Scarling.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Scarling. | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| Background information | ||
| Origin | Los Angeles, California, USA | |
| Genre(s) | Art rock, Noise pop, Noise rock, Shoegazing, Indie rock | |
| Years active | 2002–present | |
| Label(s) | Sympathy for the Record Industry | |
| Website | www.scarling.com | |
| Members | ||
| Jessicka Christian Hejnal Rickey Lime Derik Snell Beth Gordon |
||
| Former members | ||
| Garey Snider Samantha Maloney Radio Sloan Kyle Lime |
||
Scarling. is an art rock band from Los Angeles, whose music contains elements of noise, shoegazing, psychedelic rock, and Gothic rock. They have been active since 2002, and have released two full length albums.
Contents |
[edit] History
Scarling was formed by singer Jessicka Fodera (known simply as Jessicka) after the dissolution of her band, Jack Off Jill. She and guitarist Christian Hejnal began rehearsing and recording in a San Fernando Valley performance space; after the pair had written a number of songs together, they began a search for additional band members and eventually cemented the first and very short lived lineup of Scarling. The lineup consisted of Fodera, Hejnal, drummer Garey Snider, guitarist Rickey Lime and bassist Kyle Lime.
In early 2003 Jessicka was introduced to Long Gone John, owner of Sympathy Records, by mutual friend Mark Ryden. On March 19, 2003 Scarling's debut single, "Band Aid Covers the Bullet Hole", (produced by Chris Vrenna) was released on the Sympathy for the Record Industry label. Its cover featured an illustration called "Wound 39" by Mark Ryden. In April 2004, Scarling released their first album, the seven-song, thirty-three-minute Sweet Heart Dealer, which again utilized the team of Ryden and Vrenna.
In Autumn 2004, Scarling was invited to join the lineup of the Robert Smith-curated Curiosa Festival, performing on select West Coast dates alongside Interpol, The Rapture, Mogwai, Cursive, The Cooper Temple Clause, and longtime inspirations The Cure. Smith described the band's music as "dark, desperate, chaotic, gorgeous pop music, the sound of the end of the world" and nominated "Sweet Heart Dealer" for the 2004 Shortlist Music Prize. Three weeks before joining the Curiosa tour, drummer Garey Snider was briefly replaced by Samantha Maloney and soon after by current drummer Beth Gordon. After finishing out their dates on the Curiosa Festival, Scarling with the help of friend and fill in bassist Radio Sloan, continued to play around Los Angeles and San Francisco at high profile indie clubs such as, The Bottom Of The Hill, Spaceland and The Troubadour.
After a series of 7" singles on Sympathy, Scarling announced in early 2005 that their second album, So Long, Scarecrow, would appear later that year; it was preceded by the single "We Are the Music Makers", and was released on August 23, 2005. So Long, Scarecrow was produced by Rob Campanella, formerly of The Brian Jonestown Massacre, at his studio, Committee to Keep Music Evil Headquarters. In December of 2005 Scarling embarked on it’s first UK tour creating a buzz for themselves and selling out most venues. SLS's first single "City Noise" is featured on the compilation Alright, This Time Just the Girls Vol. 2. Scarling's music has been featured on Showtime's The L Word television series, and an episode of the medical drama Grey's Anatomy is entitled Band Aid Covers The Bullet Hole. In 2006 Scarling continue to tour in the US and Europe, embarking on their first co-heading with UK shoegaze outfit Amusement Parks on Fire and opening for The Wedding Present and Depeche Mode later in the year. They are expected to begin working on their third full length album in early 2007.
[edit] Influences
Scarling's style and material are heavily influenced by 1990s-era Shoegazing bands such as My Bloody Valentine, Lush, and Loop as well as by the 1990s riot girl scene that had also inspired Jessicka’s previous band Jack Off Jill. Hejnal's guitar style also incorporates elements of noise rock into Scarling’s songs.
[edit] Trivia
- The lyric "Say hello to my little friend" in the "Band Aid Covers The Bullet Hole" is a line from the 1983 film Scarface.
- "Sweet Heart Dealer" was originally supposed to be eleven songs long. The songs “A Constant Reminder”, “Surgeon General”, Here On Earth” and “Funeral Gown” were recorded then omitted and have yet to be released.
- All 5 Scarling members hail from different states and met in Los Angeles.
- Jessicka intentionally uses a lower vocal register when singing in order to distance Scarling from previous musical endeavors.
- Artist Mark Ryden created an alternative cover for the 12” vinyl version of “So Long, Scarecrow.”
- Rickey Lime was a member of the all-girl Olympia-based Shotgun Won.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
[edit] Singles and EPs
- "Band Aid Covers the Bullet Hole" (7", Sympathy for the Record Industry, 2003):
- "Band Aid Covers the Bullet Hole" — "H/C"
- "Band Aid Covers the Bullet Hole" (CD, Sympathy for the Record Industry, 2003):
- "Band Aid Covers the Bullet Hole" — "H/C" — "Creep"
- "Crispin Glover" (7", Sympathy for the Record Industry, 2004):
- "Crispin Glover" — "Love Becomes a Ghost"
- "Crispin Glover" (7", Sympathy for the Record Industry, 2004):
- "Crispin Glover" — "Art of Pretension"
- Scarling. / The Willowz (split 7", Sympathy for the Record Industry, 2005)
- "We Are the Music Makers" (Scarling.) — "Break Me Down" (The Willowz)
- "Staring To The Sun" (CD, Sympathy for the Record Industry, 2006)
- "City Noise" — "Staring to the Sun" — "Wave of Mutilation"
[edit] Sources
- MTV News July 7, 2004
- MTV News August 28, 2004
- Chicago Music Guide Scarling. Interview 2005
- Scarling. Slug Magazine Feb 02, 2005
- Filter magazine 2005
