The Sick List

Through a modern sound driven by raw, colossal guitars, catchy melodic hooks, and memorable lyrics with plenty of attitude and a driving pulse that brings to mind the early days of punk, The Sick List delivers a jolt of auditory energy that is sure to keep you listening. In July of 2005, determined to differentiate themselves from the soft girl-fronted rock/pop that had been dominating the music scene, singer Emily Lazar and guitarist Jay Bandel began writing boisterous and aggressive songs with sly and provocative lyrics. Both musicians had previous experience playing and touring with other bands. They found they shared very similar musical tastes, from such 70's punk bands as The Dead Boys, The Slits, and the Runaways to more modern day acts such as Alkaline Trio, Face to Face, Grade, Sparta and Hole. Songs started coming together naturally, centering themselves around a core sound. A sound best described as Punk and Roll; loud, textured rock played with the attack of punk. Tales of dark-lands and deeds illuminated by smiling melodies made the songs that much more addictive and original. By October of 2005 they began their search for a bassist and drummer to help flesh out their new songs. Bassist Ben Elam and drummer Matt Mazzella were recruited to complete the line-up. Elam had just moved to New York from Florida, where he had been playing in the local scene for a few years, and Mazzella had been playing with various NY bands. They immediately showed they could bring something original to the band. The Sick List began playing the local New York City band circuit by the end of December 2005. They have played such notable venues such as R&R (Rare), Snitch, Ace of Clubs, Crash Mansion, Lit, Trash Bar, and Scenic, among others. People are taking notice, and venue managers have been in constant contact offering consistent bookings. As well as playing live, the summer of 2006 sees the band going into the studio to record with producer Christopher Young (Ashlee Simpson, New Order, ). In the online newsletter 70proofregime, the band has received praise for its high energy performances, and in June of 2006, Lazar is to have a feature as an "upcoming frontwoman to watch" in the debut issue of internationally distributed rock magazine Strutter. Her growling vocal delivery and dynamic stage presence backed by the band's uncontrollable energy and skilled musicianship makes for a show that will kick your teeth in and leave you wanting more.
Keep your eye out for Emily's feature in independent Toronto based rock magazine Imogen magazine.