this brilliant blog which is dedicated to the movie Times Square http://defeatedandgifted.wordpress.com/ - loads to read plus some great photos/clips from the movie.

UPDATES/LINKS. RASPUTINA

At some point I will try and write a more in-depth article/history of Rasputina but for now here's a brief update.    The current line-up is Melora Creager, Luis Mojica and Carpella Parvo.

Rasputina have released several more albums - Sister Kinderhook, Unknown (a concept album that is only available direct from their website), and the compilation album, Great American Gingerbread. They also released a compilation of demos from 1991 - 1997 called Magnetic Strip (which is only available as a digital download direct from their website).

Since the last issue of PussyRock zine Melora has released another solo album, Melora A La Basilica and a couple of limited edition CDs --- Ancient Cross-Dressing Songs and The Willow Tree Triptych (which was a limited edition of 100 with individual hand-collaged covers autographed by Melora).  They were sold at their gigs/through the website but are now sold out (although her solo album is still available). Melora also recorded a limited edition CD, Fa La La which is now sold out and contributed songs/put together a compilation album called Dedication Compilation which was released for the 20th anniversary of Kurt Cobain's death. (Melora had played cello with Nirvana on their final European tour).

Melora has also released a limited edition CD of a live Rasputina concert entitled The Pregnant Concert - Live From Knitting Factory and that is still available via their website as well as other merchandise.  She also worked on the soundtrack to Repo! The Genetic Opera.  

There was also a documentary about the band called Under The Corset that was released in 2010.

Rasputina and Melora Creager official website
Rasputina on Facebook

UPDATES/LINKS. THEE HEAVENLY MUSIC ASSOCIATION

THEE HEAVENLY MUSIC ASSOCIATION

As far as I can tell they haven't split up but then they haven't done anything else since their 2004 debut, Shaping the Invisible.  The album should still be available from Amazon/CD Baby/other record stores and they have MP3s available on the usual sites.

Unfortunately YouTube doesn't have any live footage or music videos but there are a couple of their songs up on there including my favourite, Alain

QUOTES FROM THE MOVIE TIMES SQUARE

NO SENSE MAKES SENSE

Johnny La Guardia --- We have a story --- "Dear Mr. La Guardia, Do you think it's OK if I pretend I'm a zombie?  My mother died a long time ago but my father is rich and famous and perfect but I can't be like him.  He expects me to be happy but I'm clumsy and ugly.  I don't want anyone looking at me.  I can't do anything.  I can't do sports.  I can't dance.  I can't make friends.  I wrote to you before but only in my journal."  The letter is signed A Real Zombie.  You have something very special inside you, young lady.  The seed that contains your unique self.  Maybe you're all alone, that's a pretty scary place to be.  I know about it.  You may have to jump off into the darkness.  How desperate they feel, those moments before you jump.  But sometimes you just got to do it.  You gotta pull yourself up by your bootstraps and you gotta jump.

POEM FOR NICKY MORATTA.

Tiny fossil bones

Translucent skin

Million year old eyes

Dinosaur, you don't belong here

They'll kill your for tiny tusks

But your ribs are my ladder, Nicky

I'm so amazed, I'm so amazed.

(Pamela's poem about Nicky).

Johnny La Guardia --- Time to shut off the TV set, David.  Come see Times Square in the flesh, not from the windows of your limo.   It's hot down here --- It's Rio at carnival time.  It's ripe, baby --- get in touch with that place inside of you that craves slime more than plastic, David.  And vitality more than manners, David.  And life more than television.

Nicky --- Hey, you really sick or what?

Pamela --- Well, I don't know really.  See, the doctors, they won't tell me what's wrong with me.

Nicky --- They ain't never gonna tell you what's wrong with you.   I get my revenge.  I'm not gonna tell them what's wrong with them either.

Pamela --- The evening lies spread out against the sky.  Like a patient etherised upon a table.  I have measured out my life in coffee spoons.

Nicky --- It still sounds like bullshit to me.

Pamela --- Nicky, what about songs?  What about the roses in the hospital?  What about take a piss, you asshole?  That's poetry.

Nicky --- It doesn't rhyme.

Pamela --- Well, it doesn't have to.  It doesn't have to fit in a book.  Nicky, everything you do or you say is poetry.  At least I think so.

Dear Daddy, I am not kidnapped.  I am me-napped.  I am soul-napped.  I am Nicky-napped.  I am happy-napped.  Doctors, lawyers, Indian chiefs --- we are looking after ourselves and having our own Renaissance.  We don't need anti-depressants, we need your understanding.  (Pamela's letter to her father that's read out on the radio).

Yes father dear, you want to make Times Square as cold as your icy eyes

Why do you want to punish people who aren't like you?

You know at home, I've heard you use these following words

Spic, nigger, faggot and psycho

Well, I just want you to know your daughter is one.

Spic, nigger, faggot, bum

Your daughter is one.

(Song by The Sleez Sisters that they perform on radio).

Pamela --- You only care about yourself, you faker.

Johnny La Guardia --- I feel like I give myself away everyday for a living.

Pamela --- You give other people away for a living.

Nicky --- They tell me I'm crazy but the truth is, I just know bullshit when I see it.

Nicky --- Please, I just got one more thing to say, one more thing.  I knew a girl named Pammy.  She taught me a lot of things about life.  She was real smart.  She knew a lot of things.  But she knew one thing long before I ever knew it.  That she was the best friend I ever had.

STILLS FROM THE DVD OF TIMES SQUARE.

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN DECEMBER 2004.

http://www.robinjohnson.net/timessquare.html Robin Johnson fan site with an excellent page devoted to this movie.

FILM REVIEW. TIMES SQUARE

YOUR DAUGHTER IS ONE

REVIEW. THE UNDERGROUND PERSONALITY TAPES DVD --- ROXY SAINT.

Roxy Saint is an underground film-maker/musician from Los Angeles.  Her debut release is on DVD only (although you can visit her site to download the songs with a special code on the DVD).  It has 10 of her songs linked by these surreal bits in between (which personally I wasn't that keen on).   It's an incredible debut.  Roxy Saint is awesome and I think she could be a big star.

Musically I guess you could say she sounds like a female Marilyn Manson and her songs are insanely catchy rock numbers with a sort of electronic/industrial twist similar to Manson's.  The DVD was a good idea because Roxy is so striking looking and utilises a number of different looks in her performances that the visual element really adds something to the songs.  She's got the raw emotional quality of someone like PJ Harvey (who I think she sometimes looks a bit like) or Brody Dalle (except I think she comes across as more complex than Brody).

Back when Marilyn Manson was pursuing Fiona Apple I had strange dreams of what would happen if he caught her and she bore his seed.   I like to imagine Roxy would be the result as she has Fiona's raw-eyed vulnerability and predilection of rolling around in her underwear and Manson's ambition to be the biggest superstar in the world.  The music videos are all basic performances but the use of striking imagery and good camera work lifts them above the ordinary.  There is a fair bit of nudity and lesbian antics but you never get the feeling Roxy is putting it on for the camera, it all seems to be a genuine expression of her.

Some bits to watch out for:
In HUMANS Roxy wanders the streets of L.A. in a see-through plastic ensemble reminiscent of one of Nicola Bowery's outfits singing Robots never get raped and There's no humans left in this world anymore.
SUPERSTARS plays over a montage of stills but is a change of tempo to the other songs that sounds amazing.
ANOTHER FACE Roxy crawls out of a box looking like a Goth.  Well, so far as anyone dressed in an orange ballgown with black dreads can look Goth.  This is undercut with scenes of her performing at a party where she is the image of PJ Harvey.   Wearing a jacket, she reveals an incredibly thin torso and a black fishnet bra with black masking tape over her nipples.
FIRECRACKER features Roxy dancing around dressed only in bits of plastic but never seeming cheap, only sleazy and believe me, there's a world of difference.
OURS features some sort of all girl orgy in a hot tub involving a certain amount of knife-play.
DARK DUST SEED features a change of image for Roxy as she appears with short blonde hair in a blue Chinese dress smoking a joint while a fire-eater twirls fire in the background.
And I WANNA BE YOUR DOG  is a killer version of Iggy's song that finally nails the myth that a woman couldn't do this song justice.

THANKS TO SHELLY FOR THE ROXY SAINT LIVE PHOTOS.

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN DECEMBER 2004.

INTERVIEW. AMANDA PALMER (THE DRESDEN DOLLS)

Amanda Palmer is the lead singer of Boston duo, The Dresden Dolls.  She plays piano backed by Brian Viglione on drums.  They describe their music as "Brechtian punk cabaret" and have so far released a self-titled debut album and a collection of live recordings called A IS FOR ACCIDENT.

What made you choose the name The Dresden Dolls?  I've noticed that you use quite a bit of doll imagery in your work, not just the songs themselves but on the website (which incidentally is beautiful) and I was wondering if you collected dolls and/or what fascinates you about them?

Dolls are bizarre, fascinating things ... I see artists using them in all sorts of beautiful and disturbing ways.  They are feminine and childish artifice at its most innocent.  I've just always been fascinated by them.  I wasn't really a huge doll collector as a girl, however.  I was into stuffed animals and Legos.


Has your opinion of Brian changed since you first met him?

Yes, of course.  We've known each other intimately for four years.  Our relationship grows by the hour.  If anything, I love him more and more every single day, even if my understanding of him seems to elude me sometimes.  He's a weird one.

You and Brian have a very unique image.  What made you choose to look that way for your performances?

It wasn't a choice as much as an impulse that resonated well with the audience and stuck.   I've been a dress-up fanatic since birth, so has Brian.  It just feels natural.


There are lyrics for songs like Boston and Mandy Goes To Med School on the website that don't appear on either album.  Are they older songs that didn't make it on or newer ones that haven't been recorded yet?

Both - they're older songs that weren't considered for the album because they either didn't fit or because they weren't yet fully arranged.  Right now, it looks like both those tracks will fight for position on the next record.

I heard the song Christopher Lydon was about a Boston DJ.  If that's right (or even if it's not) I was wondering if the real Christopher Lydon has heard your song about him and what does he think of it?

Hm ... Mr. Lydon wasn't so much a DJ as a talk-show host.  He was one of the over-intellectual NPR hosts (he hosted "The Connection" which was nationally syndicated for years).  I had a fantastic crush on his voice.  I've heard through the grapevine that he heard the song and was embarrassed and flattered.  He's since been replaced by Dick Gordon, who doesn't sound one-eighth as sexy.


Your lyrics are very honest.  Do they all relate to your own personal experiences or is there an element of storytelling in songs like Truce or Bad Habit?

Ah, there's always an element of hyperbole, isn't there?  Everything is mostly autobiographical at it's source ... then it tends to take on a life of its own.


Why did you decide to do A Is For Accident as a collection of live recordings as well as doing a studio album?

We were desperate for something to release while we were waiting for the studio album to come out, so we slapped that together to have a disc to sell at shows.

I've read on your messageboard that you sometimes do cover versions live (which I'd love to hear).  Would you consider doing an album/EP of cover versions as other artists like Nick Cave or Rasputina or even Tori Amos would have done?  And to go along with that, I read that Brian was a big hair metal fan when he was younger, so if you had to cover a hair metal song what it would be?

It may well happen, although it's more likely that we'll sprinkle our future recordings with our favourite covers.  We'll see ...


You come from quite a theatrical background and you describe the band as a " Brechtian cabaret punk band."   How do you think that theatre/cabaret influence affects your work?   I also thought you seemed influenced/inspired by that whole sort of Weimar decadence/Marlene Dietrich doing cabaret thing.   I just wondered if I am correct, what is it that appeals to you so much about that period and the art that comes out of it?

Ah, all kinds of art and experimentation were just exploding in Weimar cabaret culture.  Some people were nostalgic for Haight-Ashbury in the late sixties, I just pin my fantasies a little further back.  But there was that same excitement, an "anything goes" mentality about authentic, relevant art and expansion of consciousness that attracts me like a moth to a flame.


Who are some of you favourite pianists?   Was there anyone who particularly inspired you?   I know people who learnt piano when they were younger and then gave it up because they didn't feel inspired or think it was relevant so I think it's great that you're doing piano music but it still sounds somewhat different to the more traditional female singer/songwriter stuff that people may be used to hearing.

I was very inspired by actual piano playing and piano scores that I was constantly exposed to in choir and musical rehearsals.  I was also inspired by my mother's piano playing at a very young age even though she only knew a few simple pieces.  She taught me most everything I use today.  I took some classical lessons but I barely paid attention (I regret that now, deeply).  There was one artist, Peter Jeffries, whose music I discovered in college and I remember thinking "Holy shit!   There's someone who plays and writes like I do ... sort of!  It's a miracle!"   His first two albums, Electricity and The Last Great Challenge in a Dull World are still two of my most cherished possessions --- they're tough to find and absolutely brilliant.

What are your future plans?  I read somewhere you were planning to make a DVD of videos to accompany your live shows, how is this going, what sort of videos/imagery have you come up with?  I think you are the kind of band who could really inspire some amazing imagery.

We've just finished the video for Coin-Operated Boy which is really quite bizarre and beautiful.  It was directed by our dear friend and genius film-maker Michael Pope, the director of Girl Anachronism as well.  We're also working on a Broadway musical to be staged in 2008.   The fall will bring us to Europe and we'll actually be playing our first UK show on September 20th in London (at Madame JoJos).

Punk Cabaret is Freedom !!!!

http://www.dresdendolls.com/

THIS INTERVIEW WAS DONE BY E-MAIL IN JULY 2004 AND ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN DECEMBER 2004.

LIVE PHOTOS TAKEN BY SHELLY AT MADAME JOJOS, LONDON IN SEPTEMBER 2004.

NOTE:  The Dresden Dolls went on to release two more albums and two DVDs before finally splitting up.

ARTICLE. IMITATING ANGELS --- A TRIBUTE TO INGER LORRE

Inger Lorre was lead singer of an alt-rock band The Nymphs, who were contemporaries of Jane's Addiction and Hole in early 90s Los Angeles.  (It's Inger who appears on Sassy on Hole's Pretty on the Inside --- she and Courtney had a long-standing feud).  They split up after one album and the infamous pissing on the desk incident.  Inger had a brief stint with Motel Shootout and worked with the late Jeff Buckley.  She released a solo album, Transcendental Medication in 1999.

Inger is one of my heroines and inspirations.  I first discovered Inger when I read about The Nymphs in the British music press around 1991.  I was so intrigued by this woman who looked so cool in her photos, beautiful and glamorous without ever being clichéd or bland.  And I was inspired by the intelligence and integrity she displayed in her interviews and her incredible honesty that helped me feel less ashamed about certain aspects of my own life.  I loved her music --- she is one of my favourite artists.  Funnily enough, I was a fan of hers before I ever got into Jane's Addiction or Hole (2 bands she has been compared to and knew).

Her music is so darkly beautiful, with a strength to its vulnerability.  I could compare her to The Stooges, Patti Smith or Siouxsie and the Banshees but of course, Inger is her own marvellous creation.  I love the way she took the clichés of rock and reworked them from a female perspective.  That Rimbaud quote on her album really sums up her work.
(When the endless servitude of woman will be overthrown, when she will live for herself by herself, man, hitherto adominable having given her her release, she will be a poet, she also!  Women will discover some of the unknown!   Will her worlds differ from ours?  She will discover strange, unfathomable, repellent, delicious things, we shall taken them, we shall comprehend them.)

I never got to see The Nymphs play live.  About a week before I left London for good they were playing The Marquee and I was simply too fucked up to attend.  Ah, there will be other opportunities I thought but there never were.   I was heartbroken.   Over the years I kept the faith, so to speak, writing about Inger in my fanzines and telling anyone who would listen about this unsung genius of rock.  I was delighted when she released Transcendental Medication and I hope her musical career is along and fruitful one.  She seems to be such an amazing woman and if nothing else, I want to thank her for inspiring me in my own life and work and for the gift of her amazing music.

To all our fans, follow your dreams and let them make you, your own reality --- The Nymphs.

Originally published in December 2004.

NYMPHS EP COVER BY DEREK RIDGERS.
PHOTO OF INGER LORRE FROM KERRANG 369 PHOTO SUPPLEMENT (UNCREDITED).

INTERVIEW. HELEN STORER (THEE HEAVENLY MUSIC ASSOCIATION, EX FLUFFY/JACK OFF JILL)

Helen Storer first found fame as the bassist in Fluffy before moving to America and joining Jack Off Jill just before they split.  She is now in a new band called Thee Heavenly Music Association along with Dave Hillis (a record producer who's worked with the likes of Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains).  Their debut album SHAPING THE INVISIBLE is still available.


How did you meet/come to work with Dave Hillis?

We met in L.A. --- Leif Garrett introduced us actually.  Dave was with Jerry Cantrell and I was with my friend, Harry.  We were at a party at a weird mansion that used to belong to Paul McCartney in the Hollywood Hills.  I had been looking in vain for musicians with similar tastes and ideals to start a new band with and we hit it off right away, on all levels.


What made you choose the name Thee Heavenly Music Association?

It's taken from a record called 'No Pussyfooting' by Brian Eno and Robert Fripp.  There's a song called 'The Heavenly Music Corporation' which I wanted to use originally but it was already taken by another band.  Everyone prefers 'Association' anyway so it turned out great.  I wanted a really long and OTT band name, in the tradition of bands like Godspeed You Black Emperor --- like I say, if listeners are too stupid to deal with that many syllables then I don't want them as fans anyway --- it's a sort of natural selection ... hehe.


THMA sounds very different to Fluffy and Jack Off Jill (2 earlier bands that you played with).  Was it a style of music that you always wanted to do or did you only decide to change style when you left Jack Off Jill?   It's interesting to me because it seems like such a change from the bands you were in before yet it works just as well.

I've always been into the kind of music I'm making now and have always written songs in that style --- I just didn't really have a forum to present them from before.  I was and still am really into 70's NY and Detroit punk like The Stooges, MC5, Patti Smith, etc., which was the premise for a lot of Fluffy's shtick.   Jack Off Jill had a more American punk/Goth sound which was a cool blend of a lot of influences.  But ultimately I was brought up in Manchester and the gloomy industrial landscapes are a large part of sculpting my own and my idols' sound --- like Joy Division, the Chameleons, Verve, New Order, the Smiths, etc.


Your lyrics are very poetic but kind of opaque and cryptic.  I was wondering who some of your favourite lyricists/writers are.

I have a really long list, of course.  I really like Peter Murphy, Nick Cave, Kate Bush, Brian Eno, Grace Slick, Patrick Fitzgerald from the band Kitchens of Distinction and I also draw inspiration from beat poetry and authors like Thomas Hardy and Lewis Carroll occasionally.  I love the way vocalists like Meredith Monk and Elizabeth Fraser (Cocteau Twins) sing without words but still manage to convey so much emotion and meaning in a song.  It's a concept I will definitely be exploring on our next record.

I think my favourite song is Alain.  Is it based on a real person and if so, what does he think of the song if he's heard it?

It is absolutely based on a real person.  Yes, I changed his/her name, however, to Alain, which is allegedly, the original name of Salvador Dali's infamous long-time transsexual girlfriend Amanda Lear.  The person in question was a dear friend of mine but does not know about the song as far as I know as I haven't seen for years.  I would love to tell her, I think she'd get pissed about it anyway though ... !


On your website it says you are working on a new EP.   Can you give us some idea about the new songs, will they be different/similar to the album?

They'll be similar but better.  The delay in getting it out is due to financial reasons.  The new record is going to have more energy and probably be a little less instrumental and dreamy, although we'll always have the same wall-of-sound guitar noise!


Do you have plans to tour the US/Europe and the UK?   What are your live shows like?  For some reason I can imagine your music working really with projected images/a lightshow but I'm probably miles off.

No, you're right.   We want to create a Velvet Underground, Jesus and Mary Chain vibe with projections and lights, kind of a moving art show with music.  We are dying to tour but have no money to right now.  Definitely both the UK and US will be covered though, once we do.


On the album you do vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards and drums on various tracks.  Which is your favourite one to do?

I think guitars although I love playing any instrument.  It depends what song --- it was really fun playing Mo Tucker style drums on Alain because it was such a tribal, basic beat.

There are some references to angels in your songs and a general kind of otherworldly feel to your music.  Do you think angels actually exist and have you ever seen one?

I don't know about the standard definition of angels but I have certainly met a few people who live their lives in a very angelic way.  I really like the film "Wings of Desire" which is about angels on earth and a lot of "Shaping The Invisible" is about very pure innocent people who I've watched become corrupted by life, people and chemicals, especially in Los Angeles (the city of lost angels ...).


I read that you and Jessicka from Scarling (and Harry?) were working on a project together, a kind of female supergroup.  Will you be doing any more of this?  Will you release any of the stuff you've worked on so far even if it's just online as MP3s?

Yeah, one day it'll happen!   There are so many musicians in our circle of friends that it seems like a shame not to --- Harry, Nadja Peulen, Sam Maloney, Jessicka, Anna and Martina from Drain etc.  I promise we'll release it as soon as we do it!

You were a member of Jack Off Jill for a time, one of my favourite ever bands.  They were such a brilliant band who the fans loved and they seem to be gaining more and more fans all the time but why do you think Jack Off Jill didn't achieve more mainstream success at the time?  (because I really thought JOJ were going to be as big as Hole or Marilyn Manson).   Do you think it was because Jessicka was a woman and didn't fit the conventional beauty mould?  I'm pleased to see more and more people getting into the band even though you've now split up and I hope Scarling is successful.

It seems to me that it's hard for the mainstream to cope with a female singer who acts in a very dramatically offensive way, especially when visually she is clearly uninterested in being attractive to the 'stereotypical' male eye.  What is astounding to me is how record labels can apparently put blinkers up to the record and merch sales and giant fan-base of a band, simply because of their narrow-minded refusal to be the first to dare break the mould on this issue.  People can't deal with a woman acting non-sexually on stage --- they're too used to women being objects that are easy on the eye, to deal with seeing Jessicka razor-blade her chest open in front of them!  I hope Scarling do really well though.


You were also in Fluffy who I happen to think were a great band and very under-rated.  I got your album, Black Eye, a couple of years ago and I was really surprised at how good it was after some of the bad press I'd read.  Are you still in touch with any of the other girls from Fluffy?

The problem with Fluffy was that we were young, skinny and cute, through no fault of our own, but it led people to either believe we were put together by a man or be flat-out jealous and bitchy about us.  It was a weird kind of sexism to deal with --- people were amazed when they saw us play live.  The press in England were vicious and destroyed our reputation by fabricating a story that we were 'posh' which is a real killer to a punk rock band in England.  We just liked the NY Dolls and thought we were being post-feminist by wearing mini-skirts but I think, if you are a woman in a position of 'too much' power and also flaunting your sexuality you are almost guaranteed a backlash, unfortunately.   Bridget, Angie and I talk all the time.  I always see them when I visit London.


ALL PHOTOS OF HELEN AND T.H.M.A. WERE FROM THEIR WEBSITE.
THIS INTERVIEW WAS DONE BY E-MAIL IN JUNE 2004 AND ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN DECEMBER 2004.  THANKS TO HELEN.

REVIEW. THE PRISCILLAS --- DEMO CD.

The Priscillas are an all-girl 4 piece band based in London who have already supported the likes of The Rezillos and The 5,6,7,8s.   Their bassist, Kate, kindly sent me a demo CD of some of their songs.  They're due to release their debut single soon and are working on an album.

The first thing you notice about their songs is how incredibly catchy and exuberant they are.  It only takes a couple of minutes for songs like All My Friends Are Zombies to lodge in your brain so strongly that it would take a lobotomy to remove them.  (And The Priscillas have a song about brain surgery too).   They have a kind of pop-punk approach with garage band influences similar to The B-52s or maybe a tougher version of The Go-Gos.   To be successful at those types of songs looks deceptively simple.  But if you're too "pop" then your songs will sound bland and clichéd but if they're too "alternative", they'll sound messy and you'll alienate most people --- but when this music works it produces some of the best pop songs.  The Priscillas seem to have found the perfect balance --- a marriage of The Ramones guitar-driven garage rock and Phil Spector's girl group harmonies.

Their lead singer, Jen has a strong voice that comes through without being overpowered by the strong and accomplished backing music or sounding harsh and strident.   Their hard-edged garage rock sound is softened around the edges by Shangri-Las style backing vocals and handclaps to produce infectious numbers like Gonna Rip Your Photograph.  I have heard good reports of their live performances which involve beehive wigs and capes and raucous music performed by the baddest girl group in town. 
NOTE:   Since writing this review, the band have had a couple of personnel changes and released their debut album.

Originally published in December 2004.

REVIEW. LIVING WITH EATING DISORDERS --- SELLING SELF HATE.

L.W.E.D. are a London-based band who are beginning to gather rave reviews for their haunting music.  Their lead singer, Andrea, kindly sent me a copy of this demo album (which I believe was recorded in 2002).

On some songs, Andrea's voice sounds almost impossibly fragile and delicate and is accompanied by only the sparsest of electronic backings, producing an unsettling effect.   Other songs such as Demon in the Wheels have a fuller sound and a stronger vocal performance echoing bands like Queen Adreena.  The stand-out track has to be Horsemilk with its infectious tune balanced by Andrea's almost ethereal vocals.

The band have avoided over-production or drowning out the vocals (2 things which can occur in this genre) to produce perfectly balanced darkwave music that really is as pure and disturbing as a fresh snow fall over an inner city.  This mood of unsettling purity is echoed in their CD packaging which features an all-white CD cover with a razorblade taped to it.   (The band did actually perform at a benefit to raise awareness of self harm).

I've heard good reports of their live gigs and Andrea has an incredibly striking image.  She often wears only torn underwear or boned corsets that further emphasise her extreme thinness --- once again, this image of the distressed Victorian madwoman does remind me of Katie Jane Garside of Queen Adreena.  Although their name and image have led to L.W.E.D. being accused of being a freak show, they should not be dismissed so lightly.  Andrea has a brilliant voice which is showcased by some great electronic music to produce an unique sound.

NOTE:  The band released their debut EP, "White Like Snow" on Something To Listen To Records and they also supported the likes of Psychic TV and Whitehouse.  The band also changed their name to Colt.

Originally published in December 2004.

REVIEW. THE DRESDEN DOLLS --- THE DRESDEN DOLLS.

The Dresden Dolls are a Boston based duo --- Amanda Palmer on vocals and piano and Brian Viglione on drums.  They have a stunning image wearing white face make-up and old style clothes and their website alone is an absolute work of art, based around a kind of old Victorian dolls' house theme.  They describe their music as "Brechtian punk cabaret" but they are far from being some sort of kitsch novelty act.

Amanda writes some of the best lyrics I've ever seen and part of her genius is that although her lyrics are quite 'wordy' and literate, she can still match them to a 'punk' sound without sounding pretentious or forced.  Actually, Girl Anachronism is probably the closest to a punk tune with its feeling of chaos evoking the madness of the narrator.  The rest of the songs are more traditional piano based numbers featuring a variety of tempo changes and Amanda's expressive voice which echoes the emotionally expansive style of Tori Amos.  Amanda covers similar subjects like self harm and child abuse to other 'confessional' singers like Tori or Fiona Apple.  However, her black humour and raw honesty seem closer to artists like PJ Harvey.

Their songs are perfectly constructed with Brian's drumming subtly supporting and showcasing Amanda's more demonstrative piano playing and vocals.   Their style proves that you don't need to scream or have a heavy metal backing track to be able to convey the deepest and most heartfelt emotions.  Their music is as beautiful and disturbing as their name, Dresden Dolls, suggests.

Truce, in particular, is an outstanding track.  It took me a couple of listens to fully appreciate it because of the scope of the song.  It's an epic on the scale of November Rain but without being so overblown so it actually becomes ten times more effective.   It starts with a whisper and ends with a scream and in between it takes in all the conflicting emotions the end of a relationship can trigger using the imagery of terrorism and diplomacy to convey feelings of hurt, revenge, resignation, sadness and pain.   I think it is an absolute masterpiece although having said that, there are many other outstanding tracks on this album like Good Day or Bad Habit.  The Dresden Dolls are a unique band with the talent to fulfil their creative vision and always leave you wanting more.

NOTE:   Some later versions of this album (including the UK release) feature the video for Girl Anachronism which is well worth seeing for its beautiful deranged genius.

Originally published in December 2004.

REVIEW. THE DRESDEN DOLLS --- A IS FOR ACCIDENT.

When I discovered The Dresden Dolls I fell in love with them so much that I made it my mission to get a copy of their limited edition live album, A IS FOR ACCIDENT, which has now been reissued.  There are 10 songs on the album (3 of which appear on the studio album --- Missed Me, Coin Operated Boy and Truce).   In some ways, this isn't a conventional 'live' album as most of the songs aren't featured on the studio album.  However, this doesn't make them second rate or works in progress --- the songs on this album are not mere curiousities but easily the equal of their more polished, studio-produced cousins.  Although there isn't much tangible evidence to show these tracks were recorded live, there is an indefinable atmosphere to them.   It evokes imagery of world-weary cabaret performers in sleazy nightclubs.

Amanda's songs depict powerful emotions and all the bittersweet ennui of a life of disappointments without resorting to the conventional tools of the angry and disaffected.   I guess you sort of expect lyrics like this to go along with a 'rock' (or even 'punk') performance --- that is to say, much heavier music and screaming vocals.  But the genius of The Dresden Dolls is that they have re-invented the genre by marrying the raw honesty of alternative music's lyrics to the musical sophistication of piano-based cabaret.  So Amanda doesn't have to raise her voice to get her point across.

"Christopher Lydon" features a vocal that will break your heart as Amanda sings about her unrequited love for a talkshow DJ.   "Glass Slipper" starts off quietly and builds up to a devastating climax that encapsulates the regrets and reproaches behind a life that hasn't quite lived up to its potential.  "Bank of Boston Beauty Queen" is a more upbeat and jaunty number, full of black humour and picturesque lyrics.  I would probably still say the studio album is the best introduction to the band as I think it showcases a wider diversity of styles but this album is certainly worth looking out for.

From GLASS SLIPPER

How many wishes do I still have left to fix the way it ends?

How many princes will it take to put a girl like this back together again?

How many instances can you point out where I was less than kind?

How many happy endings do you need to change your fucking mind?

And how much time do we have left before its midnight

And you see that I was never the right size?

Originally published in December 2004.