Kelly Slusher - Rocks & Tears

TRACKLIST: 1. Untrue 2. I’m the Devil of the Neighborhood 3. Sing That Song 4. I Need You 5. Knee Deep 6. Movie 7. One More Thing 8. I was Wondering 9. 55 Dollars

“Rocks and tears” is KELLY SLUSHER’s debut album. She is a girl from California, currently living in Philadelphia. Kelly writes and sings melancholic pop songs that have been described as a cross between the sweetness of THE SOFTIES and the ethereal moods of LUSH. We could even go further by saying KELLY SLUSHER sounds as if JULEE CRUISE lived in Olympia and changed Angelo Badalamenti for Calvin Johnson. International underground pop with a fragile dreamy touch. A winning combination.

Kelly got involved in music playing bass and singing in a band called CRASH AND BRITANY; but the experience turned out to be quite frustrating, as this band was too noisy for such a delicate voice as Kelly’s; besides, her main wish was to sing her own songs, backed up by electronic beats.

On summer 2000 a small label called Petset Records released KELLY SLUSHER’s first seven inch: “Telephone/One more thing”. It would be followed by “The lonely leave”, a CD-Single on Red Square Records with four new originals and a cover of Syd Barrett’s “Wined and dined”. We can also find songs by KELLY SLUSHER in compilations such as “The way things change vol I” (as a part of a Red Square collection of singles) or “The Jen and Steward Wedding Compilation” -also in Red Square; Jen is JEN TURRELL, artist and label manager; Steward owns 555 Recordings and fronts BOYRACER; the album was released to coincide with their wedding, with a roster of bands and artists related to the couple. Both compilations included contributions by some kindred spirits of KELLY SLUSHER, such as THE PINES, THE SOFTIES, THE CANNANES or Calvin Johnson.

Kelly also collaborates with Jason Corace (A BOY NAMED THOR) in BOOTHBY. Jason programs exciting electronic beats, and Kelly brings in her suggetive vocals. If you feel like listening to BOOTHBY, we’ll soon release their debut seven inch in our Single Club, as well as a seven inch by KELLY SLUSHER with two new songs not included in the album (“Where no one can go” and “Deep blue shadows”).

The songs in “Rocks and tears” were recorded in late 2000 by Dustin Ruske from ROCKETSHIP. Here the background music for Kelly’s voice is composed by her guitar, a shy beatbox and a delay pedal effect that envelopes her words in smooth cotton clouds, creating a mesmerizing effect from the first notes that only ends when the record is over.

Uncomplicated, fragile songs that can bring to mind the best GALAXIE 500, CONFETTI, CAROUSEL or SLUMBER. Delicate melodic sketches that get into you little by little, to reach complete paramour. Songs like the opening number “Untrue”, “I’m the devil of the neighborhood” -which sounds like some sort of teenage, hyper shy NEW ORDER-, the beautiful “I need you” with vocals by Dustin Ruske, are only some samples of what you can find in “Rocks and tears”, the ideal record for all those prone to get cautivated by unaffectedness.