The Ladybirds

Rock On!

Sarah Teeple is the only lady in The Ladybirds, and by that I mean “female person”, not “refined woman”. When she sings lead on rockabilly tunes such as the title track, you can hear the bad girl in every hiccupped syllable. But this ain’t no retro album. It’s more of an amalgam of rock styles during the 45 rpm era with a tinge of nastiness. One hears echoes of that era’s greasy music—which included everything from Wanda Jackson to Question Mark and the Mysterians to The Sweet—in their hook-filled compositions. Joined by Max Balliet (guitar), Jaxon Lee Swain (bass), Anthony Fossaluzza (organ), and Brett Holsclaw (drums), The Ladybirds know how to have a real good time, as the title of this, their second release, suggests: Shimmy Shimmy Dang! indeed. The attitude here is more of a sneer than a smile, but the garage rock stylings suggest they want you to dance instead of rumble. - Popmatters.com

You don't need to look further than the title (or title track) of this Louisville, Kentucky quintet's sophomore release to understand the band's retro sound and influences. Lead singer Sarah Teeple captures the innocent yet tough girl vocals of everyone from the Shangri-Las to early Blondie and songwriter/guitarist/occasional vocalist Jaxon Swain brings the raw Standells garage punk to snappy songs that kick in fast, have memorable hooks, and close without extending their welcome. Cheapo organ and keyboards lay down a base for twangy guitar and the one-two punch of Teeple's Lolita vocals along with a vibe from the '50s to early '70s to create music that's as exciting and energetic as the old 45s that inspired it. The spacy reverbed spaghetti Western instrumental appropriately titled "Shallow Orbit" provides further indication of the influences mixed into the band's stew. Occasionally, songs like "I'm Gonna Scream," a wink-and-a-nod tribute to all things Spector and American Bandstand, come off as overly stylized, even comedic, in a Hairspray way. But generally the Ladybirds have nailed a cool, slightly ominous high-school dance vibe in songs such as the eerie "Jack in the Box," at just over four minutes the album's longest track, reminiscent of Ronnie Spector or Lesley Gore fronting the 13th Floor Elevators. Add a smidgen of country, rockabilly, Doors, and Them to the already eclectic approach and you have an ambitious, sizzling, and above all vibrant group that has found its groove and rides it for 40 minutes that end way too soon. It's frisky, sassy fun that swings but also attacks with feline sensuality and a sharp, clean production that keeps enough rough edges to make these tunes jump out of the speakers. - Allmusic.com

Ta da! Ladybirds is like a whole new group. Since their last album two new members have joined the band. Anthony Fossaluzza on keyboards and Brett Holsclaw on drums are now members of Ladybirds. Despite two-fifths of the band changing, the sound (and song) remains virtually the same. The songs beg to be played out of the tinny speakers that used to be attached to cars at drive-up diners. Prom night specialties married with modern pop. The result is some catchy and ear-friendly bubblegum pop of the type we have not heard in a while. What really elevates the songs from trite to fun is the superior vocal skills of lead singer Sarah Teeple. Her voice will be stuck in your head because of unique and cute sound – a little a la Betty Boop. You’ll think of the girl groups of the 50s when listening. The interesting twist is that they’ve also incorporated other genres like rockabilly, glam rock and even punk rock into their sound. - Orcasound

The Ladybirds bring good ole rock ‘n’ roll to South Park Tavern

When people talk about rock music nowadays, it’s rarely described as rock ‘n’ roll. You hear “rock,” “hard rock,” “indie rock,” “folk rock,” “punk rock,” “psych rock,” “garage rock” and other labels thrown around, but almost never do you hear someone describe a contemporary band as a straight “rock ‘n’ roll” band, as if the concept of no-frills rock music is archaic. Louisville, Ky.-based quintet the Ladybirds certainly think otherwise, and have been around for nearly six years, proving otherwise. Their newest full-length album, Shimmy Shimmy Dang! is fresh off the presses as of September 2011, but listening to the record you might be inclined to believe the all-original material contained within was written decades ago. The music on Shimmy Shimmy Dang! seamlessly melds together influences drawing from ‘50s Sun Records-inspired rock ‘n’ roll, early ‘60s girl groups like The Ronettes, ‘60s soul and garage punk and even early ‘70s proto-punk. So what’s the Ladybirds’ take on all this perceived retro music worship? My inquiring mind wanted to know and I managed to get lead singer Sarah Teeple to chat with me about The Ladybirds and their musical mission…

What is the mission or goal of the Ladybirds?
To bring sweet rock ‘n’ roll music to the people! To help people have fun and kick back and get down. What’s the point of life if not to celebrate? We like to celebrate all the time, and want you to do the same! (Sarah Teeple)

I can generalize certain musical genres or eras that your band represents, but what specific artists do the Ladybirds actually draw influence from and why?
When we started, we wanted to be like the New York Dolls or the Stooges meets the Shangri-Las or the Ronettes. So glam rock meets girl group, kind of sweet and fun, but a little nasty and bad at the same time. That was, and still is, just who we are, and the type of tunes we like to get down to. We’ve grown a little bit and incorporated some other musical influences, like some more classic R&B sounds in this current album, reminiscent of Stax and Motown type stuff. (ST)

I’ve seen pieces on your band discussing your love of Phil Spector’s songs and recordings. Why are you so fascinated with Spector’s work?
We love the sound and FEEL of Spector productions. When the wall of sound kicks in, you feel it in your gut and your soul. Some of his works are real masterpieces … to us as musicians and connoisseurs of ‘60s pop, that stuff is high art. The aesthetics, the production values, the era, the songwriting … they all come together and kill you in the brain. He’s not an icon for nothin’. Listen to Ike & Tina’s “River Deep Mountain High” and you’ll feel it. (ST)

Do you consider the Ladybirds to be a “retro” band of sorts?
We’ve definitely gotten tagged as a throwback group, but we’ve always just called ourselves a rock and roll band. We are not trying to be kitschy or ironic. We just love rock ‘n’ roll, and where that all began: R&B, old country, rockabilly and in the garage. So, that is what we live and listen to and make and put our own spin on. We keep it fresh and uniquely ours by showcasing each of us in our tunes. (ST)

Given that the first era of rock ‘n’ roll was five decades ago, why do you find inspiration in music from the 1950s and want to purvey these seemingly dated sounds in the modern millennium?
You are right that most current musicians don’t think twice about the ‘50s! Although they’re undoubtedly more influenced by that era than they know … Anyone who plays any kind of rock music is. Nobody cares anymore that that guy over there playing electric guitar in a band is playing electric guitar because that happened to be Chuck Berry’s instrument. It is just more interesting for us to look back instead of forward, especially now that we are in an era where every genre has been crossed over. It’s funny because I think sometimes when other bands hear that we’re heavily influenced by ‘50s-‘60s stuff, they think we’re squares. But then, our guitars are louder and we’re rocking harder and getting sweatier onstage. So, we let the music decide whose sound is dated. As long as it comes from an authentic place, killer rock ‘n’ roll never goes out of style. (ST)

Does the band do covers or is it all originals?
We pretty much do all original songs. The album Shimmy Shimmy Dang! is all originals. But we do throw in some covers at our live shows. Our fave covers include songs by Eddie Cochran, Johnny Thunders, Freddy Cannon and Wanda Jackson. And there’s a special little medley that we sometimes close the show with, when we’re feeling extra feisty. (ST)

I’ve seen pictures of your band. Is there a conscious visual aesthetic that you are trying to achieve?
We just try to look sharp! We call ‘em our cat clothes. It’s basically how we dress normally, but kicked up a notch. We’ve actually been working on some special stage clothes a la Nudie suits like the Flying Burrito Brothers used to wear. Those are for extra special occasions. (ST)

Anything else you’d like to say to our readers?
Come hang out and drink some beers with us at South Park Tavern this Friday! (ST) - Dayton City Paper

All hail the 2-minute rock song! At a moment in musical history when bands are trotting out 70+ minute magnum opi, it’s great to see a band that understands the power of getting straight to the heart of the matter.

No one is ever going to confuse The Ladybirds with a neo-prog act, but they may accuse the Louisville quint of a slew of other offenses, including inciting riots and wrecking homes with their brand of classic rock-n-roll. And don’t misunderstand. I’m not talking bloated solos and lighter-waving anthems, but rather balls-to-the-grindstone, fanny-wagging greasy three-chord ejaculations. Shimmy Shimmy Dang burns hotter than a double-dose of hat-and-cap, and is it just me or is there a nod to Sweet in the bridge? - My Old Kentucky Blog

By Peter Berkowitz

If you’re a fan of The Ladybirds, you should probably thank Brett Holsclaw for their new album, Shimmy Shimmy Dang!

Four years ago, the Louisville band released Whiskey and Wine, a well-received debut that promised plenty of fun times. But the curse of the fallen drummer did not spare them.

“Honestly, dude, we went through so many drummers, we were treading water for so long,” laments Jaxon Lee Swain, the band’s bassist and co-founder with his wife, singer Sarah Teeple, and guitarist Max Balliet.

The trio met several years ago in Bloomington, Ind. “We were good friends with Max’s older sister, so Max would come up to Bloomington and party and play with his band at her house. We found that we had a lot of musical tastes in common and really enjoyed hanging out together,” Teeple says. “When Jaxon and I moved on from Bloomington, we came down here with the idea of starting The Ladybirds with Max, but didn’t know how it was going to pan out. Our original idea was for me to be the singer and have three back-up singers, a la The Shangri-Las, so it was always us three. Then we went through a series of drummers.”

The band took their name from “Ladybird,” a song by the warped duo of Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood, whose music influenced the band. The cover of Shimmy features a photo of Sinatra, enhanced by local artist Dan Davis.

The band also stayed local when they signed their record deal with Departure Records’ Greg Carter.

“Greg is our neighbor,” Swain says. “We went to a neighborhood block watch meeting —”

“The only neighborhood watch meeting we’ve ever been to —” continues Teeple with a laugh.

“Greg was like, ‘You probably don’t remember me, I’m the guy that comes to your shows,’” continues Swain, “and I’d talked to him before.”

“Our good buddy Scott Mertz had just signed with Departure, so we had him in common,” Teeple says. “We knew each other, he expressed interest ...”

And so a partnership was formed.

The Ladybirds’ point of view can be explained simply: “Just having fun,” Teeple says.

To which Swain adds, “Rock ‘n’ roll music.”

JLS: We try to elaborate, like, y’know, ’50s, ’60s rock ‘n’ roll.
ST: You don’t want to say “classic rock,” because that makes us seem like Lynyrd Skynyrd or something. Often we’ll add further elaboration — there’s hints of rockabilly, punk rock …
JLS: Country music.
ST: We started out as punk rockers and … this is what happened (laughs).

Getting to this point “was a long, hard road,” says Swain, as both laugh ruefully.

“We’ve been with Brett for a couple of years now,” Teeple says. “(Keyboardist) Anthony (Fossaluzza) joined us probably about four years ago. His organ playing adds a lot, and that’s kind of shifted our direction a bit, opened us up in a really great way. We all work really well together and have so much fun. But, yeah, it’s been a circuitous route to get here.”

“We almost called the album Circuital,” jokes Swain, whose wife adds vocals to the My Morning Jacket song “Holdin’ On to Black Metal” from that album.

“We counted — I think we had seven or eight drummers, but we had two of them twice,” Teeple laughs. “We’re still on good terms with them.”

JLS: It just didn’t work out.
ST: It’s kind of funny … “Hey, you know that one cliché ...?”
JLS: That’s been our lives for the past few years. Now that we’ve got Brett, it’s great. That was a very trying period, and that’s why it took so long … We thought our songs were worth getting out there.
ST: And I think our ability to have a lot of fun together — sometimes, when the stress levels would get up there, we’d still be able to stay up too late and listen to records and drink beer and have a lot of fun together. That always keeps us coming back for more.

The Ladybirds with Those Darlins, DR Country & DJ Woodrow on the Radio
Friday, Sept. 9
Headliners Music Hall
1386 Lexington Road • 584-8088
www.ladybirdsrock.com
$10; 9 p.m. - Louisville Eccentric Observer

This is a really groovy little underground album that is likely to be overlooked simply because there is so much music being released that hardly anyone can succeed anymore because of listener overload. The folks in this five-piece band use classic ingredients from the past to fuel their smart modern underground pop/rock tunes. And man oh man do they come up with some juicy tracks here. At least two cuts ("Shimmy Shimmy Dang!" and "Hum De Dum") have the potential to become legendary hits worldwide. And yes, these tracks really are that good. So...what do they sound like...? Well to us they sound a little bit like The Cramps mixed with Brenda Lee...but that doesn't quite capture it (?). They write cool tunes...play like hell...and the female vocalist is an absolute HIT. Lovable in so many ways...Ladybirds definitely ROCK. - Babysue

4. Ladybirds - Shimmy Shimmy Dang
The Ladybirds (No, Google, not the all-girl topless seventies Scandanavian band) are from Louisville and have a sound that's rockabilly, surf, with a little doo wop and a lot of rock. (Shimmy Shimmy Dang - 9/6, Departure Records) - Bitch Magazine

The Ladybirds are a dynamic five-piece rock and roll outfit, whose main hobbies include drinking bourbon late into the night, playing vinyl records as loud as possible, rotating drummers and impressing locals with their high-energy live shows. They talk the talk and walk the walk with their retro garage blend of 50s rockabilly, surf rock, a little country and a whole lot of punk rock attitude, influenced by the great, early eras of rock music. The five jumpin' and jivin' members are Jaxon Swain (bass), Max Baliiet (guitar), Anthony Fossaluzza (organ), Brett Holsclaw (drums), and Sarah Teeple (vocals).

Online Rock thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to chat with the lively Sarah Teeple, or "Sarahbird," front lady of the band. She gave us some great insight on the intersection of retro music and the modern indie scene, with some interesting behind-the-scene tidbits about The Ladybirds, including the origin of the band name and a song based on a biker hangout. Look out for their wildly fun album Shimmy Shimmy Dang!, out on Departure Records September 6, 2011. In the meantime, visit their website, where you can listen to "Shallow Orbit" and "Shimmy Shimmy Dang!"

The Ladybirds Cd Cover

Sarahbird, it's great to talk to you! First off, I love your sound, and the album delighted me to no end. Can you describe the sound of the Ladybirds for our readers and also maybe how you reached it?

Absolutely. First off, we just call ourselves a rock and roll band because it's the kind of music that we love, 50s and 60s rock and roll, and rockabilly, that sort of music. We've got a little surf rock and a country bit, too. Nowadays, since rock is such a broad genre, people call it a throwback sound, and that's okay because it's what we love. But we reached that sound because it's the sort of music we are all into. We're all kind of punk rockers at heart, so we listen to the music that punk music was derived from. Rock and roll, rockabilly, Chuck Berry, early Stones, even up to the early 70s, MC5, the Stooges, New York Dolls - those were big influences for us.

The album is full of different sounds and styles. It's definitely an interesting and fun ride through the whole thing. How did it come about?

Thank you! These songs were in the works for almost two years. We had the classic rock and roll cliche with revolving drummers (laughs), so a lot of the songs have been in the works for a while. It was a collaborative effort, and we did end up with a diverse array of music. But we weren't trying to be like, "look how eclectic we are." I think that's kind of annoying. But we are proud to have an array to offer, and it's just kind of the way it worked out.

How do you take all these styles and sounds from decades ago and make the music your own?

Great question. I think the way we make it our own is what sets us apart. We're different from other throwback bands in that we're not trying to be campy or kitschy, but we just kind of love those sounds. We make it our own vibe, throwing in a guitar or organ solo here and there, because our guitarist, Max, and our organist Anthony can really wail on their instruments. In lyrics and subject matter, we try to be a little bit sweet and a little badass too. We've got sort of a bubble gummy sound with lyrics about getting laid and drinking, so it's kind of an interesting juxtaposition there. Gotta have a little bite.

Where do you think retro music fits into the modern music scene?

I hope that it fits in to the modern scene. I think it definitely does. At our live shows we bring a pretty fun time and enjoy the shows. Right now it seems like being in a rock and roll band, I don't see it very much of it in the mainstream. But mainstream music is kind of its own thing. Hopefully there will be a little revival of this type of music, and we can help spur it on. I think everyone, no matter what music camp they identify with, likes to rock. Just getting drunk and rocking down is what people love to do, so hopefully we can bring that through with our music.

You mentioned it a little before, but what would you say are your biggest influences?

Well, starting out early, Chuck Berry. We have some surf instrumental, so bands like The Ventures and guitarists like Dwayne Eddy. My personal influence is The Pleasure Seekers, Suzie Quatro's first band with her sister. They were an all girl garage group, and as we know, any girl group we love. Also, early Phil Spector productions, the Ronnettes, the Crystals. That "Wall of Sound" sort of approach was a big inspiration for us recording this album. When it comes out, the CD is in stereo but we have a vinyl version in mono. We're all vinyl heads, so we're really excited to get that out there. The Sonics, Van Morrison's first band, 13th floor elevators, Roky Erickson.

Our band name is actually...well, first of all, in the University of Louisville, there's a dance team called the Ladybirds. A lot of people think we must love basketball to be named after the cheerleading team. People around here think it's an homage, until of course you hear the music and you realize that's not at all what it's about. We're named after a Sinatra song. It's a Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood song they sing together called "Lady Bird." And the five of us are the least sporty people you could hope to meet, so it's kind of ironic (laughs).

Being a retro styled band, which always brings certain images to people since it's associated with another era, do you think that style, attitude and musical taste all go hand in hand for the Ladybirds?

I do. It's in the clothes that we wear, and Baliiet has big hair. Not to sound cliche, we kind of live the rock and roll lifestyle, and we listen to a lot of records, drink a lot of bourbon, stay up late and dance around. All the stuff we listen to and surround ourselves with we love. Jaxon, our bass player, works at a record shop, I work at a vintage store, and we're all into old cars and old stuff.

When I listen to the Ladybirds, I am reminded of an era I never lived through, but it still feels familiar. I picture the Pink Ladies in my head, and everything Grease.

Yes!

So as we are here living through the second decade of the 21st century, what do you think is behind this attraction to a different era?

Great question. We like to think ourselves as badasses. For me, I love rock and roll music and the rock and roll attitude. The older style and older music, I feel, is more authentic. If you listen to any style of music, you tend to start going back further and further, asking, "Who was this person influenced by?" If you really love something, you want to know its origins. We've been educating ourselves in that way. That's how we're inspired.

That's a great answer. About the Ladybirds, how long have you been together as a band and how did you form?

We've been together as a band for almost six years. It was slow going at first. It was always Jaxon on bass and Max, our guitarist, and me. We all met at Indiana University in Bloomington where we went to school. We all loved the same type of music, staying up late drinking, listening to music and getting down together. Jack lived in Bloomington and Max was in Louisville, so we started the band there, found a drummer. The original concept was to have me as lead singer and three girl back-up singers, but we turned out having no luck at all with that. We went through several drummers, and then we added Anthony, our organ player, who is a virtuoso and awesome. He joined four years ago, but that also wasn't a part of our original vision. The initial idea was to be like the Ronnettes meets the New York Dolls, but it worked out awesomely. It's definitely been an evolution.

So you're happy with the way things worked out?

So happy with the way it ended up working out. Our current drummer Brett has been with us about two years. As five members we work so well together and we have so much fun. It's a labor of love, partying and getting down together, and the music comes from a deep place for all of us. The sound I'm happy with, too. We all make our contributions. Jaxon wrote most of the other songs, but we all conceptualized a few here. It was a collaborative effort. And we have a good stage dynamic.

What are your live shows like, and what's your following like in Louisville?

Well, they're pretty high energy. The album sounds excellent and I'm so proud of it, but we really rock live. It's lively, energetic. We're all dancing around, and even though it's not what you think of as head-banging music, Jaxon and Max are flopping around their big hair and we're all running around having a lot of fun together. We drink a lot of beer... sometimes take shots of whiskey with audience members. And to answer the second part of the question, our following in Louisville varies. We get people into different genres of music, from country to rockabilly to indie rock. It's a diverse audience, and lately we've been getting out of town a lot more. With the new album release we'll be touring a lot so hopefully bring out lots of different crowds.

So is this your first album?

It's our second album. We released a full-length album called Whiskey and Wine in 2006, before we had Anthony on organ and with, surprise, surprise, a different drummer. That was when we were really fresh and really young as a band. It was kind of a kamikaze recording project. We had $200 and a friend who ran a studio here in town. We've got a website that we'll be launching soon, with some of those tracks available. It's similar in style, but a little more classic rock and roll/rockabilly. The production is simple and we're really proud of it, it was a lot of fun, but we've come a long way since then.

I hear a lot of different styles in Shimmy Shimmy Dang!, and it is just plain fun. I love the Theremin in "Shallow Orbit." What other instruments does the band use?

It's not a true Theremin, though we know those and think those are totally awesome. That's one of Anthony's productions and he's super into surf music. He's probably the world's leading expert on the Beach Boys and their huge and prolific catalog. He calls the effect a space whistle - it's not a whistle, but that's what it sort of sounds like. He'll be happy to hear it sounded just like a Theremin, I'll have to tell him that.

We'll be playing a CD release show, and we'll probably have a small horn section there. Probably also have some other fellow female vocalists back us on a couple songs. So yeah, we've definitely played shows where we had a saxophone or trumpet on a couple of songs. Anthony is definitely a collector of lots of different instruments so it's probably just a matter of time before we get a real Theremin and lots of other good stuff.

Do you have a favorite song off the album?

It kind of changes when you spend so much time on a project. You know, there are certain times when you can't stand certain things. The sleeper hit for me is "Who you with." I kind of conceptualized that one, and it's about a woman walking down the street and getting hit on and her snappy retorts. It's a fun one and badass. The title actually came from... our old practice was in a ghetto area and below the space was a motorcycle club, a weird, secret place where you probably needed a password. No one could come in unless you were a member and there'd be 30 bikers hanging out and going into practice sometimes we'd be a little edgy. They'd eyeball us and we'd just sort of make our way past them, sometimes we'd get called at and that sort of thing. Anyway, the place was called Who You Wit,' with an apostrophe.

How long have you been a singer, and is this something you always wanted to do?

Actually yes, as a little girl growing up, I adored Cindy Lauper and I watched MTV when it used to actually have music videos. I remember staying up late watching Twisted Sister videos. I adored rock and roll, but the super logical parent side of me never pursued it as much as I wanted to in my teens and early twenties. But I started a punk rock band Cryptkicker 5 in Bloomington around 2002, and that's when I was like, "Oh wow, this is amazing. I've always wanted to do this, and now I'm doing it." The other guys were all in bands as teenagers, so I guess I was a late bloomer in that respect, but I was always a rock and roll enthusiast.

Thank you, Sarahbird! It was such a pleasure talking with you. I enjoyed the album and hope to see you guys on the west coast sometime soon!

Don't forget to pick up the album Shimmy Shimmy Dang! out September 6, 2011. Also check out the Ladybirds' Facebook page for more. - Online Rock

The Ladybirds have nothing against music made after, say, 1975. They really don’t. Most of them have at least one Arcade Fire album, and 1980s punk was a pretty good time.

But when Jaxon Lee Swain and Sarah Teeple were putting The Ladybirds together in 2004, there was no question about the kind of music they’d be making. They wanted the sweet rawness of the Shirelles and Ronettes, the sexual tease of Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis, and the unhinged thump of The Sonics and MC5 — the stuff that makes their little Ladybird hearts melt.

All of it sneaks into The Ladybirds’ music, sonically and philosophically. And if that makes theirs a band out of time, it’s also one that’s legitimately timeless. Their brand of rock ’n’ roll is all about the purity of the moment, a celebration of a sound, and there’s no room for the detachment of irony.

“We just fell in love with the songs of a certain era, and I guess you could say that we wanted to try our hands at that craft,” Swain said. “We’ve never gotten over that. It’s what we love to do.”

With the release this week of the band’s second album, “Shimmy Shimmy Dang!,” The Ladybirds remain resolutely true to their mission statement while taking everything up several notches. It’s the sound of a band working hard to make you forget that Phil Spector went insane, and they’ll celebrate the album’s release tonight at Headliners Music Hall.

In nearly every respect, it’s actually the band’s first release, as 2007’s “Whiskey & Wine” was a work in progress. While guitarist Max Balliet was on that album, he had yet to put his stamp on the band. Organist Anthony Fossaluzza, whose playing and songwriting has been crucial to an expanded sound, hadn’t joined. And drummer Brett Holsclaw, the newest Ladybird and perfect complement, wasn’t even in the picture.

It’s hard enough getting a band to click on a purely technical level, to simply play well together, but Swain and Teeple also needed their fellow Ladybirds to understand their obsessions. You can’t really play a song like “Hum De Dum” unless you know where the Brill Building is and why it was a dark, dark day when Jerry Lieber died.

But the 20-something Balliet has the record collection of a 60-year-old and has pored over Berry’s catalog of ingenious licks. Fossaluzza plays like he just sat in on the sessions for the first few Animals singles, and Holsclaw is old enough to remember when oldies radio played hits from the 1950s instead of the 1990s. In other words, their collective sense of music history doesn’t start with “Thriller” or “Nevermind.”

“We pretty much always know what someone is talking about, and the little things we do, arrangement-wise, just make sense to everybody,” Swain said. “It took a long time, but it’s been awesome. The payoff has been pretty big.”

Swain grew up in Syracuse, Ind., and while he couldn’t help but develop a thing for John Mellencamp — he once accompanied his mom on a family vacation to Seymour to do a bit of Mellencamp stalking — he loved 1960s pop music even as a child. He met Louisville natives Teeple and Balliet in Bloomington while attending Indiana University, and followed Teeple to Louisville (they’re now married). By the time Balliet came home, Swain and Teeple had a batch of songs finished that spoke to him.

“I don’t think I’ve ever gotten into any contemporary stuff,” said Balliet, who also co-owns the Holy Mole food truck. “I definitely got that from my dad. He had a ton of Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley. It’s just so hard to argue with that stuff. It’s done, and it’s classic, and it’s undeniable.”

But it’s not static. Since Fossaluzza joined in 2006, The Ladybirds have pushed to grow their sound, and while all of the familiar influences are still abundant they’ve added a handful of flourishes to take their music from a sketch to full-blown finished product.

“When we first started, we had a pretty concise vision of what we wanted the band to be, and it really fell within the niche of girl groups meet proto-punk glam rock,” Teeple said. “We still adore all of that stuff and it’s still our main jam, but we’ve dug around a little more and incorporated different genres. Anthony really opened us up to exploring new things.”

With “Shimmy Shimmy Dang!” finally out on CD and monophonic vinyl, The Ladybirds are going to hit the road as much as possible. They love playing Louisville but don’t want to wear themselves thin, and taking a new venue unawares can be energizing, Teeple said.

“Sometimes it feels a little weird to take on this rock ’n’ roll persona in front of a bunch of people you know, like, ‘I went to elementary school with that guy,’ or ‘That guy comes into my work all of the time,’ ” she said. “So it’s kind of liberating to go out on the road and play for total strangers. I think we go a little more nuts when we’re out of town.

“And so far, so good. We’ve been really well received, and if people have that love of the seeds of rock ’n’ roll, I think they feel refreshed by what we’re doing.” - Louisville Courier-Journal