Female Fiends

So the band I was in is dead and buried, but there are survivors from my journey. Well, actually it’s just some cool guys I met while sharing a show in Seattle one time. But they have some new music out and I wanted to make sure I shared it with you.

The Female Fiends are a young Seattle band that I firmly believe have some talent and could make it in the unsteady music industry of today. They are a four piece (vocs/guitar, guitar, bass, and drummer) who give you something relaxing, yet driving. Their new album Too Shy to Live, is no exception. Whether you’re a stoner, a loner, both, and/or want something chill to dance to, The Female Fiends have what your ears require.

And yes, I know them. Yes, I think they’re cool. But I would never positively review something I disliked, or even really write a review unless I did, in fact, think it was good. I hate writing reviews for stuff I don’t like. It gives promotion to things that don’t, in my opinion, deserve it and wastes all of our time. So on to the new EP release!

Too Shy Too Live opens with a bright sounding, yet disappointed look at growing older with the track, “Dead Friends”. Everyday, we have less and less time to spend with the people we love. The first track seems to talk about that alienation, but that’s just my interpretation. Michael has often told me that he doesn’t want people to know the inspiration behind the lyrics because he doesn’t want them to feel pigeonholed by a certain meaning. The Female Fiends want you to make up your own meanings to their songs. So maybe you should stop listening to me? Maybe you should just listen to the damn EP!

But in case you’re still reading, the second track, “No Excuses”, taunts us. It asks us how it feels to be alone. The song eventually tells us to, “Say what you want” and “say what you will” and to “know that it will be alright.” I think that’s important. No matter what someone else says, your experiences will be the most important to you—as they should be.

The third track, “Dream Aquarium” starts off with a great guitar part that makes me want to turn out the lights in my room and blast the track as loud as my stereo will go. It’s the kind of song that helps you disappear into the abyss and just enjoy the moment through music. It asks, “Do you feel the urge to go?” Yes, I do. And this song helps me get there with a cool breakdown featuring a conflicted, yet comforting guitar solo by Christian. This song is how I have felt about life sense I have graduated from High School.

“Look Up and Puke”, the fourth track, sounds like a classic Female Fiends song. It starts off with some clean guitar picking and driving beat, then continues into a semi-distorted, yet clean spaced-out sound. These guys have a knack for filling up space with fairly minimal parts. Don’t believe me? Listen to their previous music too.

The last track, which is also the title track, “Too Shy Too Live”, is another example of why you should know who this band is. It is simple, yet entrancing and dancy at the same time. You know what that means? That means their rhythm section, drums and bass are solid. Brothers, Ricky and Ryan make the bass and drums fit together, respectively. The Female Fiends were smart to make this their single. It’s definitely catchy with it’s “Ah oh, ah oh oh, ah oh oh oh, oh oh, ah oh oh, ah oh oh, ah oh oh oh, oh oh, ah oh oh, ah oh oh, ah oh oh oh, oh oh, ah oh oh, ah oh oh, ah oh oh oh…” lyrics and sensible background track. But make sure you really listen to the flowing guitars and Michael’s important, yet ambiguous lyrics. You might learn something about yourself.

Oh yeah! And they have an extra track called, “4 A.M.”! It’s mostly going to try to get you to stay a little bit longer. And you should. Just stop what you’re doing, and stay. For three minutes and forty-four seconds more. That’s enough time for you to think about how much you wish people would realize how hard you work to make some simple things that some people might understand at some point.

The Female Fiends are the future of Indie Rock. They perform around Seattle, but will be Playing at @ Chop Suey on Sunday March 30th. Go see them! - The Midnight Wire

Too Shy to Live is the sophomore effort from The Female Fiends, a four-piece from Kent.

Not the Kent, England, of Eurotunnel fame, however, but Kent in Washington - home of the Oberto Sausage Company and many other firms, or so Wikipedia says.

But enough of the geography lesson, because The Female Fiends have created an EP that's well worth a mention.

The follow-up to debut Youthless gets off to a corker of a start, with the title track immediately pricking the ears thanks to Christian Olson's lively, uplifting guitar work, accompanied by the mellow vocal of lead singer Michael Yin and backed by the syncopated drumming of Ryan Davis, reminiscent of Chris Collis of TTNG fame. Not to be outshone, there's also a neat breakdown from bassist Ricky Davis.

Speaking of TTNG, second song, 'No Excuses', also recalls 13.0.0.0.0 with its laid back vibe and minimalist guitar work, with the drums driving the song along. TTNG, of course, are referred to as math rockers, but The Female Fiends prefer the term 'cuddle rock' - apparently because their songs "make you fall asleep or cuddle".

However, I think this 'cuddle rock' label does them a bit of a disservice - I certainly didn't feel tired or lethargic listening to this EP. Indeed, the anthemic 'Dead Friends' would make the perfect song to cruise down the West coast to, soft top down, sun shining.

There's also plenty of variety to keep you interested throughout - the noisy, distorted chorus of the amusingly titled 'Look Up and Puke' providing a nice contrast to the earlier minimalism; the spacey sounds of 'Dream Aquarium'; and the chilled out acoustic finale of '4AM'.

This is a beautifully produced and mature sounding EP, and The Female Fiends certainly have nothing to be shy about with this effort.

Too Shy to Live will be available to stream via Bandcamp from March 16th.

11 is louder than 10 verdict:

11 - Sonic boom
10 - Planet rock*
9 – Headbanging
8 – Turn it up
7 – Rocking
6 – Foot tapping
5 – Worth a listen
4 – Background music
3 – Turn it down
2 – Earache
1 – Turn it off

0 – Ear bleeding - 11 is louder than 10

From: Kent. Sounds Like: They'd fit perfectly on a bill with the dynamic and architectural indie rock band Nude Pop, who just so happened to win Sound Off! last year. Fun Fact: When the Female Fiends found out that they made it to the semifinals, they "went a little crazy," says singer Michael Yin. "It was kind of scary, actually. I think at one point, Ricky turned into an ape." - The Stranger

Kent, WA (indie rock)
Sometimes you don’t know what you’re missing. For example, you need fuzzed guitars that can sing with melody. You need songs that recall your most vital memories of youthful love and heartbreak. You need music that you can sway to one moment and snuggle to the next. You need a quartet from Kent, WA called The Female Fiends in your life. Let the toe-tapping and cuddling commence as you discover just what you’ve been missing. - EMP Museum