Tag Archives: Maren Parusel

Maren Parusel: Summer 2011 Tour Diary

Pulled over

After a decidedly eventful U.S. tour that included a van breakdown, a robbery, a police stop, and many colorful characters, Maren Parusel and her band will finally return to the West Coast tonight at the Casbah. According to Mario, the band’s manager,

30 shows in 35 days, a Vitamin Water commercial with Foster The People, a van breakdown in Texas, 100 degrees on the East Coast, stolen guitars and gear in NYC, a live performance on Sirius Radio with legendary rock critic Dave Marsh, a bar fight in D.C. It’s been one hell of a five weeks, and not your average tour for an indie pop band, but these four have survived, thrived, and won over audiences around the country.

Please welcome Maren, Eric, Kyle, and Ariel back from tour with a return show at The Casbah.

The set starts at 9pm; the band’s tour diary is below. Continue reading…

Video: Drew Andrews – “Bear Trap”

Drew Andrews is a nice guy. Last month, when the Album Leaf member/solo artist was nominated for Best Electronic Act at the San Diego Music Awards, he issued a statement asking people to vote for the category’s other nominees instead. You see, Andrews won the honor last year, and wants to see the award go to one of the other local acts he admires. Continue reading…

It’s Okay to Kiss Your Cousin

Click to enlarge

MP3: Kissing Cousins – “You Bring Me Down”

When your music is described as a cross between the Shangri-Las and Black Sabbath, chances are you’ve struck upon a pretty interesting sound. But there’s much more to Kissing Cousins than those two bands. Hailing from Los Angeles, the all-girl group concocts churning mixtures of pitch-black atmosphere and driving rhythms that draw upon an array of musical, literary, and cinematic influences.

Sonically, the four-piece sounds like PJ Harvey on a cranky day, complete with surging factory beats and half-sung, half-spoken words that often maketh murder. Their lyrics are influenced by Southern Gothic writers like William Faulkner and Flannery O’Connor, both of whom heavily influenced frontwoman Bray Heywood during her childhood in Alabama.

There’s even some David Lynch (see the bible-spouting, Eric Stoltz-starring video for “Don’t Look Back,” off the band’s debut album, Pillar of Salt) and Cinemax-style exploitation (as in the new video for “You Bring Me Down,” which finds the girls being sent to prison and generally kicking the crap out of each other) thrown into the mix. Continue reading…