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"Renminbi begins with darkwave electro pop like The Faint and The Cure, but stretched out and thrown into some dynamic prog rock jam band that loves to shake out some disco-goth solo noise. Then it starts to jazz-out, post-rock style, pushing some frenzied and guitar overdriven June of 44 or Seam kind of thing, but with layers and sheets of noise and guitar and feedback and drumbeats that range from straight-faced rock to off-beat times at the slightest drop of a snare!"
-The Big Takeover

"Somewhere under Renminbi's fractured guitar onslaught and pulsating synth stabs hides vocal soundscapes that ultimately elevate 'The Phoenix' from its sparse, post-punk roots to a patchwork quilt of melodies that flow through the band’s art-damaged fabric.... 'Lachine' fills up in the middle with a pop hook reminiscent—but not derivative—of Sleater-Kinney, and 'Caveat' marries guitarist Lisa Liu’s expressive playing to cathartic singing that builds to epic proportions. As for the instrumental aesthetics, 'Siren' stands out as a prime example of Liu’s seemingly free-form guitar playing; jagged riffs and dissonance hit the musical canvas like Pollock’s paint drops, and 'A Delay' channels Sonic Youth and Yo La Tengo but remains undeniably Renminbi. It’s hard not to feel excitement over the sonic barriers this up-and-coming band will break through next."
-The Deli Magazine

"The trio are as dynamic as they are wide-ranging.... Liu’s guitar is a beautiful sunset against SMV’s rich landscapes of sound.... Long story short, ['The Phoenix'] is an awesome listen."
-'Sup

"Tense riot-grrrl-informed indie rock."
-Time Out New York

"Lisa Liu and SMV don't say a lot on Renminbi's first full-length album, 'The Phoenix.' Instead, the experimental rock duo relies on their instruments to do the talking. It turns out they have a lot to say.... The intricate instrumental parts are a perfect juxtaposition [to] the minimalist approach Renminbi takes to writing lyrics."
-Cleveland Free Times

"Renminbi's name is a lot like its music -- it takes more than a glance to properly read it, but it's worth the effort."
-The Pitch

"You know what really turns me on? Chicks with huge balls. Renminbi ... hold nothing back in creating a flustering stampede of sound.... These girls will not only impress you with their writing and playing, but they will also knock you flat on your ass. Renminbi's musical compositions are noticeably mature as they often teeter the line, but never fully cross, into harmonious resolves."
-Hidden Track

"On Renminbi's first full-length album, 'The Phoenix,' voices and lyrics are distant distress signals, carried along by the melodic sweep, swoop, and crash of guitar, drums, and synthesizer (no bass guitar needed, not with the incisive shadings of SMV's keyboards). About half the tracks are instrumentals, but they all bring the sound of your strongest doubts, faintest beliefs, and vice-versa, into a butt-thumping, well-timed (though obsessive) post-punk workout."
-Don Allred

"Experimental noise rock with odd tempos and sudden melodic openings.... Don't miss!"
-The Deli

Lisa Liu is "a pretty mean-spirited axewoman, which means, y’know, ROWR times 1,000 as far as this writer is concerned. 'Siren' is probably the apotheosis of her badassery, a filthy-good sort of workout where she and [Jim] Archer seem to be mapping new territory as they go along.... Overall grade [for 'The Phoenix']: very good."
-Cave 17

"An engrossing listen.... 'The Phoenix' is one of the more catchy releases I’ve heard thus far this year."
-SLUG (St. Louis Underground) Magazine

"'The Phoenix' is a great album if you want to sit in the dark and crank the stereo.... [Renminbi] know how to create some amazing sounds. Check this record out!"
-Melodic.net

"With its layers and loops, it's easy to get drawn into Renminbi's music.... Songs [with vocals] such as 'Siobhan' give ['The Phoenix'] enough accessibility to balance out the edge of the strictly instrumental tunes."
-Sound Check/AfterEllen.com

"What happened to the Indie Rock Chick? When did that DIY lady get so pretty, preening, and slight? (Answer: right around Liz Phair's third album and Courtney Love's eighth nose job.) We've been waiting for the badass indie rock chick--cut from the beer- and sweat-soaked cloth of Kim Deal--to re-emerge for some time now, and we think we've found her in Renminbi.... Co-founders Lisa Liu and SMV take us back to the early 90's, when indie rock chicks could drink, smoke, shit-talk, and play anyone under the table and didn't wear precious girly gear like leggings and shiny headbands.... Renminbi makes a big, badass, unapologetic rock-us. And that, friends, is what we call being 'lady-like.'"
-Disgrasian

"For the last day of CMJ, I chugged my glass of six eggs and then ran Rocky style to The Delancey where Brooklyn-based Renminbi rocked so hard they broke a guitar string and had to borrow the guitar of the next band.... Their dynamic sound was displayed via blues/alternative rock guitar styles and beastly, superb drum parts that pounded through the audience.... Guitarist Lisa Liu’s vocals wielded power and sensitivity at the same time and blended nicely with the vocals of the female keys player, SMV."
-The Deli (CMJ '08 live review)

"Renminbi plays a nice mix of post-punk and post-rock featuring intricately rhythmic drumming, swirling/pulsing keys and synth, and some damn fine guitar work.... We highly recommend checking Renminbi out."
-StereoactiveNYC (live review)

"Purely all-American post-punk."
-The Scene

"Innovative, exciting, and inspired."
-Cherry Grrl

"Solid."
-Milk Milk Lemonade

Some bands we've been compared with over the years: Sonic Youth, Slint, PJ Harvey, the Breeders, Polvo, Bikini Kill, Live Skull, the Feelies, June of 44, the Big Sleep, Low, Yo La Tengo, Explosions in the Sky, Mission of Burma, Mogwai, Unwound, Gone, Brainiac

Some bands we have played with: Vivian Girls, Miles Anthony Benjamin Robinson, Purple Rhinestone Eagle, Scrawl, Jenny Hoyston, Slumber Party, Your 33 Black Angels, Heavy Creatures, Thing-One, The Naked Hearts, Forest Fire, Gary Lucas' Gods & Monsters, To Kill a Petty Bourgeoisie, She Keeps Bees, Telenovela Star, Coltrane Motion, Schwervon, Ahleuchatistas and so many more...






PS: Sorry, but generally speaking we're no longer approving comments that contain video and/or banners promoting shows (unless it's one we're playing!). We avoid spamming our friends, and we ask the same in return.