Screaming Females’ seven years as a band, four full-length albums and 700 globe-spanning live shows has made them difficult to miss. Through it all, the New Brunswick, New Jersey trio have continued to exude a frenetic energy which is built upon the zeitgeist of America’s punk and indie underground yet has always remained forward-looking. Fittingly, for Screaming Females’ 5th album Ugly, the band enlisted legendary recording engineer Steve Albini, famed for his unique ability to capture the ferociousness of a live performance while delivering gorgeous sonic clarity. The album’s 14 tracks reaffirm the touchstones of the band; they can still shred and front-woman Marissa Paternoster can still unleash a powerful howl. But it doesn’t end there. The album ushers in new explorations for the band, a truly remarkable feat considering their already prolific output. Ugly has the perfect combination of raw energy and honed musicianship that produces the type of rock & roll which is still a force to be reckoned with.
“Then I saw them play live! WHAT!! Marisa Paternoster is the biggest and mightiest tornado in the smallest of packages! She’s a wee girl at maybe 5 feet tall looking like a mashup of Carrie Brownstein and Bjork with a flair for style à la Wednesday Adams. However, her stature doesn’t stop her from banging out every note on the neck of her guitar faster than Twista can say The Gettysburg Address!! She made her guitar freak out with notes flying everywhere!! It was like she slit that guitar’s neck clear off its body and then it screeeeeeaaaammmmed as her hand sliced across it, soaring back up and down again!! Her vocals spat and snarled, punctuated by mighty screams that made my eyes widen in awe of her. I can’t go on. I’m exhausted just thinking about it. You just have to go see them. It’s worth the internal bleeding you will suffer from dancing in full body whiplash mode.” - La Music Blog
“Her name is Marissa Paternoster, and she is 2009’s answer to Sleater-Kinney’s 2006 breakup, using her throaty pipes and serious chops to channel that trio’s femme-shredder legacy to a new generation.”—Rolling Stone
“The Females recently toured with the Dead Weather; no idea how Jack White had the balls to even walk out onstage after Pasternoster was done with it, or how there was still a stage left at all. Call it Guitar Hero: Riot Grrrl. Bow down.”.”—Village Voice (named Marissa Paternoster NYC’s Best Guitar Shredder 2009)
No upcoming dates.