Betty X
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| Betty X | |
|---|---|
| Origin |  Seattle, Washington, United States |
| Genre(s) | Industrial Metal Art Rock |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Label(s) | Anti-Social Records |
| Associated acts | Salon Betty |
Betty Zoe Kaylor, better known as the performance artist Betty X, is an American art rock and industrial metal singer and songwriter, as well as a conceptual and expressionist artist. She was born and raised in Seattle, of Irish and Cherokee heritage. Her work is often caustic and controversial.
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[edit] Biography
Betty X has been making music since the mid-90's, when she formed the controversial art rock band, Salon Betty, which received international attention and generally positive reviews. Though a native of the United States, Betty has previously lived in Prague, Czech Republic, which she credits as being her creative inspiration for Salon Betty.
After the group disbanded, she decided to pursue a solo career, releasing Bad Side of Love in 1999.
Her solo project proved to be much darker and heavier than anything she had previously released. Naturally, this was met with mixed response from her fan-base. While losing some old fans, she also gained many new fans as the project gained momentum. Old fans should look for more performances of her other stage persona Satan in High Heels. One performance in late 2007 spawned rave reviews from attendees including The Seattle Sinner.
In 2004, several songs on her second solo release, Dystopia, found their way onto the soundtrack to independent filmmaker Craig Kovach's sci-fi horror film, Unearthed, featuring Tom Savini (Dawn of the Dead, From Dusk Till Dawn). Around the same time, she began collaborating with Martin Atkins (Pigface, Ministry, PIL), providing a live guest performance with Pigface and vocal recording for Sheep On Drugs' Machine Sex.
During the course of her music career, Betty X has shared the stage with many notable performers, including Prong ,Patti Smith, Powerman 5000, Machine Head, Pigface , Aiden, Professional Murder Music, Zeke, and Tim Cridland (AKA "The Torture King").
[edit] Genre
Betty X's earlier sound with Salon Betty has been described as psychobilly, death lounge, new wave, or, most commonly, art rock. Jamie Hook, a reviewer for the The Stranger described the music as, "Neu-Wavo Ranchero" and referred to the fans as "Bettephiles."
Her current self-titled solo project is much heavier and darker than previous material; with heavy, loud and grinding guitars, breakneck tempos, apocalyptic distortion and noise, moody sound-scapes and extremely aggressive, distorted vocals, the music is best described as industrial metal.
The newer songs cover a range of genres, however: "Human Disease" has the totalitarian/Orwellian flavor of Marilyn Manson, "Dystopia" is a poppy, bass-driven tune a la Nine Inch Nails, "Mons Venus" is a dark and sultry rock piece akin to P.J. Harvey, and most of Memoirs of a Pain Junkie could be considered straight-forward alternative metal in the style of Ministry's Psalm 69.
[edit] Albums
[edit] Bad Side of Love
Betty X's debut solo album, Bad Side of Love (2000), was written and co-produced by Betty X with Vincent Saletto (Genitorturers). The album's heavy and dark industrial trip-hop vibe was a drastic change from the campy, light-hearted Salon Betty material. The album did not receive much attention and quickly went out of print.
[edit] Dystopia
Betty X's second solo release was Dystopia (2004), an EP of six tracks plus one bonus track. This album, co-produced by Betty's silent partner, Hate, featured heavier guitar riffs and more violent sonic tones than the debut album. It was fairly successful, gaining some national attention and radio play, and also spawning a small national tour. Several of the album's tracks, including "Shoot'em Up" and "Aurora," were featured on the movie soundtrack to Unearthed, starring Tom Savini.
[edit] Memoirs of a Pain Junkie
Memoirs of a Pain Junkie (2006) is Betty X's third solo release and first full-length album. It is also her heaviest and hardest-hitting material to date. Released in summer of 2006, the album features a new version of "Shoot 'em Up" remixed by Martin Atkins of Pigface.
[edit] Religious Reich
Religious Reich will be Betty X's official fourth solo release, slated for Spring 2008.
[edit] Discography
With the inclusion of the her releases with Salon Betty, Betty X's primary releases are:
- Salon Betty - The Big Hair Sex Circus, 1996 (iMusic)
- Salon Betty - Arizona, 1997 (self-released EP)
- Betty X - Bad Side of Love, 2000 (Anti-Social Records)
- Betty X - Dystopia, 2004 (Anti-Social Records)
- Betty X - Memoirs of a Pain Junkie, 2006 (Anti-Social Records)
6. Satan in High Heels http://www.myspace.com/sataninhighheels 7. Guest vocals on Sheep on Drugs Sex Machine on the F**CK Album. 2006.
