Parenthetical Girls

Infobox musical artist
Name = Parenthetical Girls


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Background = group_or_band
Alias = The Swastika Girls
Origin = Everett, Washington, United States
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Years_active = 2003–present
Label = Slender Means Society, Acuarela Discos
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Current_members = Matt Carlson
Eddy Crichton
Rachael Jensen
Zac Pennington
Past_members = Jeremy Cooper (2003-2004)
Sam Mickens (2004-2006)
Jherek Bischoff (2004-2006)
Owen Ashworth (2005)

Parenthetical Girls (formerly The Swastika Girls) is an experimental pop band formed in Everett, Washington, and based currently in Portland, Oregon.

Begun primarily as a recording project, the current touring version of the band consists of vocalist Zac Pennington, Rachael Jensen, Eddy Crichton and Matt Carlson, all sharing a variety of instrumental duties. Former touring members Jherek Bischoff and Sam Mickens (also of the band The Dead Science) continue to contribute to the group's recorded output.

Their music is notable for its combination of saccharine pop and experimental elements, and has been compared with such disparate acts as Brian Eno, "Tyrannosaurus rex", Dirty Projectors, Philip Glass, Xiu Xiu, and Phil Spector (Bowers, 2006; Unterberger, 2006).

Originally taking their name from the Brian Eno composition "Swastika Girls", original members Zac Pennington and Jeremy Cooper self-released their limited run debut EP "Christmas With Swastika Girls" in 2002. Following Cooper's departure and a name change, Pennington released "(((GRRRLS)))", the band's vinyl-only debut album on his own Slender Means Society label in 2004. Recorded with the help of Jherek Bischoff and Jamie Stewart (of Xiu Xiu fame), "(((GRRRLS)))" features a total of seven songs repeated on both sides of the vinyl record, each side featuring the respective mixes of Stewart and Bischoff. This was followed by the digital-only self-release of their second Christmas-themed EP "Christmas With Parenthetical Girls" that same year, as well as their second album "Safe As Houses" (released by Slender Means Society in the United States and Acuarela Discos throughout Europe), the expanded CD reissue of the "(((GRRRLS)))" album, and a third self-released Christmas EP "A Parenthetical Girls Family Christmas" in 2006. A split 7-inch with the band The Dead Science was released by Obsolete Vernacular in 2007.

Discography

Albums

*2004 "(((GRRRLS)))"
*2006 "Safe As Houses"
*2008 "Entanglements"

ingles and EPs

*2002 "Christmas With Swastika Girls" (as Swastika Girls)
*2004 "Christmas With Parenthetical Girls"
*2006 "A Parenthetical Girls Family Christmas"
*2007 "Parenthetical Girls/Dead Science"
*2007 "Addendum" ("Safe As Houses" European Bonus EP)
*2008 "A David Horvitz Picture Disc with Parenthetical Girls"
*2008 "A Song For Ellie Greenwich"

References

* Bowers, William. (July 6, 2006) [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/37245-safe-as-houses "Parenthetical Girls: Safe As Houses"] . Retrieved July. 22, 2007.
* Unterberger, Richie. (2006) [http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:3xfexqldldte "All Music Guide Review - Safe As Houses."] Retrieved July. 22, 2007.

External links

* [http://www.slendermeanssociety.com/parenthetical Official band site]
* [http://www.slendermeanssociety.com Slender Means Society (record label)]
*allmusicguide | id=11:jcfuxqyald6e~T1 | label= Parenthetical Girls
* [http://www.myspace.com/parentheticalgirlsband Official Myspace Page] - downloadable and/or streaming MP3s, current tour dates.