Music
Press
"I was thrilled to learn that art-punk trio Venus Bogardus were kicking off tonight's billing. I've written about Venus Bogardus before, simply because they're one of the most original British indie bands I've heard in years. At a time when many of today's UK indie wannabes struggle to venture beyond the lyrical confines of loutish laddishness, Venus Bogardus are busy writing songs about people such as Jacques Rigaut. For anyone whose knowledge of French Dadaism is a little rusty (and that probably accounts for most of us), Jacques Rigaut was a surrealist poet until his death in 1929. Venus Bogardus offer a refreshing change from today's over-hyped crop of tracksuit wielding art-punk copyists...
"Indeed, the Bath based three-piece are one band who can truly claim to sound like no-one but themselves - and after all, Dear Reader, isn't that exactly what 'art' should be about? The band's warm, fuzzy carpet-of-noise floats on a subtle gothic underbelly, neatly joining the dots between Pre-Creation My Bloody Valentine and Yo La Tengo. To date, the band have a couple of CDs on their own Patchoque Records imprint. However, my attention was mostly drawn to the band's debut vinyl 7" which features the aforementioned noir classic 'Jacques Rigaut' together with the equally gritty, lo-fi fuzz-tone menace of 'Epoch Zero' on the flip-side. Complete with gothic tinged artwork, this neatly packaged vinyl platter will have you rushing back to Argos to exchange that iPod for a trusty turntable. These days, claiming to be original, and actually being original are poles apart, but Venus Bogardus are in posession of a sound, and a brilliantly crafted lyrical flair, that is truly of their own design." - Paul Towler, Bristol Rocks, Feb. 2008 - Bristol Rocks, live review by Paul Towler
"Its no overstatement to say they’re the best band in years--maybe forever-- based in Santa Fe and already towards the top of my local favorites on the strength of two shows I’ve witnessed to date. It was a hot set, a more urgent Prids (minus the synth) versus the Pretenders circa 1981.
New drummer (as of a few weeks ago!) Luke ruthlessly whips the band on from behind while Hannah’s bass holds rhythm & melody together in thrall. James’ guitar packs a powerful punch --sans useless wanking -- with beautiful but deadly turns like those of founding Pretender James Honeyman Scott-- whose untimely junkie death is still mourned by Chrissie Hynde and, if you’re in the know, you too.
I’m ancient enough to remember that rock n’ roll is supposed to make you move your body, not just jump up and down and hit people. Venus Bogardus won’t let me stand still and best of all also moves my mind."
"Good guitar crunch like Sonic Youth at their most accessible, melodic bassfuzz with riffs sorta like Elastica's Annie Holland and overall a nice full sound for a three-piece with male/ female (husband/wife) vocals. Toss in a little No Wave, Eno & Cale flavors with a deep & solid groove and it adds up to an impressive package. I'd say we're fortunate since no one around here plays anything like it
- WigWamBam Zine
"DIY's coolest couple, Venus Bogardus." - Noize Makes Enemies - Noize Makes Enemies
"Artrock epitomised.Suffocatingly intense. Bloody brilliant!" - Drowned in Sound - Drowned in Sound
"Venus Bogardus are something special...This is no-wave jamming with classic pop harmonies... Art, noise, heavens above something to write home about." -Tony Heywood, (Clash magazine, Music OMH, Highway Five) - Tony Heywood (Clash, Highway Five, Music OMH)
"Layers of noise-making... grunge meets art meets rock meets art." - Artrocker, live review - Artrocker
"Venus Bogardus are world class...If I only had one word to describe what I think of them I'd have to use the word 'thrilling'. I can't get enough of them."
-Gary Smith, BBC Introducing. - BBC Introducing Radio Show
"It's easy to praise Venus Bogardus for being choc-a-bloc of Beat spirit and No Wave winks, but Tourist will happily wipe the floor with the overwhelming majority of bands on anyone's terms." ...(extracts from the album review by Colin Clements)...
"The eloquence and snotty playfulness is a real joy throughout...heightened by abstract descriptions alongside stark and realistic imagery. The result is simultaneously familiar and surreal, an new slant on the known, in short, the way art works.
"The unyeilding confidence and positivity of the musicianship proves delightfully treacherous to the idea that this band doesn't know what they're doing. Venus Bogardus have an abundance of intent and the ability to articulate this faultlessly though pen or plectrum. James Reich's guitar playing is awkward to hum but dextrously seductive...Hannah Levbarg's bass offers sanctuary and torment for multiple layers of defined and demented guitar ooze...this is fantasy and kitchen sink road music, this is optimism, and this is real charm.
"There is liberated brio adorning every riff and melody. 'Tourist' drives faster and looser...away from feelings of attachment and responsibility wherever it decides to go, defiant like Bonnie and Clyde.
"It's easy to praise Venus Bogardus for being choc-a-bloc of Beat spirit and No Wave winks, but Tourist will happily wipe the floor with the overwhelming majority of bands on anyone's terms. Not to acknowledge just how thrilling these songs are on an instant, primal, nod-your-head-and-shake-your-hips level is to do great disservice to what is infinitely more than a Trojan horse." - Drunken Werewolf Zine
"Many bands claim to be “art rock,” but bristling British trio Venus Bogardus has the breadth to back it up: It derives its name from an obscure piece of ’50s lesbian pulp fiction, claims “experimental literature” as a major influence, and even penned an ode to Dadaist author Jacques Rigaut. It would be easy to dismiss it as pretentious if the group’s acid-washed post-punk shards weren’t so compelling and primal. That two of its members met on a Richard Hell fan site isn’t surprising considering the band’s razored guitar shapes and romantically louche, Rimbaud-in-the-alleyway lyricism. What is remarkable is how effortlessly, even indifferently, Venus Bogardus conjures its timeless cool, which for once seems tailored to thinkers rather than dancers—although you’ll see plenty of those too."
- The Onion, - The Onion - Recommended Show
"The band is skillful, interesting, and ambitious. Check them out." - Richard Hell - Richard Hell (Neon Boys, Television, Voidoids)
Discography
'Spitting at the Glass', 'Tourist' and 'Jacques Rigaut' are still available for purchase on CD and 7" vinyl, respectively.
Our songs receive periodic rotation on various radio or podcast shows and many can be played on our myspace or reverbnation pages, or on our web site.
Albums:
SPITTING AT THE GLASS (five03 Records/self-release, 2010)
TOURIST (Pretty Mouth Records/five03 Records, 2008)
MOTORMAN (Patchogue Records, 2008)
iii (Patchogue Records, 2006)
Singles:
DANCE-COLLISION [CHAZ] (self-release 2012)
JACQUES RIGAUT b/w EPOCH ZERO (Patchogue Records, 2006)
Photos
Bio
"I'm f*cking ecstatic! Venus Bogardus are the best band we've seen in Britain." Die!Die!Die!
"Literate post-punk." The Wire
Autumn-Winter 2012: the fantastic John Butler of Albuquerque joins the band; gearing up for 2013 bookings; band to perform as "Snitch Feminists" in new lineup...
November 2012: The Pig Death Machine film begins limited release, applications to festivals...
2010 - 2011 - 2012: Busy teaching literature and writing novels, James and Hannah keep a lower profile, writing some new music, including "Dance Collision [Chaz]", released as a summer single/demo 2012, and perform a handful of great shows with electronic drums, including supporting Carla Bozulich, a headline spot at Santa Fe's AHA festival and two headlining shows at the South By Santa Fe (SXSF) Transit Festival. James' first novel, I, Judas, is released October 2011; sells second novel to Soft Skull Press.
later in 2010: five03 closes! Band shifts!
Temporarily joined by drummer Dave Wayne, then on hiatus doing other things...
James Reich works with his new publisher, Soft Skull Books, on his first mass-market novel;
Hannah Levbarg stars in (Grammy-nominated filmmakers) Jon Moritsugu/Amy Davis movie Pig Death Machine, filmed August 2010.
February 2010: five03 records releases Spitting at the Glass CD; band with Luke Carr on drums successfully tours west coast. Show in lobby after opening night of the The Beebo Brinker Chronicles stage play in San Francisco; author Ann Bannon (creator of Beebo and band's namesake character) attends and rocks out.
Summer - Autumn 2009: Spitting at the Glass is written, recorded, engineered, produced and mastered by the band at Santa Fe's Warehouse 21.
1st May, 2009: Venus Bogardus to sign to New York indie label Five03 Records.
Founding members James Reich (vox, guitar) and Hannah Levbarg (vox, bass guitar) met in 2002 as fans of Richard Hell's writing and music, fell in love, opened (and closed) a nationally acclaimed independent bookshop in Bath and began collaborating on Venus Bogardus songs in 2005. James is a published author and poet. Hannah, originally from Texas, is Richard Hell's Web forum moderator (since 2003). The couple is fictionalized in the book Julie & Julia (Little Brown, US/Penguin, UK) by Julie Powell (2009 Nora Ephron film, starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams).
Venus Bogardus is named after a femme fatale character in the 1962 lesbian pulp fiction classic, Beebo Brinker, by Ann Bannon. The author sent the band her blessing, and praise for their first recordings. The band has worked with avant-garde artists and writers in the UK, France and the US since forming in late 2005. Stanley Donwood (Radiohead), a regular visitor to James and Hannah's independent bookshop, and with whom they organised an alternative literary performance event in their ancient cellar, contributed art for their DIY single, Jacques Rigaut, in 2006 (Patchogue Records).
Jean-Luc Bitton, biographer of Dadaist Rigaut and commentator on the DVD release of Louis Malle's classic 1963 film, Le Feu Follet, contributed spoken word to the vinyl release. For the 2007 album Motorman, avant-garde author (and one-time custodian of William Burroughs' dreams) David Ohle read from his 1972 cult novel, Motorman, onto a cassette which he posted to the band from his office in Lawrence, Kansas. French artist Laurent Collobert (Cassius etc.) provided the Motorman sleeve art.
Venus Bogardus was one of six finalists for Glastonbury's Emerging Talent Competition's John Peel Stage in 2007, and played the festival that year. They also headlined during Ladyfest Bristol in 2007 and played Frankfurt's New *Glam* Underground Festival by special invitation that year. Venus Bogardus songs receive regular rotation on BBC Radio Bristol's Bristol Uncovered, and the band performed a live set in studio for the show in March 2007. Venus Bogardus was a June 2007 and September 2008 'Radio Star' on Church of Girl Radio in Portland, OR (USA), has been played on Babes in Boyland (Paris) and Resonance FM (London) and was also featured on Steve Lamacq's show on BBC Radio One. The original demo version of The Age of Sinatra (later released on the archival CD iii) was played by Mike Watt (Minutemen, Iggy and the Stooges) on 'The Watt From Pedro Show' in 2006, before the band had found a drummer. The band supported Mike Watt & the Missingmen in Albuquerque, on the second night of their 2009 tour.
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