Teri Gender Bender

Teri Gender Bender
Background information
Birth name Teresa Suárez
Born 1989
Denver, Colorado
Origin Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
Genres Punk rock, garage rock, electronic rock
Occupation(s) Musician
Instruments vocals, guitar, keyboards
Years active 2007–present
Associated acts Le Butcherettes, Omar Rodríguez-López, Bosnian Rainbows, Kimono Kult

Teresa Suárez, commonly known by her stage name Teri Gender Bender, is an American-born Mexican singer and musician, known primarily as the founding member, lead singer, and guitarist of Guadalajara-based rock band Le Butcherettes since 2007. With Omar Rodríguez-López, she is a member of both Bosnian Rainbows (founded in 2012) and Kimono Kult. Her performance persona and artistry has been compared to Björk, Siouxsie Sioux, and Karen O.[1][2][3]

Suárez was born in Denver, Colorado to a Mexican mother and a Spanish-Mexican father, who worked as a prison guard.[4] At age ten she began to have recurring dreams of playing guitar, and was able to convince her father to buy her one. She lived in Denver for the first thirteen years of her life, until she moved back to Mexico with her mother and two younger brothers after her father's death from a heart attack.[5][6]

Suárez and drummer Auryn Jolene founded Le Butcherettes at age 17 while still in school in Guadalajara. Jolene was later replaced by Lia Braswell. The all-girl band incorporated graphic elements such as raw meat and bloody aprons into their stage performances and Suárez adopted the last name Gender Bender as feminist statements of the treatment of women in Mexico.[6] Suárez met Omar Rodríguez-López at one of their local gigs. He was impressed by her performance when after a power outage had interrupted the show, she jumped into the crowd and continued singing into a megaphone.[5][7] Rodríguez-López signed the band to his label, went on to produce their first album Sin Sin Sin in 2011, and is now an official member of the band. Suárez contributed lyrics and vocals to Rodríguez-López' Octopus Kool Aid in 2012, and starred in his unreleased film project Mi No Y Esperanza.[3] Le Butcherettes' 2014 album Cry Is for the Flies was written about her experience moving from her family in Mexico to Los Angeles in 2012.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 Garsd, Jasmine (7 May 2014). "First Listen: Le Butcherettes: 'Cry Is For The Flies'". NPR Music. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  2. ↑ Sage, Rebekah (19 Jul 2013). "Teri Gender-Bender Is The Latina Björk". Fox News Latino. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  3. 1 2 McCabe, Allyson Polsky (4 Sep 2013). "A Spotlight Bent Through a Prism". The Brooklyn Rail. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
  4. ↑ Lovitt, Bryn (13 September 2015). "LE BUTCHERETTES ARE CAKED IN THE BLOOD OF MEXICO: AN INTERVIEW WITH TERI GENDER BENDER". Noisey. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
  5. 1 2 McCabe, Jess (17 Feb 2014). "I say it out loud and proudly... I'm a feminist!". The F Word. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  6. 1 2 Curiel, Kamren (25 Jan 2012). "Le Butcherettes' Teri Gender Bender Puts a Spell On You". Huffington Post Latino Voices. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
  7. ↑ "TERI GENDER BENDER: MUSIC MATTERS". RedBull. 25 Jun 2010. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
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