The Violets
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| The Violets | |
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| Country | United Kingdom |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Genres | punk rock Indie rock |
| Labels | Angular Recording Corporation] |
| Members | Alexis (vocals) Joe (guitar) Andrew (drums) |
The Violets are a three piece punk/indie band from the New Cross area of London. Formed in 2003 on the hood of a car, The Violets pledged to play stark, spiky and even minimalist punk that evokes early art-school punk bands such as Wire, Swell Maps, and Siouxsie & the Banshees.
Around the same time as the band was formed, guitarist Joe founded the record label Angular Recording Corporation as a commitment to the DIY ethic as well as a means of recording and releasing The Violets and other like minded artists.
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[edit] Performance Style
The Violets' stage presence is centred on Alexis and her sexy, charismatic personality. Alexis has been likened in the press to a cross between Debbie Harry and Siouxsie Sioux (she rejected such claims in an interview with Maps Magazine, their guitarist said it was lazy journalism.), and she has cited the same influences they had, such as Nico, David Bowie and Diamanda Galas. Alexis's vocals are made all the more powerful by Joe's angular guitar playing technique, where he seems to play two notes simultaneously[1]. The lack of a bass player has been cited by some critics[citation needed] as accentuating the minimalistic, menacing qualities of their music.
The Violets' lyrics are often cryptic and abstract, laden with ambiguity and multiple meanings. In one interview with the South London Press (and reproduced on their website), Alexis replied to the interviewer on where the inspiration for the songs originates:
"Forceful thought train fuels the songs. It's frustrating trying to communicate to people that are looking for a middle road comment. I feel like I'm going to blow up in their faces. Although the words are mostly a breakdown of a harsh environment, the surge it creates is a positive and empowering feeling. We don't look for inspiration, it tends to just creep up on you."
[edit] Critics
Although some underground journalists consider Alexis "a poor man's Siouxie Sioux", others (more often than not) give very positive reviews. Some journalist and fans even say that Alexis is tipped to become a future underground icon, although not all commentators have been so kind - in one review, a critic insultingly likened them to "the mutterings of a Super-Tennants-at-nine-AM tramp" when discussing the song Feast on You. A review which was ridiculed by fans when it was posted on their web forum.
[edit] See also
Angular Recording Corporation(The band's history is tied up with the label)
[edit] Influences
The band cite mon musical influences, such as film, theatre, mime and film directors like Alfred Hitchcock and Dario Argento as more important than any musical ones.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Sometimes even three; these are called "chords".
