-SOUNDs OUTsIDE-

Workin Harder for the Band

2009-02-04T18:15:00.000-08:00

Sorry it's been so long since the last update.

Since our last entry, we've had some surprising and awesome honors:

A feature on myspace music

and Band of the Month for the first half of the Deli LA's Fav Emerging Artist of 2008

We're busy gearing up for our West Coast Tour* which is quickly approaching, and working silly day jobs that take up precious time but fund our smoking habit, and our habit of having a place to live.

The Smell has been kind enough to host a Help VOICEsVOICEs Go on Tour Benefit Show

The show will be sponsored by FILTER magazine and presented by KXLU.

The line-up, as of now, consists of:

EXITMUSIC

(playing a full set)

and

VOICEsVOICEs
Kate Hall (of Mika Miko)
Bobb Bruno
Luis Naranjo & Matt Sessions (of Hello Astronaut, Goodby Television)
Voice On Tape
Max(of Black Hole Oscillators)
and more to come, doing a collaborative set

Photos by Photos Operandi
and Hopefully we'll have the The Franken Stand for your Vegan Hot Dog enjoyment.

We just played two awesome shows this past week for our dear friends. The first was for Happyland's 24th Birthday, at L'Keg. We had such a great time at the show and ran into a lot of old friends. By the end of the night, the instruments were cleared away and everyone had put on their dancin' shoes.

The second was a Benefit show for Kevin Litrow of 60-Watt Kid @ Echo Curio. By the end of the night, Me, Lou, Sean and Brandi were laying on the carpet of the Curio's back room all lined up like sardines, so tired, listening to Billygoat's amazing set. Grant came in, stepping over us to get a mic stand or something, "you guys are so gay!" he said. Lou yelled back "Get me a pillow!" next thing I new people were clapping and it was time to go home. Two fantastic shows for our fantastic friends.

We hope to see you all soon. Come out to the Benefit, FEBRUARY 22nd @ the Smell. We need you there, plus we'll be gone on tour soon after. We want to see you before we go!

much much love,
Nico (and Jenean)

*West Coast Tour, Presented by Manimal Vinyl Records - with Alexandra Hope and Corridor

Alexandra Hope
Corridor

Gemini's twin

2008-12-24T13:09:00.000-08:00

So, after we moved into our house, we decided that Bibi (the best kitty in the whole world besides Devon and Aleksa's kitties) might need a play friend. It being Christmas, we thought we'd surprise Bibi with a little present. After much analysis, we finally decided to do it. So, there's a new addition to the VOICEsVOICEs family! Her name is Milo, a two month old black kitty who could very well be Bibi's twin.

Bibi isn't thrilled yet, but I'm thinking she'll come around soon enough. We're thrilled, of course, and can't wait to come home to Bibi and Milo nestled together in a black fur ball in front of the heater. Can't wait!

Jenean and Milo and a toy mouse, which milo LOVES:

Bibi and Jenean resting before a show

In other news: We're playing two shows this weekend.

Saturday @ the Unknown Theatre for Ryan's Birthday - presented by dramaturgy
There will be Free Beer all night and red bull is sponsoring the event

Sunday @ the Viper Room!
with Laco$te, Corridor, and SPIRIT VINE

Saturday is Jenean's sister's birthday. She's flying in today to spend the holiday with us so we're excited to celebrate her birthday right. Dedicate her and Ryan some songs. Drink a redbull and beer, etc, etc.

Come join us! We want you all there.

much much love,
and happy holidays,
VV

Do not shoes make the girl?

2008-12-18T17:09:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's that time of the year again - when Christmas lights are sparkling in your eyes, the cold wind is blowing, the streets are wet and Nico's shoes have more water in them than the sidewalk does. But fret no more!

I just bought two pairs of shoes for 50 bucks. Vintage shoes. That are actually nice... and actually fit me. A vintage Affair on Santa Monica is a god-send. No Seriously. I took the day off, drove a few blocks, hobbled down Santa Monica determined I would finally, after five months of searching find the perfect shoes. Lo and behold! I found two pairs.

Indeed it is Christmas. The first Noel and all that. Come, they told me, perum pum pum pum. And I did, and I perum pum pum pummed my happy feet all the way back to my car. In new shoes, that aren't being held together by electrical tape. Which, the store workers said were amazing and should go on my wall.

It's almost time for Jenean to be home. I'm sure we'll spend the night fighting over who gets to play with the new Line 6 FM4 Filter Modeler we just bought yesterday.

Who cares, my feet are warm.

xoxo
n.

p.s. Two new VV reviews you can check out here:

and here:

alter/offerings

2008-12-05T14:17:00.000-08:00

We went to Cha Cha Lounge last night to meet up with Tori for her Bday/going away party. She was late and we had to head off to our Repeal Prop 8 Benefit show at the Smell. We took photobooth photos before we left, between a martini and a smoka breaka. We'll post them later.

The Repeal Prop 8 Benefit Show at the Smell, with BlackBlack, Ilo Mar, Paloma Palfrey and Sleepwalkers Local, went well. We made $280.00 for Courage Campaign and Equality California. Not a lot, but not bad. Every bit helps.

Jenean and I had technical difficulties times ten during our set. I put new batteries in both my theremins right before going on stage and two seconds into our second song (Cloak & Dagger) both died. I threw them both on the ground, dropped to my knees and fashioned some noise in lieu of the actual sounds I was supposed to be making. With no theramin, our next song was also strange. And Jenean's amp went out during our last song, Sounds Outloud, which left us Ooohing and Ahhhing into our mics, kinda half-heartedly and confused.

I stood fifteen times on an alter, and fifteen times, I lost my head.

Tangier tonight with the wonderful, the amazing, We Are The World.

Hope to see you guys there!

much love,
nico

peaceful with vigor

2008-11-12T10:50:00.000-08:00

We're deeply jolted by the passing of Prop 8 in California. As some of you know, we spent the last two months volunteering with the No On 8 campaign to fight this unfair proposition. We volunteered for literally 16 hours on election day, talking to voters before they went in to the polls. It seemed promising. That night, Obama won, we lost. Very bittersweet.

Since then, the protesters that have emerged have surprised and inspired us. The fact that this prop has passed, in our town, has lit a fire under our asses. And hopefully, this fire will drive us to really demand a change.

We had five consecutive days of protests after the election, and this week are a couple more. We hope to see you out there with your signs, straddling the line.

PROP 8 PROTESTS:
TONIGHT Nov. 12th - W. Hollywood - 6PM
Corner of Santa Monica Blvd & San Vicente

Sat. Nov. 15th -LA CITY HALL - 10:30AM
200 Spring St.

Pick up your signs! Straddle the line!

Much love,
VV

Prop 8 Is Unconstitutional

Tape Noon - By Lee Noble - filmed @ the Smell

2008-10-24T17:05:00.000-07:00

This was filmed back in June during our
first week of playing live together.
The beginning of a week of shows.

I think this was the day my car was towed,
but we got pizza and had fun filming
this in the process. By Lee Noble.

You can see the rest of our videos in ze VIDEOS BLOG

much love!
Nico & Jenean

Vote NO on Prop h8

2008-10-22T15:53:00.001-07:00

Jenean and I volunteered at the NO On 8 phone banks again last night. There were at least 40 volunteers on the phones, which is outstanding for a Tuesday night.

We learned last night that most people are thinking that if Obama is winning by a landslide in California, a lot of people might not get out there and VOTE. We need everyone at the polls November 4th, especially if you're gay and living in California. We may have more first time voters out there this election day, we may have more African American Voters, hopefully we'll have more gay and lesbian voters. We need to stand up for ourselves November 4th and make sure this unfair and unnecessary proposition does not pass.

I don't know about you, but in my mind Proposition 8 cannot be allowed to pass. If you care about your community and you want to be considered an equal citizen, be at the polls on November 4th. Make it Happen.

VOTE NO On 8

C is for Crazy Weekend

2008-10-21T16:17:00.000-07:00

Friday October 17th we played Pehrspace with the Black Pine, EXITMUSIC and C is for Carlo. Running the ship after the Pehrspace people said they couldn't be there proved to be an exciting venture. In fact it was genius. We got Dan Byrne to do sound and the Not The Government guys to run the door and all was pretty successful.

We massacred our gin and Rockstar fixes and ended up sleeping on Pehrspace's floor the whole night. Woke up 8AM Saturday morning to a leaf blower then rushed to Riverside for our Saturation Fest show, hungover and hungry. Got some rad Obama buttons for free then rushed back to Echo Park for our improv set with Bobb Bruno at Echo Curio.

Improving with Bobb Bruno was genius. It was good to do it too in an open minded place like that. You guys were totally into it with open ears. Bobb and Jenean did dueled on drums toward the end and the crowd. literally. went. wild. I sat at the foot of Jenean's drum kit, head right next to her ride cymbal and I thought I was going to die. It was madness. I accompanied them on Kaosollator and it sounded like we had tapped into each others brains a little bit. I dug it. Jenean dug it. Bobb wants to do it again. We totally have to.

We were asked to play an Obama benifit in Las Vegas November 1st. So I guess we're headed off to Sin City for Jenean's birthday. An ideal location for going berserk, but I'm up for it.

xxoo
nico

Here's us at Pehrspace (photo by la-underground)