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From - feministreview.blogspot.com
CD Review: Rotten Cheri - 02
By Writer Karen Duda
March 8, 2008
Rotten Cheri — guitarist/keyboardist Kee Chung, drummer Howard Alper and vocalist Stephanie St. Hilaire — delivers punk pop in the best tradition; they’re reminiscent of Pat Benatar, Joan Jett, No Doubt, and Garbage, but with a sound of their own. While the overall mood of the songs is angry, it’s a righteous anger, as St. Hilaire scorns false friends and former lovers with no holds barred.
“Things I Hate” is the disc’s standout track. A fast-paced, joyous rant about a former friend, the refrain serves as a rallying cry for everyone ever hurt by a friend or lover who turns into someone different. “Now you’ve got the right clothes/And you’ve got the right taste/You’ve stepped all over your friends/So that you could claim your place.” The vengeful attitude is oddly uplifting. See if you don’t find yourself singing along on the irresistibly catchy and soaring refrain. “Here’s a list of things I hate about you… I hope you take it personal.”
From www.indiemusicstop.blogspot.com
CD Review: Rotten Cheri - 02
By Senior Staff Writer C.W. Ross
July 14, 2007
One of the major benefits of running an Indie music related site is getting the chance to hear really good bands on their way up. Rotten Cheri fits into that category with the well-done music they have produced on 02, the band’s debut release.
When you first hear lead singer Stephanie St. Hilaire’s vocals you’ll notice that they have a real Gwen Stefani like sound to them. Stephanie has a really nice vocal range along with an inviting tone that draws you into each songs.
The band has spent a couple of the past years doing constant rehearsing and playing in New York area clubs to hone their sound. All of that effort has paid off with the rock solid music the band performs on 02.
If you’re a fan of the Garbage, No Doubt, Joan Jett type of sound with a little grittier rock edge then Rotten Cheri’s music is going to make you a very happy person.
New York based Rotten Cheri exudes pure sexuality. From the provocative cover art of their CD “02” to the sensual vocals of Stephanie St. Hilaire, this band has managed to combine the crunchiness of slick hard rock, add a bit of punk attitude and couple it with vocals that combine the playfulness of someone like a Gwen Stefani, the pure soaring vocals of a Pat Benatar with the harder edge of a Joan Jett. It really works.
With songs about relationships in pretty much every state of disarray, the subject matter of this CD matches the name of the band perfectly. Sticky sweet on the outside but rotten at the core. Two songs that really stood out for me were “Before It’s Over” and “Get Out Go Away” which are sad, emotionally raw and musically fantastic in equal parts.
All in all listening to the CD pulled me in closer and closer to its core and everything felt slightly decadent but right. And when I say this is a slickly produced CD I mean it as a compliment as the production conveys the rawness of the music in a way that is sweet to the ears and thrives at the high end of the volume knob. Great CD.
Buy the album ROTTEN CHERI: 02 at these online stores
Amongst a music scene filled with pretense, Rotten Cheri keep it simple by writing irresistible, hook laden songs infused with a sense of fun and sensuality that is resonating with a new and expanding base of fans. The Brooklyn, NY rock trio’s new album, 02, is both a statement of purpose and a labor of love that required some very real sacrifices to be made on the band’s part.
The seeds of Rotten Cheri were planted with the partnership of guitarist/keyboardist Kee Chung and drummer Howard Alper. The two were playing together when Howard became friendly with co-worker Stephanie St. Hilaire, who would soon become Rotten Cheri’s vocalist. Recounts Howard, “Steph and I were working at the same gym together and she knew I was working on a project with Kee. She kept bothering me at work, telling me that she could sing. She was so relentless about it that finally we had her rehearse with us – and she was perfect.” Kee and Howard immediately asked Stephanie, a California native, to join the band.
With the addition of Stephanie, the band, now named Rotten Cheri, began to find their sound, a mixture of Kee and Howard’s love of hard rock and Stephanie’s “California girl” influences of No Doubt, Blink-182, swing and ska. They also began playing the NYC club circuit, where they quickly gained a reputation as a high-powered and dynamic live act, in part due to Stephanie’s sense of drama, honed in her background in theater and years of performing experience.
After a couple of years of constant rehearsing and playing in New York clubs, the band settled down to write and record. Recording at Sugar Box studios, they quickly realized that if they were going to be able to pay for the album, some sacrifices would have to be made. Kee discovered that he would have to find a cheaper place to live in order to continue paying the studio, so he moved into a cheaper apartment. Howard sold his baseball card collection for studio time, and Stephanie, well, Stephanie made the most rock n’ roll sacrifice of all; she sold her eggs.
That obvious devotion to the music is evident in the band’s debut album 02. Intense and hard rocking, lyrically, the songs reflect the ups and downs the band was going through while recording. As Stephanie explains, “At the time I first start writing, everything is so serious. I write about serious things, but with the music we make fun of it and make light of it. My lyrics complement the music that Howard and Kee write perfectly.”
“Things I Hate About You” captures the musical and lyrical vibe of the band to a “T.” Stephanie’s vocal is immediately engaging, telling the tale of her relationship with her former roommate, a small town girl, who, as Stephanie recounts, “started working at a fashion magazine and started to change. She dumped her old life and who she was so should could accomplish things.” And as that first verse ends, the song explodes into a Kee’s guitar and Howard’s drums, supporting and expanding upon Stephanie’s immensely catchy and melodic chorus.
Kee’s ominously sensual guitar and keyboard riffs highlight “Before It’s Over,” a lament of an off and on and off again relationship. As Stephanie says, “I wrote about a past relationship that never ended, even though I thought it was kaput. He promised that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. It was all one promise after another broken promise.”
The beauty of Rotten Cheri is that they are the perfect mixture of lightness and darkness – dark enough to have depth and resonance that one can sink into, light and catchy enough that one can forget about the darkness and just sing along to their irresistible melodies and choruses. The band is now working to take their music and career to the next level – to an indie label, to music conferences and to film and television. The more that this band’s music is exposed, the brighter their future will be.
What's up guys, I used to play in a band called Dibble Edge and we gigged with you once or twice...maybe at Fontanas? Anyway, thanks for the add, gonna have music up in about a month so keep in touch.
You're a featured artist "IN THE MIX" on The Hog Farm Show on XXXL Internet Radio. New shows air each Sunday at 9:00 PM EST (0200 GMT) and repeats at 4:00 & 9:00 PM (EST) Mon - Sun.
Hello Rotten Cheri, thank you for being friends with Primate King!
The 2nd Episode of Accidental Practice has been released, and we'd like to offer you a Free MP3 Download by copying/pasting the URL below into your browser’s address bar!
In this 2nd episode, we are proud to welcome Dennis Wong, Brian Knarfield, Prophet Genesis and yours truly, the Primate King!
Instruments include Electric Guitar, Korg EMX and a Casio CTK-150, and software & MIDI include Absynth & Ableton Live.
Be prepared to go on a journey through sound, and please let us know if you're interested in being a featured guest!
Hello Rotten Cheri, and thank you for being friends with the Primate King!
Have you ever watched South Park? Did you see the episode with the talking towel that was always getting high?
His name is Towelie, and you can download the Primate King song, "Towelie" (which just won Best Experimental Song in the 2008 Marijuana Music Awards) by copying/pasting the URL below into your browser!
We'd LOVE to hear your feedback if you have any, it's always appreciated!
thanks for the add and congratulations wanted to let you know before its over is being played on our station. you can come over and listen anytime and tell your fans to request it. thanks _+880___________________________ _++88____________________________ _++88_____________________________ __+880_________________________++_ __+888________________________+88_ __++880______________________+88_ __++888_____+++88__________+++8_ __++8888__+++8880++88____+++88_ __+++8888+++8880++8888__++888_ ___++888++8888+++888888++888_ ___++88++8888++8888888++888__ ___++++++888888888888888888__ ____++++++88888888888888888__ ____++++++++000888888888888__ _____+++++++000088888888888__ ______+++++++00088888888888__ _______+++++++088888888888___ _______+++++++088888888888___ ________+++++++8888888888____ ________+++++++0088888888____ ________++++++0088888888_____ ________+++++0008888888_______ ________666666666666666________
Just stopping by to see if you're interested in our project...
We've started a collaborative radio station - and we're looking for people to contribute to our output....have a look, have a listen and join up if you'd like to join in!!!
