Summer 2005

. The –Isms : Girls on the Rise/ArmChair (Rebel Records)
This record has a very strong character. It is dense, yet easy to access, not revolutionary, but interetingly complex (though not pretentious) and dark. The trio get their message right through to you quite simply, flirting with groovy jazzy bass lines disussing with guitar inflated with drums. Vocals (Mya s voice seems to have been made to create his kind of atmosphere) and intruments (classic line up: bass, drums, guitar) do not struggle one another. The isms have overcome the danger of predictibility. They managed to find their voice, their magic... their art.

.Mary Timony : Ex Hex (Lookout Records)
Music: Our love can pretty much sum up the whole spirit of the album. And just as love, Mary s music is not bothered with conventions nor interested in predictability or safety. Mary Timony, teaming up with Devin Ocampo, offer us another ride on the unicorn, a tale of jesuses laying in the grass, or doctors asuring whore they cannot love them more. There are no heroes, only fallen ones -her, you, us... there are, however, a few heroins-her, you, us. The album is punctuated by repeptitive, short guitar riffs, slipery dialogues between drums, guitar/bass and keys, and dary, colourful rhyming. The songs are about going circles, someone on the floor blocking the door, another sharing drugs with people they meet, drinking shampoo, love, hatred, endlessly searching for passion, the thirst for it, in spit of everything. All the stories are told in such a rich imagery you cannot but see a film on every track. An example? Silence is like the theme of a strange sixties TV series: singing about speaking in silence, can you feel the paradox?I guess it s a bout making the weigh of the lead silence loud. Mary is create a musical fairy poetry about everyday life, about you and me caught up in dreams or dreaming reality. Paradoxically (again), her music is xtremely empowering, but when you think about it, every action, most stories starts with a dream.

.Valerie : just ask for it : valerieband@hotmail.com
This is the special Valerie May 2005 tracks collection the riot punkers brought to Oslo when they played at the Unconventional DIY Convention. Besides the crazy keys driven Tokyo Girl, which we had discovered through the Viva la Diva compilation (it s great and super groovy, get it now if it s not yet part of your record collection!), and had become our OvaryAction anthem, we did not know any other tracks.... and now we have 4 anthems signed by the 3 in yr face riot punk prietresses. They talk about things that get on their tits like being 5ft1 in the pit at gigs, the superficiality and ephemere aspect of popstardom.... with loads of wit, uncompromised anger, fun, sincerety and integrety. The tracks sound simple (but not simplistic) and raw (although not messy, blurry and scamped, which can be some riotgrrrlz trademark). They managed to capture the exciting feeling of their live performance, which is art in itself, being able to record resisting any urge for overproduction (this happens so fast!). Valerie is the super exciting band we had been looking for! NOW the party is about to begin, get in, everybody!

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