Friday, December 12, 2014

Review of our record from Cabildo Quarterly

From Cabildo Quarterly

Trophy Wife: All The Sides
We’re told, or led to believe, that in the end, it’s all just a huge pile of content, sitting there, waiting. The playing field has been leveled;  the opportunities are endless. The landfills, however, are not. They beckon and plead: fill me.
                The result – the symptom – is frontloading, getting the hook up front to grab attention. Because no one has an attention span any more, we’re told. Because everything is available to everyone at all times, no one gives a shit about anything, and we’re becoming zombies, sleepwalking through our day trying to kill content. Annihiliate this stream, this viral video, all week long.
                But it’s bullshit is the thing.  There’s evidence everywhere: unlikely comebacks, TV series sprawling out over six, seven seasons, killing cliché as they develop characters to be considered outside (and far away) from a 22-minute frame, serial podcasts, you name it. The diagnosis that we’re dulled by and slave to the stream of content perpetuates itself when we buy in – but the increasing realization that the quick-hit simulacra is bogus is just over the horizon and easily visible with a few steps closer. Artists who eschew the quick fix in favor of nuance and authenticity and the long haul are those few steps.
                And just over that horizon is Trophy Wife, with All the Sides, their third long-player. This Philly two-piece painstakingly crafts their mini-epics of bombast and nuance, and they do it by (get this) listening to each other. By spending time in the practice space focusing on how many times, how loud, how this part drops out so this other part can kick in. It sounds simple because it is, but it can’t always be:  guitarist Diane Foglizzo and drummer Katy Otto are both sick players, able to stop on so many dimes, drop oddly timed phrases in and out with nary a seam, and twist distortion into contemplation (and vice versa). I can imagine how easy it might be to just go off and let the sparse arrangement pick up the metaphorical slack. But nope. Both members realize throughout that they’re halves of a greater whole, and through this understanding – through servicing the songs they write, at the expense of going off or over – they show listeners that patience is rewarded, that things come together over time, and that music, despite the new economy or whatever, does not have to be disposable to be noticed. It can be heartfelt and passionate and difficult and no less rewarding.
                Audrey’s Song is a perfect embodiment of everything Trophy Wife does well: picked single notes yield to sheets of distortion, as Foglizzo and Otto’s vocals buzz, conjoin, and fly away; toms roll, measures drop and reappear seemingly on their own accord. It’s affecting stuff which rewards repeated listens, which is what the band wants, more than a quick hit. This is long haul stuff, the fragility and empowerment of sustenance.
Michael T. Fournier
Cabildoquarterly.tumblr.com

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

First NYC show in a long time!

Very excited to be playing a show in NYC next month with some great friends!

December 13 at 7:30 pm
w/ Gay Panic, Worriers, Tiny Tusks
The Rock Shop (249 4th Ave, Brooklyn, New York 11215)

facebook
venue

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Baltimore, Louisville, Pittsburgh!

Hey everyone! Fresh on the heels of the release of our new album All the Sides, we are playing a few shows. Here are the details:

Oct 9, Thurs - Baltimore at Holy Frijoles w/Post Pink and The Convocation 10pm all ages
https://www.facebook.com/events/1469909513285101/



















Oct 11, Sat - Louisville at Outskirts Music Festival www.louisvilleoutskirtsfestival.com



















Oct 12, Sun - Pittsburgh at Assemble, 5125 Penn Ave with Margo Van Hoy, Geriatrics, and the Lopez
all ages 7:30pm $7 https://www.facebook.com/events/540838912684017/

We hope to see you there! Tell your friends!
xo,
tw

Monday, September 22, 2014

All the sides is OUT NOW!

We are THRILLED to announce the release of our third record All the Sides!!!!!!

You can order a copy of the cd/lp through SRA Records here:
http://srarecords.com/shop/sra/trophy-wife-all-the-sides/

You can order the tape through Dead Tank Records / Distribution here:
http://deadtank.storenvy.com/products/9773620-trophy-wife-all-the-sides-tape

And you can listen to the record and purchase digitally through our bandcamp here:
http://trophywifetheband.bandcamp.com/

Huge thanks to both SRA Records and Dead Tank for helping us get this into the world!

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

2009 s/t tape online!

Hey!

Our tape from 2009 is on our bandcamp! Check it out!

www.trophywifetheband.bandcamp.com

xo,

d + k

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Last minute show THIS WEEK!

we were asked to play a last minute show this thursday and we're really excited about it for a few reasons.

#1 : ragana is playing. we played with them once in san francisco and loved them so much. In fact i recently went a long solo road trip and it was the only cd i brought.

#2 : the show is at lava space. lava stands for lancaster avenue autonomous space and their mission is rad and includes: The LAVA collective's mission is to create an empowering and welcoming physical space where diverse communities converge to build connections and break down barriers, blending media-making, artistic expression and hardy nuts-and-bolts organizing in order to advance movements for justice.

#3 : 3 other rad bands/folks are also playing: margy pepper (oly), bike crash (phl) and cynthia ann (phl).

#4 : we just finished mixing our new record and it is on its way to mastering. yes! a moment to be happy about making things and finishing them.

more details:
thursday april 3
7pm
lava space
4134 lancaster avenue
$5-7, sliding scale
all ages

Friday, February 21, 2014

next philly show

alien she opening night party

Friday, March 7
Johnny Brenda's • 1201 Frankford Ave
Doors 8 pm • Show 9 pm
Free! 

"Alien She is the first exhibition to examine the lasting impact of Riot Grrrl on artists and cultural producers working today." The exhibit will be shown at Vox Populi from March 7th-April 26th

Pussy Division, a Philadelphia-based feminist organization dedicated to raising awareness about issues related to oppression and inequality, has organized an opening night show featuring Mannequin Pussy (NYC), Trophy Wife, The Pretty Greens, and Pushin' it to the Limit.  Riot Grrrl Dj Avalon Clare of New radio will be spinning between sets. 





Monday, February 17, 2014

You become strong by doing the things you need to be strong for. This is the genuine way learning takes place. That's a very difficult way to live, but it also has served me. It's been an asset as well as a liability.

Hey friends,

Well, it has been a bit of hard few weeks. I think we've both been trying to find peace in our bones lately, like when we have to say goodbye in ways that we're never really prepared to do or when it feels like our bodies are failing us and when shit around us feels totally fucked... just cancel the new prison construction already, ok?

The quote at the top is from Audre Lorde. It was recently used in the introduction to Janet Mock's new book, Redefining Realness, which katy introduced me to. Check the book out here.

Here's the quote again: You become strong by doing the things you need to be strong for. This is the genuine way learning takes place. That's a very difficult way to live, but it also has served me. It's been an asset as well as a liability.

So, I got a fortune tonight that told me "to light the soul-fire, make your body sound and healthy". This feels a bit funny yet well appropriate to the moment. It's felt hard to be strong enough to do the things that you need to do all the time, even if its about survival, and well sometimes you can't. Sometimes you just can't. And that's ok. That's what being in this band has been about for me- finding a way to thrive and sometimes just to survive. And lighting the soul fire (whatever that is exactly) and making your body sound and healthy and being strong by doing are actually all the same things. And this is making me think of a zine by Corinna Dross and others called Self as Other: Reflections on Self-Care. Read about it.

cut from granite monolith
piled stones dressed in robes
mineral memory
all that rises must converge
layers of gold wrapped in silk
fog lies heavy at our feet
mineral memory
all that rises must converge
(for you, mouse)

In other news, we recently went into WXPN to record with John Vettese for a Key Studio Session. It was a good time! Thanks John for coming in on a snowy night and making it happen! You'll hear a sneak peak of some of the songs on our new record! We're working on finishing up in the studio in the next few weeks. This third record will be out in late Spring, we hope! So stay tuned. Words above are from Mineral Memory, a new song on the record.

We're playing a few shows here and there in the next few months including Gainesville! We're going there for the first time ever (as a band) and are excited to be supporting our friend's art opening. More info to come. But in general, we're really focused on finishing this record and planning a tour this summer for when it's ready!

We had a good time playing with Pissed Jeans and Purling Hiss a few weeks ago at Union Transfer. It was pretty awesome to play at that venue. The staff were super friendly and the sound was rad on stage. You can see some pictures here. It's funny, someone reviewed the show and said we were "straight, simple and shy" or something like that. hmm... I guess at least they made an alliteration.

xo,
diane






Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Thank You


Hey folks! We had a fantastic, eye-opening time on our Southern Dreams tour - 11 shows, over 3,200 miles, and a much-needed reminder of how many amazing folks there are making brave art and doing awesome organizing (and we know we barely scraped the surface!).

Simply put, we love touring down south. thank you for giving us beds and food. setting up shows for us with amazing bands. telling us about the awesome bridges to hang out on and the waterfalls to see. and thanks for great conversations and connections and reminding us of all the amazing ways music and community can authentically intersect. all the sides.

Wanted to share a couple of things. First off, a lot of folks asked us about our bandcamp on this trip. Up until now, we’d only had a song from each of our records, but in order to make sure that people can access our music in as many ways as possible, we’ve updated it! Now all the songs on our albums are on bandcamp, so come visit our page HERE.

Secondly, Diane mentioned a book at a number of the shows, and we thought y’all might want to check it out. Here’s the book FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN by Terry Bisson and here’s to alternate histories that can give us hope (which to many is a dangerous thing...this book was long unavailable in the US). The intro to this new edition is written by Mumia Abu Jamal.

Also, this is the blog post in full on Steubenville and rape culture that Katy shared at the Nashville show.

We went into WXPN’s studio last Tuesday night to record a live taping, and it is airing tonight! Also, we’re going to be playing with Pissed Jeans and Purling Hiss here in Philly at Union Transfer on Saturday, February 8th. yeah!

And finally, we’ll be working to finish up our third album, out later this spring. And we’ll have updates for y’all soon about some shows to report down the road. Stay tuned!

 


xo
df + ko