Without any label support, Santa Ana-based Vendetta Valentine are enjoying airplay on KROQ and are being wooed by MTV, whose representatives whisper such sweet nothings as “Your music is perfect for our network” into the band's virginal ear. Many people are loving the music industry's decline, which is playing to the advantage of musicians who—signed or not—are creating fresh new sounds. Now is the time of the underdog, and Vendetta Valentine's members are lapping it up with their freshman effort, There's Nothing Safe, which comes out Tuesday.
The variation of talent within the group is distinct: Vocalist/rhythm guitarist Thomas Monroe is a published novelist, guitarist/bassist/drum-machine programmer Daniel Powell works in video production, and keyboardist/synthesizer wizard Anna Judd is a painter and sculptor. This forging of diverse sensory articulation translates into the flip-flopping of styles showcased throughout There's Nothing Safe. From the album's opener, “Let It Burn,” a quirky electronic-dance gem that sounds like it was recorded after a Mickey Avalon show, to the radio-friendly, catchy pop rock single “Dissidents” (which Vendetta Valentine are urging fans to request on KROQ) to the spastic and futuristic sound of “Wrecking Ball,” the band ingeniously avoid pigeonholing.
They may be shopping the more mainstream songs to The Man (and we wish them well with that), but when Vendetta Valentine get creative with digital riffs and chirps, they shine like a disco ball.
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/vendettavalentine.
Attention Orange County/Long Beach musicians and bands! Mail your music, along with your vital contact info and a decent high-resolution photo (plus any impending performance dates) for possible review to: Locals Only,OC Weekly,1666 N. Main St., Ste. 500, Santa Ana CA 92701. Or just be lazy and e-mail your MySpace link to ds****@oc******.com.
