Things Change by Jeanines
Brooklyn's Jeanines specialise in ultra-short bursts of energetic but melancholy minor-key pop. With influences that run deep into the most crucial tributaries of DIY pop โ the Velvets, the Shop Assistants, the Television Personalities, Dolly Mixture, Veronica Falls and Girl Ray โ they've crafted a style that is as individual as it is just plain pleasurable. Frontwoman Alicia Jeanine (guitar/vocals) multi-tracks her vocals, delivering delicious harmonies, and Jed Smith (bass/drums) infuses bounce and punch. The melodies are perfect pop sugar, and the themes are melancholic with a dose of sunshine -- delivered with a direct and sincere lyricism.
60s-meet-80s melodies combine with timeless guitar jangle in a way that recalls everything from The Aislers Set and Saturday Looks Good To Me to more recent DIY pop groups like Parsnip and Chook Race. the tunes on this exclusive 4 track single hearken back to some of the most intriguing moments of the C86/C88 era, when bands like Jesse Garon & The Desperadoes and Talulah Gosh crafted perfect pop gems enlivened by the inspiration of punk.
Alicia Jeanine explains: "I'm kind of obsessed with mortality and how weird the passage of time is, so I think my lyrics reflect that. I definitely lean into that kind of melancholy state of mind when trying to think of lyrics, while trying to avoid cliches!" The marriage of the minor-key melodies and melancholic lyrics is powerful and make Alicia's songs all the more memorable, with its echoes of girl harmony post-punk groups like Grass Widow and Household.
Jeanines have been compared to such cult pop icons as Dear Nora, Black Tambourine, and more recent acts like Veronica Falls and Girl Ray, but their dark, modal melodies and pensive, philosophical lyrics, along with Smith's versatile but ever-economical musicality, ensure them a place of their own in today's crowded but boisterously healthy DIY pop scene.
Jeanines will be playing their first european shows this spring:
Madrid Popfest March 13-14 - http://www.madridpopfest.com/
London, Shacklewell Arms on March 15, and
Paris March 17-18 (playing at L'International on March 17) - http://www.parispopfest.com/
"Like watching old home movies on Super 8, or flipping through the pages of an old yearbook, nostalgia can be both disorienting and cathartic" - http://post-trash.com/
"the whole shaking shebang seems suffused with a boisterous teenage effervescence" - https://rockandrollglobe.com/
Tracklist
| 1. | Everyone Should Be Warned | 1:26 |
| 2. | Been In The Dark | 2:00 |
| 3. | Less and Less | 2:18 |
| 4. | Things Are Gonna Change | 1:14 |
Credits
Alicia Jeanine - Vocals, Guitar, Violin
Jedediah Smith - Bass, Drum, Guitar, Organ, Mellotron, Backing Vocals
all songs written and arranged by Jeanines
recorded by Jedediah Smith at Wood Bee Studios, Brooklyn, NY
artwork and design by Kevin Alvir
