photo by Amber Bayer
Melissa (Firesign) and Erin (Crown for
Athena/Delta Dart) perform some of the most intense and beautiful acoustic songs you will
ever hear. Vocal lines that weave in and out of each other, forming intricate harmonies.
Brutally honest songs that deal with the darker side of life, documenting times of extreme
loss, confusion and pain. Their record clearly illustrates the power of great
songwriting and strong performances, as these girls are able to make something compelling
using only their voices and an acoustic guitar. You might have heard songs such as
"Losing My Mind", "Empty Box", and "Leave Me Alone"
performed by Melissa's other band Firesign. Performed in an acoustic setting, these songs
retain their emotionally potency and take on a new level of intimacy. You might have seen
Erin demonstrate her masterful vocal ability when she performed this past summer at
Ladyfest as Sissy Chrome.
After being dubbed from mix tape to mix tape, these recordings are finally seeing the
light of day & being properly released.
"if i had never heard blue monday, it would have been a sad thing. melissa and erin had just recorded and me and melissa were starting to be better friends.. she played me the tape and i immediately asked to record it. when you hear music for the first time, it doesn't always grab you, sometimes it takes a while for it to grow on you. always being a fan of acoustic music, i was expecting to like what she was going to play for me.. but i didn't just like it, i fell in love with it. i am so lucky to have seen them perform live, only more powerful than the recordings.. always giving me chills, leaving me close to tears. blue monday was put on the back burner as melissa and i went on to start another band and do other things (our band firesign actually did a lot of blue monday songs). i made copies of the recordings of blue monday i had for everyone i knew, i put them on every mixed tape, i learned every word, i sang along to every song. their vocal harmonies are like no other. the lyrics are so well written you feel like the song is your own song. blue monday is one of my all time favorite bands, not only because i consider them friends but because their music is so goddamned beautiful. " -Amber Bayer (Shotgun Won, Delta Dart, Firesign, Petal Pushers)
REVIEW from Delusions of Adequacy
Blue Monday, S/T
Two girls and an acoustic guitar. It doesn't sound original, but then why is it so damn
good?
I don't know much about Blue Monday, as I must have lost the press sheet that came with
it. But fans of acoustic guitar and lovely female harmonies are going to enjoy this album.
What you get here is Melissa from the band Firesign on guitar and vocals and Erin doing
vocals. That's it, for every song, just one guitar and both singers. And it works.
Sometimes, you need a dose of straight-forward acoustic rock. But this isn't your
folk-influenced stuff. Rather, these two women are playing simplistic, bare-bones rock
with a focus on pretty guitar lines and lots of vocal harmonies. Think the Indigo Girls if
they rocked harder or Jen Woods turning up the intensity a notch. The vocals, while not
always sweet and pretty, work together perfectly, reminding me at times of The Muffs, at
times of The Murmurs.
"Losing My Mind" will hook you right at the start of the album. What's amazing
about this and most of the songs on here is the intensity that these two singers manage to
create just singing their hearts out. "I got fucked over once again," the two
belt out on "Empty Box," which showcases how prettily they can sing and how
harsh and brutal they can sing. "Washington" is a much more melodic and lovely
song with a nice, subtle flow. "Troy Diar" is my favorite song here, mostly
because the vocals are incredible and powerful, and the guitar is very intense while
tending to be sort of background on most of the other songs. "The Darkest Part"
has a very bitter, almost breathless feel to it. "And I don't understand this
pain," they sing on the more depressing "Leave Me Alone," which adds some
violin for a nice effect. And "Song for Friend" finishes things off somewhat
sweetly and less bitter, a bit more of a meaningful and direct song.
I only wish Blue Monday included the lyrics with this release, because this is really the
kind of music you want to sing along with and try to match their melodies. It's not too
loud, too aggressive, too anything. It's simple yet completely effective, powerful without
being overwhelming. Two girls and an acoustic guitar. Great stuff.
And just as a side note, if you haven't heard of Paroxysm Records, you should check out
this Washington label. I guarantee out of this host of bands you haven't heard of, you're
going to find at least a few that will impress you.