Puppy teamed up with Violent Vickie, a Los Angeles-based
Dark-Synth-Riot artist, for the album’s jinxed jam Turn It Up Keith. Vickie‘s gloomy vocals fit the doomed groove perfectly. Seems like
the duo invites us for an illegal graveyard rave.
No idea where the horrific video comes from but while we’re at
that graveyard rave the clip should play on a giant screen while
we all losing our senses.
One of the most intriguing artists Turn Up The Volume heard all year is Long Beach, California based VIOLENT VICKIE. Her second longplayer called DIVISION is without
a shadow of a doubt one of 2020’s most arresting works.
63 minutes of doom and gloom bliss for graveyard parties and underground discos. Twilight is the color, electro-swart is the sound, petrifying is the psyche. You hear
echoes of Chelsea Wolfe, Crystal Castles, Mazzy Star, D.A.F., Alice Glass among others.
Enough reasons to leave your batcave, to put your Goth outfit and your black
mascara on and meet VV. But first a short visual impression…
Hello Vickie
Thank you for doing this…
Your artist name is VIOLENT VICKIE.
A strange choice? Should we be scared?
“Haha yes! You should be scared! When I came up with it I was thinking
of punk names and I like the alliteration. It’s more about being against
violence against women.”
What is it that attracted you to write/make Goth music?
“Hmm… I guess it’s just what came out? I was introduced to some goth music
in college and it seems to have been more popular in the last few years. I was
influenced by bands like Crystal Castles, Adult., Siouxsie and the Banshees,
and Hanin Elias of Atari Teenage Riot.”
Violent Suzy…
Which track would you pick to introduce yourself and
your music to the people who never heard of you?
“My favorite is Serotonin, but I also like Under The Gun,
The Gloom and Circle Square a lot.”
Why is your new LP called DIVISION?
Does it tell something about the songs?
“Yes. In a lot of the songs I am lettinng go and settling boundaries
with people. I am deciding what I want in my life and what I don’t want.”
VIOLENT VICKIE’s left eye on the album’s artwork is covered.
Why, or did you just like the whole of the image?
“I gave the arist Nick Dynice a black and white photo and he turned it into
a colored one by putting it through a VHS player! It just came out that way.”
UNDER THE GUN is one of the LP’s highlights and the accompanying video clip is a remarkable piece too. Who created the clip and what is it you wanted to visualize?
“My friend Jen Miller and I shot the video in a parking lot and Nick Pagonakis edited and directed it and added some stock footage. I also added some stock footage that I used for visuals for my shows. I imagined a fast-paced urban theme that was critical of the rat race.”
What do you think about the outcome of the presidential election?
“Well he certainly seems better than the other option.”
Suppose you were asked to rewrite and put new music to the National
American Anthem. What would be the outcome, in sound and vision?
“Haha wow. Interesting queston. Let’s make a goth punk version!”
One of your photos on your FB account your sitting on a tombstone
in a graveyard. Is that your favorite place to hang out?
“Yes lol. I DJed a Macabre picnic earlier in the year and my friend Aeaissa Jade took a bunch of photos of me.”
Photo by Aeaissa Jade
Many artists played/released covers in this surreal year.
Which song would you love to cover?”
“I have an unfinished cover of “Are Friends Electric” by Gary Numan.
I thought my vocals went well with it and I like the song.”
What was the best track and album you heard in 2020?
“The Way Back by Dismantled is pretty awesome. I like the beats. I’m also into upbeat cheery stuff like Digitalism. To be honest. I haven’t been listening to many full albums but L’s is great!”
Which song will you play on 31st December at midnight?
“‘Rhythm of the Night’ by Corona. It’s the funnest song to dance to!”
Name three things you really want to see happen in 2021?
“Shows, Shows, Shows! And some tropical vacation.”
May we expect new VIOLENT VICKIE music next year?
“I am releasing a remix album soon. And I may release some songs
on Spotify that I haven’t yet like my cover of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire”.
Thank you very much for this interview, Vickie.
Have a great music/shows loaded 2021.
Clips that will have an impact on your eyes and your ears…
25 October 2020
Last month Californian artist VIOLENT VICKIE released
her new, pitch-dark electro-wave album Division.
Turn Up The Volume wrote: “63 minutes of doom and gloom bliss to play
at illegal graveyard parties. Twilight is the color. Electro-swart is the sound.
Petrifying is the psyche.”
To keep the momentum going, Vickie just shared a clip for top track UNDER THE GUN. “A seductively cold reaction to the pressure to conform and produce in a capitalist society.”.
The flashy film-noir like video was directed and edited by Nick Pagonakis of Underboss Films and shot in a parking lot
in Long Beach, CA by Jennifer Miller.
Five new firecrackers to bang-up your favorite 48 hours…
1. ‘Shot In The Dark’ by AC/DC (Australia)
Get your worn schoolboy outfit out of your parents’ closet, let your hair hang down and shake your head up and down as if you want to shake off your heavy hangover. Yes, the grandfathers of senseless fun rock are back and hit like they did since 1973. Riff riff riff!
2. ‘Rise Up’ by LEFT ON THE DIAL (Toronto, Canada)
Ever heard legendary Southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd team up with the equally heroic Los Angeles gang Canned Heat for a sweaty blues jackhammer? Me neither, until know that is. This Toronto group knows all about America’s classic rock history and they bring it here to life with thunder and lighting bravado, rolling riffs and a ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ feel.
3. ‘Under The Gun’ by VIOLENT VICKIE (Long Beach, California)
Glamorous doom and gloom disco to play at illegal graveyard parties. Bouncy, peppy and darksome. Vickie looks awesome and sounds awesome, but breath down her neck on your own risk. You have been warned, drooling zombies. Listen to new LP DIVISION instead.
“Under the gun / You live your life / No more fun.”
. 4. ‘Stupid Boys’ by BLEACHED (Los Angeles)
Los Angeles’ punchy duo return with a zippy riot pop grrrl chant you can clap along while pirouetting yourself dizzy. What they thought was a fun song turned out to be quite dark when she reexamined it in the wake of the Burger Records sexual misconduct scandal.
“Stupid boys with broken hearts/ Love to watch you fall apart.”
5. ‘Before Du Gehst’ by NORTHPOLYPTICA (Germany)
Great music doesn’t have boundaries. This German band is living proof of that, sounding like a power-pop version of theatrical dance-metal rockers Rammstein. As electrical, as symphonic, and as flamboyant as their Big Brothers but without the special effects and
the horrific macho bombast. Check their new excellent album Seelenfrieden here.
About the music: Her first full length release since ‘Monster Alley‘ in 2013.
‘Division’ dabbles in a wide range of genres including witchhouse, darkwave,
synthpop, electro, synthpunk and experimental trips.
About the songs: In ‘Serotonin’ and ‘The Gloom’ Vickie wildly yearns for lost love and
lust, while in ‘Circle Square’ she emotes the feeling of not fitting into the box. In ‘Gaslight’
she explores the cognitive dissonance that comes with loving someone that is displaying
abusive behavior. ‘Lovelace’ was written after watching a disturbing documentary about
Linda Lovelace’s experience in the porn industry and the tongue in cheek ‘Under the Gun’
was written about a heartless boss while driving in the car.”
Influences: “From dark electronic artists like Gesaffelstein, Crystal Castles, and
post-punk bands like Joy Division and the Numbers and riot grrrl bands like Sleater
Kinney and Le Tigre.”
Key words: 63 minutes of doom and gloom bliss / Spellbinding graveyard party /
Twilight is the color / Electro-swart is the sound / Petrifying is the psyche / Chelsea
Wolfe / Crystal Castles / Lene Lovich / Mazzy Star / Human League / D.A.F. / Alice
Glass / Chvrches / Otherworldly electronics / Dancing in the dark / Voices from
beyond / Love will tear us apart / Vickie is okay / Coffee and cake
Put your Goth outfit on and
move in mysterious ways…
