Sara Radle

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Sara I. Radle is a member of the band The Rentals, fronted by ex-Weezer bassist Matt Sharp.

Sara Radle currently lends her writing and music skills to The Rentals - indie New Wave pioneers led by Matt Sharp (formerly of Weezer). Most recently, she formed her own Los Angeles-based band, Calamity Magnet, which melds the world of indie-pop with girl group harmonies of the sixties, adding a hint of country flavor and the occasional peek at a Beatles influence. Calamity Magnet picks up where her critically acclaimed solo records left off.

Sara Radle’s music career began a over decade ago in San Antonio, Texas, fronting the punk/pop band Lucy Loves Schroeder, at the age of seventeen. After the success of a self-released LP and a 7-inch single on Grade Nine Records, LLS signed to Chicago’s Beatville Records and released another LP and EP. The band toured heavily to support the CDs and gained rave reviews and rewards along the way - including Best New Artist and Best Female Vocalist. In 2003, Lucy Loves Schroeder decided to call it quits and Sara began to dedicate all her effort to her solo project.

Not a stranger to the one-woman studio project, Sara had previously released an 11-song CD, Jellybeans With Belly Buttons, under the name Fred Savage Fanclub in December of 2000. On this release, she wrote, arranged, played and sang everything. Although it was a small release on Denton-based She’s Gone Records, many of the critically acclaimed songs off Jellybeans... were in heavy rotation on college radio stations across the country.

In December 2002, Radle began working on her next solo record with the pAper chAse’s John Congleton, and once again she played every instrument. The record, You Can’t Make Everybody Like You, was the first release from Sara’s own Dallas-based Jeez Louise Records in January 2004. This time, however, she ditched the name Fred Savage Fanclub and released her much-anticipated follow-up simply as Sara Radle. Shortly after, Sara released a five-song EP, People You’ve Been Before, on Jeez Louise Records in March 2004.

Over the years, Sara’s solo efforts earned her awards from local Texas weekly papers (including Artist of the Year, Best New Artist, and Best Female Vocalist), as well as rave reviews from both local and national publications. One reviewer claimed, "If there is any CD out there I would like to be in every girl’s hand, it’s this one." (GirlZone) Another wrote, "Her vocals and playful, pop sensibility lends these 11 songs a kind of sheer enjoyment. Whether she’s rocking out or going for a more quiet pop moment, each of these songs is catchy and tied together by layers of vocals and backing vocals with that fantastic voice. ... Radle proves that she’s a talented and versatile singer songwriter, both in her softer, poppier songs and her sheer rock moments. Great stuff from someone you’re bound to be hearing a lot from in the future." (Delusions of Adequacy)

In June 2005, Sara headed west and relocated to Los Angeles, California to join The Rentals, fronted by ex-Weezer bassist Matt Sharp. Since joining the band, Sara has toured the world with The Rentals, including stops in Spain and Japan. In 2007 the group released the Last Little Life EP on Boompa Records, followed up by an extensive two month U.S. tour. The Rentals are currently working on their next full length record, expected in 2008.

With Calamity Magnet, Sara returns once again to her own distinctive song-writing, armed with an amazing group of musicans in tow - Joe Bourdet (lead guitar), Valerie Ngai (electric and stand-up bass), Genevieve Kwong (keyboards, vocals), and Joe Zabielski (drums).

In Spring 2008, Calamity Magnet released their first EP together - a self-titled collection of six songs, available through their myspace page.

About Radle, Sam Machkovech of the Dallas Observer wrote "Radle grew up with folksinging parents and piano lessons and choir at a young age. Music was never as much a choice as an ingrained part of her life."