#Colins Regisford

[thebowerypresents]

Mannequin Pussy Bring Terrific New Album to Sold-Out Brooklyn Steel

Mannequin Pussy – Brooklyn Steel – May 16, 2024

Maybe you hadn’t seen them before. Maybe someone brought you. Maybe you were there alone. If any of the above applied, Mannequin Pussy heard you. They get you. If there was an overarching message at Brooklyn Steel on Thursday night, it was that you were welcome. More than welcome: You were invited to scream. Literally. 

Marisa Dabice, lead vocalist, reprised a Mannequin Pussy standby — an overture to the audience to recognize their anger, embrace it and move it out of their systems. In a breathy voice that built to pure id, Dabice, to cheers and whoops, declared the world of politicians and the like all pure “bullshit.” This was an evocative moment and also a marker in a set that built shockingly linearly from the anthemic indie feels to the raw power reminiscent of older albums that made Mannequin Pussy must-see. 

The yearning of “Sometimes” gave way to “Loud Bark” gave way to “Aching” gave way to “Clams” — the first three off Mannequin Pussy’s new LP, I Got Heaven. A steady turnup that I’m sure was carefully planned. Dabice was a vision, keeping the energy hot and heightened. And I hope the band’s heights were realized. Looking at the sold-out crowd of deeply loyal listeners, some made that very night, I’d say they were. —Rachel Brody | @RachelCBrody

(Mannequin Pussy play Union Transfer in Philadelphia on Sunday.)

(Mannequin Pussy play Union Transfer in Philadelphia on 5/22.)

(Mannequin Pussy play Union Transfer in Philadelphia on 5/23.)

(Mannequin Pussy play Asbury Lanes in Asbury Park, N.J., on 9/27.)

Photos courtesy of Edwina Hay | thisisnotaphotograph.com

[sinceileftyoublog]

Pitchfork Music Festival 2024: 6 Can’t-miss Non-headliner Sets

Jessica Pratt; Photo by Samuel Hess

BY JORDAN MAINZER

If you had told me in 2014 that a Grammy-friendly psych soul band, a producer who hasn't released an album in almost a decade, and, uh, Alanis Morissette were headlining Pitchfork Music Festival, my jaw would have dropped. Don't get me wrong: I was still surprised when I saw the lineup announcement. But overall, Pitchfork has been heading in a more populist, legacy-based, and pop-friendly direction for a while now, both as a publication and a summer festival. And while I'm just as excited as the next person to belt "Hand in My Pocket" and boogie to "I Know There's Gonna Be (Good Times)", the undercard has always been where it's at for me. Here are 6 non-headliner sets you simply cannot afford to miss.

Photo by Asia Harman

FRIDAY

Rosali, 2:45 P.M., Blue Stage

Indie rocker Rosali Middleman leads her band, Mowed Sound, into what will hopefully be a sunny, yet shady set on Pitchfork's most underrated stage, an effective host for sounds both quiet and loud. Rosali's most recent album Bite Down (Merge) occupies a middle territory. Songs like "Hills on Fire", "Slow Pain", and "Rewind" sport that quintessential Rosali "hard won ease" but not before subtle freak-outs threaten your bliss. It's perfect late afternoon music.

Photo courtesy of Big Beat Records

100 Gecs, 6:15 P.M., Green Stage

The hyperpop duo of Dylan Brady and Laura Les are a year and change removed from releasing their incredible sophomore album 10,000 gecs (Dog Show/Atlantic) and are still touring strong off of that record's combination of earnestness and absurdism. Since we last previewed them, they officially released (via XL) their remix of the Basement Jaxx classic "Where's Your Head At", debuted during a Boiler Room set last year. Who knows what tricks they might pull mere hours before the sun sets on the first day of Pitchfork?

SATURDAY

Photo courtesy of Press

Kara Jackson, 2:30 P.M., Green Stage

Since we last caught the Oak Park singer-songwriter, she's simply toured the hell out of her stellar debut album Why Does The Earth Give Us People To Love? (September) and released a studio version of the cover song she tends to open her sets with: Karen Dalton’s “Right, Wrong or Ready”. But Jackson's hometown afternoon set at the Green Stage will be more than a victory lap. Judging by recent Instagram stories from album collaborators KAINA and Sen Morimoto, this may be a full-band show, more faithful to the full arrangements of the album than the acoustic sets Jackson's been giving. Really, it should be like hearing the record anew.

Photo by Brandon McClain

Wednesday, 4:15 P.M., Green Stage

Simply put, the Asheville country-gazers' Rat Saw God (Dead Oceans) was one of the finest albums of last year, with its mix of Southern poetry and steel guitar freak-outs. Live, they only amp up the urgency, lead vocalist Karly Hartzman morphing on a dime from yodel to scream as guitarist MJ Lenderman, lap steel player Xandy Chelmis, bassist Ethan Baechtold, and drummer Alan Miller build songs from a twangy choogle to a pummeling finish. Watch Wednesday with a beer in hand and take in their darkly humorous tales of desperation--and perhaps an inspired cover or two.

SUNDAY

Photo by Renee Parkhurst

Jessica Pratt, 4:15 P.M., Green Stage

You'll hear that Here in the Pitch (Mexican Summer), singer-songwriter Jessica Pratt's long-awaited follow-up album to 2019's Quiet Signs, features a comparatively "expansive" sound. It's certainly true, the self-labeled perfectionist having taken three and a half years to make a less-than-30-minute album, one rife with echoing percussion and lush orchestration, featuring collaborators old and new. Watching the full-band performance of opening track "Life Is" from The Late Show with Stephen Colbert certainly has me excited to hear these songs come to life on a main Pitchfork stage. Ultimately, though, what mesmerizes me about Here in the Pitch, and Pratt in general, is how front and center she remains no matter how big the backing noise. Her wordless vocals curve around Al Carlson's baritone saxophone on "Better Hate". The all-encompassing quality of her singing matches the inherent eeriness of the organ and rippling drum machine on "Nowhere It Was". She even plays drums on "World on a String", her supposed take on teenage garage rock. A master of entities as concrete as wordplay and as abstract as vibes, she sings, "I want to be the sunlight of the century / I want to be a vestige of our senses free." May we all aspire to be that influential.

Photo by CJ Harvey

Mannequin Pussy, 5:15 P.M., Blue Stage

A new band member and new creative process help spur what may be Mannequin Pussy's best album to date. I Got Heaven (Epitaph), the follow-up LP to 2019's excellent Patience, was the band's first album with multi-instrumentalist Maxine Steen as a full-time member, and it was written in LA with prolific producer John Congleton instead of each band member writing separately at home. The result is a punk band as versatile as they've ever been, something that should stand out during their early evening Blue Stage set on the last day of Pitchfork. Sure, a pent-up crowd will want to yell, "Loud bark, deep bite!" back at Marisa Dabice, and the instantly quotable title track should yield cathartic live experiences till the end of time, whether or not you feel subsumed by Christian hypocrisy like the song's narrator does. But many of the highlights on I Got Heaven showcase the band's softer side. The bossa nova-esque guitars, sparkly synths, and brushed drums of "I Don't Know You" take their time to build up to enveloping shoegaze, while the Buffy the Vampire Slayer-inspired "Nothing Like" juxtaposes a shuffling drum beat with hazy, dreamy guitar akin to late 90s Smashing Pumpkins. And really, during Brat Girl Summer, what will be more anthemic than these words Dabice sings during the horny, slow-building "Split Me Open"? "I'm worried I want you with the power of a thousand suns burning as one."

[thesearenotphotographs]

Mannequin Pussy and Soul Glo at Brooklyn Steel

On Thursday, May 16, 2024, the I Got Heaven Tour featuring Philadelphia, PA punk bands Mannequin Pussy and Soul Glo arrived to Brooklyn Steel in Brooklyn, NY for a sold out show. The Epitaph Records labelmates performed songs of their respective releases I Got Heaven and Diaspora Problems.

I covered Mannequin Pussy’s set for Bowery Presents’ The House List and my images of them, with a review by Rachel Brody, can be found here.

Photos from Soul Glo’s amazing opening set can be found in this post on my website beneath the Mannequin Pussy images. If you haven’t checked out their performance on NPR’s Tiny Desk, you can do so right here.

[slrmagazine]

New MANNEQUIN PUSSY album "I Got Heaven" Out Today on Epitaph Records

New MANNEQUIN PUSSY album "I Got Heaven" Out Today on Epitaph Records. #mannequinpussy @mannequinpussy

Mannequin Pussy release I Got Heaven, their anticipated fourth full-length album, today on Epitaph Records. Filled with cathartic tunes about despairing times, I Got Heaven is a document of a band doubling down on their unshakable bond to make something furious, thrilling, and wholly alive.  Over 10 ambitious tracks that abruptly turn from searing punk to inviting pop, the album is deeply…

[radiomaxmusic]

Thursday, March 14, 2024, 5pm ET: Feature LP: Mannequin Pussy - I Got Heaven (2024)

Mannequin Pussy is an American punk and indie rock band from Philadelphia, formed in 2010. The band currently consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Marisa “Missy” Dabice, drummer Kaleen Reading, bassist Colins “Bear” Regisford, and guitarist Maxine Steen. They have released four studio albums: Mannequin Pussy (2014) and Romantic (2016) on Tiny Engines, and Patience (2019) and I Got Heaven…

[andrrrgynous]

MANNEQUIN PUSSY for Crack Magazine

[concerthopperblog]

Japanese Breakfast w/ Mannequin Pussy: Sold Out @ The Masquerade!

Japanese Breakfast is a Philadelphia based indie rock band that consists of Michelle Zauner, Peter Bradley, Craig Hendrix, and Deven Craige. Michelle (lead vocals/guitar/piano) not only knows how to rock on stage, but is also a celebrated author and an upcoming director for her debut best-selling book that is being turned into a feature film (Orion Pictures)– Crying in H-Mart: A Memoir. Oh, by the way Michelle is also providing a soundtrack for her movie, so you can safely say Michelle is a very talented and creative artist for this generation. Before knowing anything about this band, I first stumbled across Japanese Breakfast while listening to Sirius/XM Channel 35 (SiriusXMU) one day when the song, “Paprika”, came on the airwaves. Normally, this may or may not have been my thing, but something about that song enthralled me to keep it on that station to listen to the very end. After that, I immediately checked out a few more tracks that had been released such as “Be Sweet” and “Kokomo, IN.”. I felt that Japanese Breakfast was a band that I needed to invest some time in and listen to more of their catalog. Admittingly, I am very late to the game when it comes to knowing the beautiful work done by Michelle and Japanese Breakfast. But as they say, better late than never!

Just a few shorts days into their tour, Japanese Breakfast stopped by The Masquerade (Atlanta) with help from opening support, Mannequin Pussy, to play in front of a sold-out crowd. My request to come and shoot this show was even sent in a week prior to the event, because I was not sure that I would even get accepted to this sold-out tour stop. But every now and then I get lucky! Check out this great set list from The Masquerade show:

Set List: Japanese Breakfast 07/24/2021 The Masquerade

1.       Paprika

2.       Be Sweet

3.       In Heaven

4.       The Woman That Loves You

5.       Kokomo, IN

6.       Tactics

7.       Boyish

8.       The Body Is A Blade

9.       Savage Good Boy

10.   Posing In Bondage

11.   In Hell

12.   Road Head

13.   Slide Tackle

14.   Till Death

15.   Everybody Wants To Love You

16.   Posing For Cars

17.   Driving Woman

Want to hear some of the incredible music from Japanese Breakfast? Then follow this handy link and head over to their official Bandcamp page to check them out! You can also see if Japanese Breakfast is coming to your town (or possibly close enough) by following this link to their official Tour page.

Mannequin Pussy is also a Philadelphia based indie rock/punk band that consists of Marissa “Missy” Dabice, Kaleen Reading, and Colins “Bear” Regisford. Since this was a sold-out show, you could tell the excitement was building in the crowd from the time the doors opened to let us in around 8 pm. This was my first-time checking Mannequin Pussy out after all this time and let me say that I wish I had seen them beforehand! So much amazing energy and positivity beaming from the stage and directed towards the crowd that it would make anyone smile. Unfortunately, from the start of their set, Marissa had issues with her microphone set up that stemmed from the sound check. Despite asking many times for assistance in fixing the issue to the sound engineers, the problem was never resolved and caused Marissa to wing it on a few songs that required her mic to be run through her board. Despite this issue, Mannequin Pussy made the best of the situation by making the crowd very happy with their energetic and very fiery opening set. Check out their set list below:

Set List: Mannequin Pussy 07/24/2021 The Masquerade

1.       Control

2.       Who You Are

3.       Patience

4.       Drunk II

5.       Cream

6.       Pledge

7.       Romantic

8.       Fear + Desire

9.       To Lose You

10.   Everything

11.   Kiss

12.   Perfect

13.   Clue / Sneaky

14.   Pigs Is Pigs

Curious about some of Mannequin Pussy’s music? No worries. I have you covered by following this link to their official Bandcamp page to hear what they are all about! Also, head over to Mannequin Pussy’s official tour page to see if they are coming near you!

Curious about Concerthopper? You can find more music related articles, interviews, various photo galleries, indie music reviews, our very own ‘Bars & Bites’ section, our exclusive “She Said, She Said” column, or become a Concerthopper at www.concerthopper.com. Sign up for our monthly newsletter by following this link: The Setlist! Please ‘Like’ our page on Facebook and follow us on Instagram to stay up to date in 2019 on all music related events/festivals such as: Welcome to Rockville, Blue Ridge Rock Festival, Boombox: Live at Terminal West, Ministry: The Industrial Strength Tour (Atlanta), Quicksand: Live at The Masquerade, Cherub: Live at The Eastern, Boombox: Live at Terminal West, AmericanaFest, Knotfest Roadshow (Alpharetta), Whitey Morgan & the 78’s: Live at Terminal West, Shoals Fest, Silverstein: 20th Anniversary Tour (House of Blues – Cleveland), Dinosaur Jr.: Live at The Masquerade, & Khruangbin: Live at The Eastern by following us on all social media formats: Concerthopper on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  Also, you can follow my personal concert hopping on Facebook and Instagram for even more photos not available on Concerthopper.com.

[theindyreview]

Banger of the Week: You, Me, and Everyone We Know - draggedacrossconcrete (feat. Colins "Bear" Regisford)

Banger of the Week: You, Me, and Everyone We Know ( @youmeband ) - draggedacrossconcrete (ft Colins Regisford) Scene mainstays come roaring back with an simmering and explosive new single @knowhoperecs @reybee

The East coast punk band You, Me, and Everyone We Know has been a mainstay of the scene since releasing their first album in 2010. Fronted by Benjamin Liebsch, they are a group I’ve been aware of for a long time, but haven’t spent much time with until now. Musically, the group’s catalogue vacillates between emo-laced pop-punk, and a more frenetic and ragged punk rock sound, while lyrically…

[recommendedlisten]

Album Review: Mannequin Pussy - ‘Patience’

It took awhile to process Mannequin Pussy’s third album and definite breakout Patience for a few different reasons. For one, it’s not only the Philadelphia punk band’s most critically lauded effort, but also one that has seemingly been christened by fire as 2019′s best rock effort yet. Recommended Listen’s recommendation if you’ve shielded yourself from the noise is that it’s probably best that you very well push aside those voices buzzing on your socials and avoid the press blitzkrieg altogether -- in fact, you’re welcome to stop here on this end, and just hit play -- because if there is anything that is more annoying about music consumption / discussion these days, it’s how the machine of the industry has a tendency of force feeding what’s good down your throat enough to the point of regurgitation.

Nothing against Mannequin Pussy, of course, and more ears (and money, hopefully) their way will come from it, but it’s frustrating how punk, rock and hardcore music only seems to have just a few available spaces on these editorial gatekeeper’s year end lists each year when Mannequin Pussy are certainly not alone in their intention in pushing those scene’s next evolution in sound in balanced aggression and tenderness onto the same stage. Rant aside, that stage is where Mannequin Pussy frontwoman and guitarist Marisa Dabice, guitarist Thanasi Paul, drummer Kaleen Reading, and bassist Colins “Bear” Regisford have shone a spotlight unfiltered beyond the sonically perfect hard-edged production Will Yip onto their art, a personal document built on unabashed vulnerability and raw emotion bubbling over the surface level like molten lava and spilling into the audience.

The glory in Patience is in how Mannequin Pussy’s fire hits in different ways, with each “way��� being its own power play on the road to personal perdition. Lyrically, the album is inscribed with torrid love songs written by Dabice to herself and to a world around her that makes it hard to feel that love back. This isn’t a one-sided war of love either. She’s both the recipient of it going all wrong and in other cases, owning up to her own fuck ups. Tracks like “Drunk II” and “Fear/+/Desire” are majestral in their showcase of Dabice’s most naked vulnerabilities, with each occupying the state of confusion in steady whirlwind guitars and Mascis-blazing solos that turn crying in public into a fireworks display. “High Horse”, a somber cracking of the internal monologue out into the dark, captures the complexities of the definition of modern relationship where the joys of getting off and having your heart smashed exist within seconds of the same conversation. Retrospect only makes its peaks all the more sad.

The guttural anger that scorched Mannequin Pussy’s 2014 debut GP and 2016′s sophomore follow-up Romantic still rages throughout Patience, just with more direct focus in its ire. Opener “Patience” is a statement of purpose from Dabice and crew, as she attempts to tears out of her own skin as a clash of panic riffs and relentless rhythm force her to bare down her own demons. The bilingual thrash of “Cream” pits everyone inside of love as the hell it breeds while the one-two gut-check of “Clams” and “F.U.C.A.W.” finds hell in the ugly faces of the world around us, attempting to rip people of their freedoms. Instead, the four-piece maus their faces off with an inextinguishable collective fury.

In its final breaths, Patience rises to a new life like a phoenix from the ash on “In Love Again.” The closing track is grand and soaring, with a starry-eyed sparkle and anthemic reach into the sky you could envision arenas with. It rediscovers Dabice and Mannequin Pussy satisfied in the throes of chaos as a much more stronger force than where they lept off from the album’s first seconds.“I’m so high / I want this forever / Let’s start anew / Let’s see it through,” she sings. Having seen the worst of how love can make you feel, she’s not afraid to feel that way again. Maybe it won’t last, maybe it will. Whatever may come, Patience is a document of survival.

Patience by MANNEQUIN PUSSY

Mannequin Pussy’s Patience is available now on Epitaph Records.

[losslesslossless]

Downer 

I don’t know where the moon is lately, but it’s not in my sign. 

---Solo project of Colins ‘Bear’ Regisford of Kids and Mannequin Pussy---

[sinceileftyoublog]

Live Picks: 9/11

Mannequin Pussy

BY JORDAN MAINZER

One of the best albums of the year or one of the best albums of 21 years ago?

Mannequin Pussy, Lincoln Hall

On Patience Mannequin Pussy’s hugest-sounding and best album yet, lead singer Marisa Dabice makes it obvious what she’s singing about, which works to the band’s advantage. Yet, the songs themselves and the feelings they describe, let alone exude, are complex. Produced by emo heavyweight Will Yip, the album features swirling, fuzzed out, guitars on top of meaty drum beats, and layered ascending vocals alternating with desperate, raw screams, a perfect concoction of sounds to mirror Dabice’s emotional turmoil. 

At times, Patience is not an easy listen--Dabice details an abusive relationship on multiple tracks--but the songs are just as much about her self-reflection and ability to rise above. On the very first song, she declares that she’s got patience in her blood but that it’s running out; on “Fear/+/Desire”, she painfully admits, “When you hit me, it does not feel like a kiss,” interpolating and reclaiming The Crystals’ “He Hit Me (And It Felt Like a Kiss)” for herself and others (including the song’s subject). “High Horse” begins with atmospheric guitar scrapes guiding her singing about the same type of relationship. “If the words I’ve written have fallen apart / It’s insecurity, it’s violence starting to get to my heart,” she warns. As louder guitars enter, she screams, “Your world’s on fire, as I watch up from my high horse / Your world’s on fire, and I walk away.” For a term like “high horse,” often unfairly used to label a woman as stuck up, Dabice, if not reclaiming it, will accept it over the relationship she’s in. She knows herself better than anyone else. “Everyone says to me / Missy, you’re so strong / But what if I don’t wanna be?” she proposes on instant classic breakup anthem “Drunk II”.

Throughout Patience, the band acts as a support system, pulling back when it’s Dabice’s time to tell a story, charging ahead with her on confrontational dirges and positive jams. First and foremost, the chemistry between everyone is simply impressive. Take the way Dabice chants and screams in conjunction with the buoyant guitars on “Cream”, or alternates in conversation with bassist Colins "Bear” Regisford on “Clams”. On penultimate track “F.U.C.A.W.”, over sludgy bass and piercing guitar tones, she takes no prisoners: “What did you say to me, boy? / Come on and spit it in my face.” But it’s the two positive tracks--one about self-love, one about loving someone else--that stand out, remarkable in the context of the trauma presented on the album. “I did not choose my life and I won’t choose my death,” Dabice wisely sings on “Who You Are”, talking to a younger version of herself over power pop chords and country rhythm riffs. “Who taught you to hate the way you are? / If I were you, there’s not a thing I would restart.” And on closer “In Love Again”, she reassures others that “it keeps gettin’ better.” Kaleen Reading’s impressively complex drum-and-bongo rhythms drive the album to its conclusion, completing the rare album that feels both ultimately uplifting and honest.

Album score: 8.9/10

Patience by MANNEQUIN PUSSY

Sacramento rockers Destroy Boys and Hamilton, Ontario dream pop project Ellis open.

Massive Attack, Chicago Theatre

You must have heard the drill: On their Mezzaninexx1 tour, Massive Attack are celebrating their landmark 1998 album Mezzanine by touring it with none other than Cocteau Twins’ Liz Fraser (who contributed vocals to its best known songs). The show was already postponed once, so I’m sure fans are clamoring for this. 

[wzly]

mannequin pussy @ fête music hall, feb. 8!

On February 8, the Philadelphia outfit Mannequin Pussy opened for AJJ and Joyce Manor at Fête Music Hall in Providence. The passionate performance by this four-piece band was the best way to start the evening. They came onto stage nonchalantly, but soon they came alive and electrified the room. Lead singer and guitarist Marisa Dabice shredded the air with growls, then caressed it with her gentle voice. Thanasi Paul, lead guitarist, shared heavy riffs that build up so much of the band’s sound. Colins Regisford on bass was not only great to listen to but also wonderful to watch—it’s clear from his performance style that he loves the music he makes, and the audience loves it too. Kaleen Reading is the rhythmic backbone of the group, providing steady beats on which the melodies and lyrics are built. Their sound overall is powerful, sometimes sweet, always honest; for fans of Slutever. 

Towards the end of the set, Dabice mentioned the dangerous social climate that we find ourselves in, and urged us all to take care of ourselves and each other, especially those who are at risk now more than ever. For the last song, she let herself go and flowed with the music, dancing in a way that reminded us that it’s okay to let our bodies move and feel and breath and live.

Mannequin Pussy played songs from their newest album, Romantic, which was released on October 28 of last year on Tiny Engines. Among their merch were the softest cream-colored sweatshirts with their name and the shape of Dolly Parton flipping the world off (I couldn’t resist it and bought one). And hey, if you’re not fortunate enough to see them live, their recorded music is also fantastic!

Mannequin Pussy is Marisa Dabice (lead vocals and guitar), Thanasi Paul (guitar) Colins Regisford (bass), and Kaleen Reading (drums). You can check them out here and learn more about them here. Keep up with them on Twitter!

Written by Mollie K. ‘17.

[abductionradiation]

Philadelphia, PA -- Indie punk trio Mannequin Pussy - Missy (vocals/guitar/keys), Colins “Bear” Regisford (bass), and Kaleen Reading (drums) - will be releasing their new EP Perfect on May 21 via Epitaph. This week, the band shared their new single “Control,” a rowdy track that spans just under 3.5 minutes long. The track eases the listeners into the track, with gentler strums of the guitar and a wistfulness to Missy’s vocals. The drums and rhythm are especially tight on this track, letting the flurries of electric guitar swirl throughout “Control”. Mannequin Pussy, once again, absolutely shreds.

Perfect by MANNEQUIN PUSSY

Connect with Mannequin Pussy:

Official Site | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

[andrrrgynous]

MANNEQUIN PUSSY for Crack Magazine

[chorusfm]

Shannen Moser – I’ll Sing

When you think of Philadelphia, you most likely don’t think of folk music. Well, Philly native Shannen Moser is trying her damnedest to change that, as her latest LP I’ll Sing is one of the genre’s best offerings of the year. Hell, it’s one of the best albums of the year in any genre. The album’s lo-fi opening shows off Moser’s voice beautifully, but the album really kicks into gear with “Haircut Song.” While it lacks any real traditional hook, the song nonetheless manages to stand among the catchiest on the album, featuring some of Moser’s best lyricism as well. “You said, ‘I’m doomed to love you and that’s the truth,'” she recounts, before countering that “that’s a sorta fucked up way to say it.” The following “Joanna” and “Baby Blue” feel more classically folk, and the latter affords Moser the chance to display her range – she slips into her higher register over a cello for the song’s chorus, and it’s one of the most memorable moments on the album. The other song which makes the most use of her higher register is “Trouble,” a ballad that almost borders on blues. It features Colins Regisford, whose voice complements Moser’s perfectly, resulting in one of the best songs on the album. The absolute best song on the album, though, is “Hallelujah.” What begins as a straightforward alt-country song builds and builds into a cacophonous barnburner, replete with harmonica and cello. “Hallelujah,” sings Moser over the song’s raucous climax, “we’re all going home.” While she’s far from the first to espouse the sentiment, she sounds damn convincing. That’s probably the best thing about I’ll Sing, really, how honest it sounds. There’s no affectation, no cheesy country accent, no melodrama. It’s all just raw emotion, and, while Moser  ays on “Haircut Song” that “pain’s not poetic,” it sure sounds like she’s found a way to make it so. --- Please consider supporting us so we can keep bringing you stories like this one. ◎ https://chorus.fm/review/shannen-moser-ill-sing/

[theseventhhex]

Mannequin Pussy Interview

Marisa Dabice, Colins Regisford, Thanasi Paul & Kaleen Reading

Photo by Scott Troyan

Originally begun as a duo between childhood friends, Marisa Dabice and Thanasi Paul, Mannequin Pussy have expanded following a move to Philadelphia. The band has once again grown in numbers and strength. With the addition of Kaleen Reading on drums and Colins Regisford on bass, Mannequin Pussy are now a quartet for their sophomore full-length, ‘Romantic’. The latest release embodies Mannequin Pussy’s greatness: 20-minutes of hungry, genre-defying eclecticism that no longer feels like a collection of tracks but a record of real, discernible cohesion. ‘Romantic’ shifts seamlessly back and forth between pop and punk rock. But, the band has refined their songwriting with ‘Romantic’. The pop hooks are bigger and sharper. The punk rock numbers are filled with even more fury. ‘Romantic’ is the sound of a band hitting its stride… We talk to Marisa Dabice about having a Zen like attitude, performing live and bell bottoms…

TSH: As your outstanding debut record ‘Romantic’ was coming together, what sort of instrumentation styles were you mainly leaning towards?

Marisa: We’re very much a classic rock outfit. You know, guitars bass and drums. We wanted to make a record that would be easy to recreate live and while Thanasi did spend a lot of time doing guitar overdubs and we added some auxiliary percussion and a key line on two songs, we kept it very minimal. For the next record I think we’re heading in somewhat the opposite direction. We’re ready to experiment more.

TSH: The response has been excellent with so much praise for your album. How liberating is it to know that listeners are enjoying and connecting with your musical arrangements on a personal level?

Marisa: Liberating is great way to describe it. The truth is that most musicians actually hope that other people will enjoy their albums.

TSH: How vital is it for yourself and Thanasi to spend a lot of time getting the vibe right before you go in and finalise the melody and lyrics?

Marisa: Extremely vital. We tour a lot so we bring a lot of the new songs we’re working on into the set. It gives us all a chance to figure out exactly what works and what doesn’t - I try out new melodies and lyrics, new guitar lines, I can hear that Kaleen is trying out a new drum fill…. it’s important to spend the time working out those vibes. And when a song is done we all know it is. It becomes obvious to us.

TSH: What do you feel makes you very analytical of the way you respond to experiences regarding your lyrics?

Marisa: Maybe because I’m a Virgo and I’m extremely analytical about everything I and everyone around me does. I’m either trying to understand my experiences through the lyrics or I’m trying to tell a story and I want it to feel right. I don’t want to put in bullshit filler words; I’m on quest against nihilism. I want it to actually mean something.

TSH: Furthermore, talk us through your approach in making a very serious effort when in the songwriting phase of an album to not listen to other music…

Marisa: It’s just what works for me. I have pretty severe, undiagnosed and unmedicated, ADHD and my mind moves from one subject to the next really rapidly. When I’m in the middle of writing an album, my mind is jumping between all the sounds I’m trying to bring out so it’s just best to declutter wherever I can.

TSH: Was it cathartic to pen a track like ‘Romantic’ knowing it entails the personal hope that one day you’ll experience the right type of love again?

Marisa: That’s my favourite song I’ve ever written and I hope to write another song I like as much. I’ve lucky though, I’m already experiencing love again. The heartbreak didn’t last forever but the song will.

TSH: With ‘Denial’, what sort of energy were you mainly looking to imply?

Marisa: It’s an uptempo breakdown song. Just absolute mania. Thanasi did a brilliant job with that guitar line - when he first showed it to us I didn’t hear it as being a “Mannequin Pussy” song, but that was stupid. That was ego getting in the way. We made it our song and we made it fit for the record.

TSH: With your pulsating live shows constantly evolving, what sort of atmosphere do you look to conjure up when you perform live?

Marisa: I want people to feel our energy and allow those 30 minutes to free them from whatever might be going on in their lives. That might be a lot to ask but music can be so cathartic, so healing - and I hope we are able to give that to people as well.

TSH: Moreover, having stated touring isn't really a place to escape your head. How do you keep your mindset positive when you tour?

Marisa: You just remind yourself that you’re on tour to perform your music and that you’re incredibly lucky to get to do this at all.

TSH: Does having a Zen like attitude towards things that are thrown at you which you cannot control serve you well?

Marisa: Oh, absolutely. It’s the times when I’m not Zen that I get super worked up. When things aren’t going exactly right, that's what I look back on with the most embarrassment. Things work out how they’re gonna work out so getting upset over things that aren’t actually that important is just a disservice to you and everyone who is forced to be 5 feet away from you for 5 weeks. You owe it to each other to just do the best you can to find the Zen.

TSH: Do you look to natural white noise and new age meditation music to aid you with all the beldam in the world?

Marisa: It’s hard for me to fall asleep every night - I battle against racing thoughts and it’s really one of the only things that helps me to turn all that off.

TSH: Are you still drinking V8 juice most days as a ‘sad substitute’ for vegetables?

Marisa: No! I can actually afford to eat real vegetables on tour now.

TSH: Also, did you decide on how many bell bottoms you want to take on tour?

Marisa: I took two.

TSH: Why are your favourite show couples the ones who touch each other's butts…

Marisa: Because they’re so cute!! Swaying to the music with their hands in each other’s back pockets - they’re existing in their own moment together. I’m a romantic. I love that shit.

TSH: As you look ahead with Mannequin Pussy, is your ethos in relation to what you once said ‘the more open you are, the more you feel connected to other people’…

Marisa: I think so. Touring can feel very lonely at times. You spend long stretches of time away from your friends, your family and the people you love. It can be hard to feel part of a community, or feel that you can actually develop your relationships with people because those relationships are always being put on hold. But the absence doesn’t also infer a difference between us. We’re still experiencing things in a similar way.

Mannequin Pussy - “Pledge”

Romantic