Shut Up Marie

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10/17/2003 Review: Shut Up Marie at the Whisky A-Go-Go 10/03
By: Shay VanHorn

(This article is re-printed from the ALL ACCESS Magazine dated Oct. 17-30, 2003. You can find this magazine distributed throughout record stores, rock clubs, and similar outlets in Los Angeles, and some Orange County and Las Vegas locations.)


Moments before Shut Up Marie took the stage I arrived on the Sunset Strip just as a severe fire was breaking out one block north of the Whiskey. The streets filled with a blinding haze of white, choking smoke. Blaring sirens, speeding police cars and the thunder of heavy fire trucks completed the chilling event. And since I knew it wasn’t my shit that was burning, it was all I needed to send my ass running to the bar, escaping the stranglehold the pungent smoke had around my lungs.

If you’re familiar with the Los Angeles music scene then you’ve probably run into Annette Marie, the dark haired kingpin of SUM-who tonight were celebrating their brand new web site launch. She’s a strong and exuberant personality with the pipes to back it up. I’ve managed to see her band a few times in the past couple of years and tonight I was much impressed with the current lineup that bashed it’s way through a rugged set of rock and punk hooks with a bit of genre juggling thrown in for spice.

I grab my Rock n’Roll dose of terrible American beer and a zesty shot or two of rotgut to hype up my senses. The lights drop and an introduction is heard. A tight and funky guitar line is volleyed with a rippling snare drum that sends the rest of the band into motion. SUM rips through their first song, a fast-paced rocker that has Annette’s black mane whipping through the air as she struts and prances like she’s in electric shock. Mark, on the skins, knows how to roll and splash the hell out of his kit while bassist, Ethan, is wrestling with his nasty low-end and amassing serious points through every selection. Brain razors through the chugged SUM rhythms on his Gibson with the mysteriousness of a sidewinder, peering out from behind his hat brim to deliver the goods on the backup harmonies.

They flow seamlessly into their next song keeping the intensity level pushed to a 10 while gathering some attention from the stragglers and potential mailing list signers at the Whisky. The room is not packed yet very attentive as a song tweaked with a bit of cow-punk raucous comes screaming out of the speakers then slams into a heavy, rap-metal bridge that defies beat and logic but still works and the crowd takes notice.

The song "short bus" features a human trumpet solo and makes me regret all the hours of struggle in my youth trying to get even a sound out of a horn when all I really needed was a microphone and a set of fucking lips. The crowd pleaser was "Always Wasted" which laid down a heavy reggae riff that turns angry in the chorus with the anthemic lyrics that Annette screams in defiance of her vulnerability: "you don’t give a fuck about me!"

Another song, "A.F." is when the elements of SUM really fire on all cylinders. Loud and disorderly as it opens, it settles into a tight, bass driven groove which allows Annette to playfully taunt her words of betrayal, longing and powerlessness over a fowl and lingering relationship. The next change is pounding, distorted rebelling guitars as if she could never really be broken. And the sexy bridge lyrics indicate that possibly only she can truly satisfy herself. This quick analysis also indicates I haven’t had enough of the finer juices and I make my way back to the barkeep.

If you like your music loud and nasty but still perky enough to take to the prom, then Shut Up Marie is a good bet to throw down on. Check out their singles on the web or get a hold of their forthcoming CD. It’s rock at it’s core but contains enough punk around the edges to satisfy the ugly and enough elements of ska, reggae and funk to make a tasty roll. Don’t forget the Saki!

- ALL ACCESS Magazine, Los Angeles

Shut Up Marie CD Review: "DEMO"
October 15, 2002
Rating: 5/5 stars
Reviewer: Jessicka from www.girlpunk.net

This three-piece rock band will rock your socks off! People who know me know that I usually do not go for the "new age punk rock" kind of stuff. But Shut Up Marie is amazing! There is not one thing I do not like about this band! Mark, Bryan and Annette are some absolutely lovely musicians.

The moment you turn on this CD you're dancing. "Raining Like Crazy" has some funky bass and rockin beats. Everybody SLAM DANCE! And Annette's voice...it just shines. Throughout the entire CD Annette's voice hypnotizes you. She has an amazing vocal range. One minute she'll sound like Joan Jett, then Janis Joplin, and sometimes Alanis Morrisette and Natalie Imbruglia. The second song is called "Like You". It has emo-ish lyrics but Annette hardly whines in this song. She makes you feel what she's feeling. Her voice makes you understand what she went through.

The song "A.F." is next and this song makes you wanna get up and move like "Raining Like Crazy" but the lyrics not quite as fun spirited. Annette's vocals are biting and spitting. One moment she'll be purring and the next she'll be hissing out her fury. The last song, "Leaving Me" in my opinion is their best. It sounds a bit like a song Alanis Morrisette might sing yet it's definitely a Shut up Marie original. All their songs are entirely their own. They mix in so many different elements from rock, blues, punk and folk. In "Leaving Me" Annette's voice is the most haunting. It's like she's reaching into your soul and bringing out emotions you never knew you had. The drumming in this song is almost jungle beats. This entire demo CD is amazing, probably one of, if not the best demos I've ever heard. Annette's voice is one of the most gorgeous voices I have come across in a long, long time. Marie can shut up all she wants, just as long as Annette never does.

Jessicka Freda - Girlpunk.net

(This is reprinted from ALL ACCESS Magazine, distributed in L.A., O.C., & Las Vegas. Street Dates: Jan. 8-21, 2004. Here's a direct link to the article: http://www.allaccessmagazine.com/shutup_marie_rev.htm)

AAM: Shut Up Marie. That is an interesting name for a band. How did the band name come to be?
Back in 1995 or so, I was in a band called Jaded (in Reno at that time, & later Seattle,) and I had this dream: I was in the basement of the house I grew up in, in Milwaukee, WI, listening to one of my brother's 12-inch vinyl records of some all-indie-band movie soundtrack. Well, this song came on called "Hey, Mama" and I just thought it was really a great song. I kind of knew I was dreaming at the time, so I thought, "Hey, I'm gonna write this song when I wake up!" and I was all excited about this new song I just 'wrote', until I saw on the sleeve that "Hey Mama" was actually a song written by some band called Shut Up Maria and the Babes in Bedland. I was bummed, until I woke up and realized that there was no such band, and that indeed, I could remember the song and write it down. That's one of those rare songs I have written in a dream. There's about 3 to 5 songs I can remember like that, and they're all good, but I believe (as lots of friends of Shut Up Marie do,) that "Hey Mama" done right is a hit song. That song is actually on the first record with Jaded. I think one can still purchase that CD at CDBaby.com. When I moved to Los Angeles solo in 1999, that was one of the songs still in my repertoire, so "Breather" (later known as Shut Up Marie,) used to perform that song. People who knew us back in '99 STILL remember the song. In 2001, we had to change our name due to trademark issues, and Shut Up Marie (Shut Up Maria sounded like we were a Spanish rock band) had just kept hanging around in my psyche the whole time; since 1995. The band officially became Shut Up Marie in February, 2001.
AAM: Influences are?
All over the place. The Beatles are a big personal favorite of mine, but you can't hear their influence all too much in the most recent songs of my songwriting career; the new S.U.M. songs. I could list influences of each of the bandmembers and you could listen to this new album and come up with a completely different list of your own. Yup. Shark & Bryan and myself bring in the things we each like as individuals, and when it's meshed together at rehearsal it comes out sounding like no one else but goddamn Shut Up Marie. It's a good thing, indeed. Sure, you can hear some early No Doubt in there, some Gunshot Liquor, some X, some Chili Peppers (no, this is not out of left field), some Nirvana, some Pumpkins, some Foos, some Elastica, some Quicksand & Rival Schools (& some Spike1000 for that matter), and Soundgarden in the later cuts on this new record, (the list goes on,) but all the songs are diverse enough that our influences need to come out sometimes in very subtle ways for us to remain consistent carrying out the Shut Up Marie sound. I can hear Bryan, for instance, bring in his Social D & STP influences loud & clear in some songs, and you can hear Shark bring in his Dave Weckl Latin drum influence in other songs. Yet, in other & in some of the same songs, it's obvious I am paying homage to my future husband (but he doesn't know it yet) Chris Cornell. (He rules.)
AAM: Care to introduce the members of your band? And tell us a little about them?
Nope. Not really. Wise-ass mo-fo's, all of 'em.
Kidding. Ok, Mark "Shark" Evangelista is a definite wise-ass from Chicago with a bad attitude and a big heart all at the same time. I love and hate and love him all at once. He would give a friend his left nut if his friend really needed it and he didn't need it for anything. He plays a pretty blue Yamaha kit, he likes long walks on the beach, and he has a cat named Einstein. And the dorsal fin, well, I have only heard rumors about it, since there is no sex in the band (Band Rule). He can also help you with any problem you might have with your Mac.
Bryan Ferguson sports an SG on stage and it's unusual he's not wearing a baseball cap which explains how he also gets all the ladies cuz he is certainly an extra-hottie in a baseball cap. He currently has a really cute girlfriend, so lay off, ladies, you cannot compete, at least for the time being. Bryan's arms are now almost completely inked with some cool and colorful designs & demons and we are all wondering how long before his entire body is covered and we would all like to watch when they taboo his balls (and they will). PLUS, he also has a kick-ass band of his OWN called Last Falling, and you can see them out there on the Sunset Strip, too! They rock and they have a rockin' website that the little web-master Bryan F. himself built: www.lastfalling.com. (He can design your website, too, for a fee.)
Bassist Ethan Startzman practices Yoga and I have heard stories about him cutting people off on Sunset to get a good parking spot at Yoga so don't ever underestimate him if you see him in his purple cruiser because it's just not worth it. He has a very dirty sense of humor, while managing to play bass for about 6 different bands (he is a "band slut", if you are familiar with the term,) teach at MI, work 40+ hours a week at another "day job" and still fit in other extra gigs (how does he learn all those fu**ing songs???) We love him. We just wish he were more available because he's not always. AND of course the other band he's in is called Finer and they a quite good. You need to see them sometime. The lead singer Stacy is hot, especially if you like girls.
AAM: Nice! You like girls? ... The Buzz is, SHUT UP MARIE has a new CD coming out. What are you calling it and when are your plans to release it?
This record, called "Gimmie", (remedial children records) is scheduled to be out in February or March. We're close to being done, but there's an inch or two of red tape that needs to be dealt with. The album cover is done. Great work by visual artist Kathleen King. (Check out more of her work at www.surfeitofpassion.com.) All the songs are close to being mixed, but the last song on the release is TBA as of tonight. We can't decide and it sux. That's another 'tiny' scrap of red tape we're currently dealing with. Yay. But yeah, look for it by sometime in March.
AAM: Is this your first full length CD?
Yup. Our first release was a 4-song EP called "DEMO" that charted on CMJ (College Music Journal) and ALBUM NETWORK (no longer around, but who cares?... it was R&R's competition at the time, and it was around for a long time.) You can purchase this little gem at www.shutupmarie.com, & at Amazon.com.
AAM: Anything special you can tell us about it recording?
Yeah, the roller-coaster ride it has been! The mistake of, well, "nothing", happened, but now the producer/mixer of the first bunch of songs, and Shut Up Marie, are not working together for the time being. Colin Miller is the guy's name. He's worked with lots of great artists including unmentionables such as Mariah Carey, the Tu-Pac dudes, and now he's working with some other famous artist (can't disclose that info) at Atlantis Studios in Hollywood. Our good friend (and former Breather member) John Coco of the Swag Music Group (they just did the trailer for the Billy Bob Thorton Christmas movie) has been commissioned to finish the project. He & Colin have had to deal with sessions coming from all over the L.A. area including 4th Street Recording (Santa Monica), Atlantis Studios (Hollywood), & the Sound Salon (Hollywood). John's also done a great job. Thanks, guys, tracking engineers from all those places, and a couple big thanks to Colin & John. We tracked drums & bass at Atlantis & Titan, guitars & bass at Atlantis & Sound Salon, vox at 4th Street... can't keep track of everything! And thanks for putting up with my shit. All you guys rule. Except that one dude..... (kidding!)
Also, there's a particular song available right now that's the first version of "Borrowed" - this song is being completely re-recorded for the full-length. Our former guitarist Zeke Johnson tracked and mixed this version of Borrowed and it's available now at our website on the "Singles" 4-song EP. The new version will be similar, as it's the exact same song, but this old version of the song will be a collector's item when the "Singles" EPs are gone; it will no longer be available, so I encourage everyone to get this EP for a sample of what's to come on the LP (3 songs from the full-length are on this EP), and you'll get that collector's version of "Borrowed".
AAM: Who produced it? And Mastered it?
Production by Shut Up Marie, & Colin & John contributing ideas in the mix. Mastering? What? Uh, I have to get this thing mastered? Oh, I dunno yet.
AAM: Where is your CD to be available?
Look for it at all the big indie stores... Aaron's, Amoeba, Rhino, Bionic, all the cool stores that carry indie music, and, Tower, not just in L.A., and other stores all over the U.S. of A., but with a Southwest U.S. focus.
AAM: Who writes the lyrics and music for your band?
I wrote all the lyrics & melody lines for 9 of the 10 songs on this new record, except a few lines here & there. Music is collaborative for the most part, but I wrote all the music for 4 or 5 of the 10 songs on the full-length. Bryan writes some (he wrote the music for "Where Do We Go", and he contributes parts in other songs), and some of the music was also written by former band members, like "Breathe" was written by myself and a former bassist, Kacy Ross, and music for a few of the songs including "Short Bus" was written by another former bassist, J.W. Monkfish.
AAM: What is the most important thing a band should focus on when they are making their CD?
The package. There is not one most important thing, really. Having a bunch of really good songs and a good sound that's your own, is really the most important, since that's really what your product is, but that's something that's even more important when it comes to your live shows. With your CD, the cover artwork is also really important. People who like to discover new bands in stores see your cover artwork, and if they think it looks like something they might dig, they will actually take it to the listening area (if there is one) or they might just buy it outright (like I did with Stereomud's "Perfect Self" CD, and I loved it)!!!
AAM: Is there a song to be featured on the new CD?
No cover tunes, if that's what you mean. "Short Bus" is our first single for alt/modern rock stations across the U.S. "Short Bus" is just a kind of obnoxiously fun little pop rock/ska tune that features my good friend Steve Chance of Il Manifesto doing a human lip trumpet during the solo section. We might even go after morning shows at commercial radio for that one because of the fun factor. L.A.'s core college station KXLU (88.9FM) already started playing it on the Noyz Pollution show on Monday nights. (Thanks, Sam & Justin!!!) It's also been added to the HOT 100 on UCS's KSCR. (Thanks much to Jude Phoenix & The Quirk Show!!!) "Borrowed" will probably go to active rock. Borrowed's got a really cool guitar riff and some cool vocal hooks. Chris Cornell-type stuff.
AAM: How about a video?
No cash, Flash. Wanna sponsor us? Anyone? Bueller? There might be one along the line if we feel it could add to what we're doing and we can get one done for cheep, cheep, cheep (like a baby chick).
AAM: Are you planing a tour with this release?
Yup. Mostly West Coast for the first run, then we'll see where else we need to go to make money. Might end up on the East Coast because of stations like NYC's 92.7 LIR & Y-100 Philly. Those dudes dug our "DEMO" EP so I am thinking they'll really like the new stuff.
AAM: What is all the buzz I hear about you being on the new SEXY AND LOUD concert series?
This is a new concert series featuring bands that have at least one girl in them. And these bands must ROCK... we like to say it's "Just the Opposite of Lilith Fair!" It will happen in a different city every month, and right now, we have shows scheduled in a bunch of Southwest U.S. cities, and we will be expanding to reach the East Coast by the end of 2004! We're also looking for female comediennes & radio personalities to emcee the events and have some fun with the audiences & give away goodies & stuff in between sets. The big SEXY AND LOUD Kick-Off Party, featuring Shut Up Marie, a great San Diego band called Random Logic, and 2 more bands, happens on Saturday, January 17th at the Jumping Turtle, 1660 Capalina Road, San Marcos, CA. The cover is $7. Next show after that is in Los Angeles on Friday February 20th at Ground Zero, the USC Coffeehouse; a FREE SHOW featuring a bunch of the BEST Los Angeles chick rockers!!! You can get maps to all venues and more info about the bands at our temporary SEXY AND LOUD website: www.angelfire.com/indie/seksy_and_loud (Note the spelling of "sexy" with a "k")!
AAM: It’s hard work for a band to make CDs, have T-shirts printed, keep up on their web site, book shows, do the flyers, make the ads, stay up on all the publicity so on and so on. How do you do it?
Just gotta keep my eye on the goal. It sometimes can be very discouraging, especially after seeing all the changes in the industry and seeing some GREAT bands dropped from their labels before anyone really even knew about them. I take time out for myself a lot, too. One of the best things I did for my career was to go to Puerto Vallarta for 9 days last summer. When I returned, I gained a whole new perspective on my band/my career and my life. I don't feel bad about blowing off a whole day and only doing 1 small thing for my band like making 1 simple phone call. Every single day, I try and do at least one thing to advance my career, and some days, I do 101 things! As long as you keep your eye on the goal, I believe it will pay off. Someone once asked Harrison Ford how he, of all people, got to make it so big. He talked about how he had a lot of friends move out to L.A. just like him when he first got out here. Eventually, all of them left, sooner or later. But he stuck around. He didn't think or know anything was really going to happen with Star Wars when he was doing it. It was a gig. If I can remember his words, then every day, I know I am getting closer to my goal, and it stops me from those suicidal thoughts!!!!
AAM: “Getting signed to a major label!” is the goal I hear the most. What is 'SHUT UP MARIE aiming for?
Being huge. Getting signed is one thing, but that does not mean you will be huge. I am taking the goal of "getting signed" a few steps further and making it clear that our goal is to be the chick rock band that, in this new era, helps break through the most barriers that bands like No Doubt, Evanescence, Garbage, Elastica, The Donnas, and The Distillers (just to name a few that people are aware of) have been smashing down. All these bands, of course, owe their paths being a little easier to all their predecessors, like Blondie, Joan Jett..., you get the picture.
AAM: Are their any surprises in store for your fans?
Surprises? Always. Especially if you make it out to one of the after-parties at my place after one of our shows!
AAM: How do we keep up with SHUT UP MARIE? Can you give us your web site and contact info?
www.shutupmarie.com is the best way to keep up. The latest news is always posted right there on our homepage. And we always have songclips of every one of our songs there! No excuse to say you have no idea what we're all about! You should go there right now and listen to "Short Bus" or something. Meteorsite did a GREAT job! You can also contact me at remedialchildren@aol.com.
AAM: Looking back on your music career now, is there anything you would change?
I would have taken my band somewhere besides L.A.! This has GOT to be the place where a great band has to really suffer the most to make money & get things happening. The Pay-to-Play scene SUX and I understand why they do it, but I am convinced that if we were anywhere else in the U.S. like the Midwest or something, we would not have to have day jobs! I have seen too many GREAT bands here in L.A. play to an audience of 5 and I think it sucks. They break up or move back to where they came from and I don't really blame them! I do not currently have plans to take S.U.M. out of L.A., though, since, after 3 or 4 years, this band had a lot going on here now.
AAM: All of this is hard work and very costly. Ever feel like giving up?
Like suicide? If I had to give up I would die inside anyway.
AAM: Congratulations from ALL ACCESS Magazine.com on your soon to be released CD. Is there anything you want to add to this interview?
Just to say thanks to all of our supporters, and to invite people who are just finding out about us to come out to a show sometime, visit us at www.shutupmarie.com, (shows are ALWAYS listed there,) and check out our new CD at our website or when you see it at your local record store. And have a great time at NAMM if you're there! PEACE from Annette, Shark, Bryan & Ethan of Shut Up Marie!

- ALL ACCESS Magazine, Deb Stocker

By: Thomas "The Rat Bastid" Foynes, Publisher

"This band wasted no time hitting the stage and it was clear from the start that Annette was loud and in charge. She captivated the audience with concise and audible lyrics and she personally mesmerized me with her vigorous performance. I almost felt like she was singing the songs just for me. She must have been a gymnast or something when she was younger because her high-kicks knocked some dust off the ceiling. (I swear I saw it.) Everyone was caught up during their set and I noticed that she was the only one, that night, able to fill the dance floor with people actually dancing. She has the ability to rev it up and tone it down which results in a groovy musical ride. (Can I still use 'groovy'?) Her live performance definitely delivers more than her CD would lead you to believe. She's all heart. Oh yeah, nice butt too!" - The XL Flyer