Leftover Cuties

It all started with a ukulele. Bassist Austin Nicholsen pulled one out while jamming with vocalist Shirli McAllen six years ago in her Los Angeles home.

“I thought it was a toy,” McAllen said while calling from upstate New York. “I didn't know much about the ukulele. But Austin kept strumming it and I realized how cool that it is. We wrote a song on it.”

They went on to work on separate projects, but one day McAllen happened upon their song. “Two years after we did that, I was checking out music on my computer, and I played what we did, and I thought there was something special about that song.”

That was the start of Leftover Cuties, a band that formed in 2009 and melds elements of jazz, rock and pop.

“I like to call it pop noir,” McAllen said. “What we do is dark but catchy.”

The band, which will perform Friday at the Jaeb Theater, often has been compared to the retro Squirrel Nut Zippers, who helped revitalize swing briefly during the mid-'90s. “I completely get why people compare us to Squirrel Nut Zippers, who are amazing,” McAllen said. “We're super vintage sounding like they are, but we do add some modern touches. We're an alternative just like Squirrel Nut Zippers.”

McAllen, who is an Israeli and relocated to Los Angeles 12 years ago, has an ethereal voice, which recalls Billie Holiday. “That's too kind of a compliment,” McAllen said. “I get Amy Winehouse and Madeleine Peyroux but being mentioned along with Billie Holiday is too much.”

The humble, charismatic vocalist also has been compared with Regina Spektor, who she admires. Leftover Cuties rendered Spektor's “Fidelity” for its “Departures” EP, which dropped in 2012.

“The cool thing about that was that we asked fans via Facebook what we should cover and they suggested 'Fidelity,' McAllen said. “It worked. I love Regina Spektor. We try to make our covers very different from the original version. 'Fidellty' worked out well. I was worried about doing a Bob Dylan song ('Don't Think Twice, It's Alright.') since I love him so much. But it turned out fine. It's one of my favorite songs on that EP. And then there's the Lady Gaga song.”

A version of Lady Gaga's 'Pokerface' stands out. Leftover Cuties turned the pop song inside-out. “When someone suggested that we do 'Pokerface,' I laughed,” McAllen said. “I didn't think that would work at all. But after I read the lyrics, it made sense to me. I gained a lot of respect for Lady Gaga as a writer and as a singer.”

Leftover Cuties, which also includes keyboardist Mike Bolger and drummer Stuart Johnson, is touring behind “The Spark and Fire,” which dropped three weeks ago. The disc is composed of diverse and catchy originals. The band easily moves from jazz to pop to swing. “We wanted to take another step with this album,” McAllen said. “We're showing a new side.”

The band, which wrote and recorded the theme for the Showtime hit series “The Big C,” hopes to continue morphing. “We just want to grow,” McAllen said. “Everything has come to us in an organic fashion. We don't pay attention to what anyone else is doing. We do our own thing. We try to never repeat ourselves. We just want to make the most original, inspiring music that we can.”
- TBO- TheTampa Tribune

It’s the swoon and the sway that sets the Leftover Cuties apart. Bands with reverence and reference points to years gone by aren’t hard to find these days, but Shirli McAllen’s quartet is a real gem. The band’s latest The Spark & The Fire is a snazzy jazz-swing fusion pushed through a contemporary filter, and the results are a fun, irresistible listen from beginning to end.

We recently sat down with Shirli to talk about the band’s original blend and how an Israeli-born singer stumbled into such influences in the first place.

Stereo Subversion: How long did you live with this album before you put it out?

Shirli McAllen: This time it wasn’t that long. Usually, if you want to do it properly and have a publicist on board, you want to do it for about three months before the album comes out. This time I think we’ve done a couple months just because things took a long time to finish. So yeah, we’ve maybe had it for a month and half or a couple months.

SSv: Is that hard not to be able to put albums out there sooner, given how easy it is and how you can just do one click and suddenly your work is posted online?

Music from that era really blows my mind because people didn’t have the option to edit themselves. What you’re hearing is basically a bunch of people in one room performing, and performing amazingly. Every time I listen to those recordings, I’m blown away because it’s true musicianship.
Music from that era really blows my mind because people didn’t have the option to edit themselves. What you’re hearing is basically a bunch of people in one room performing, and performing amazingly. Every time I listen to those recordings, I’m blown away because it’s true musicianship.

Shirli: Well, the way we do it is every week or so we release a single out of it. So first we released “One Heart” off of it, then we released a song called “What’s the Matter?” And then we released the video for “One Heart,” so it’s not hard to wait because you kind of want to give a little taste and then another taste and then you give them the whole thing. So the process is actually kind of exciting. It builds momentum and makes people look forward to it.

SSv: This is the second full-length. What did you learn from the previous experience? Did you feel more comfortable or prepared this time?

Shirli: Yeah. Every time you record, you come in with a little bit more experience. You know what to expect a little bit more, but every situation and every record is different. We might have had some challenges on this one that we didn’t have on the last one, and vice versa, but I think we all came in there really wanting to capture what we do live, that magic we feel happens on stage because this is usually how we record as well. We record live. Everybody’s in a separate room, but we all play together.

All the experience we’ve had has definitely helped with that process, but there were other things. I think when you do a second album, you put more pressure on yourself sometimes, and that can get in the way, but I think we managed to get over that and focus on each song and what each song needed. Basically get over all the ideas of what this album should be and just take it song by song and nurture each song. I think that was the most important thing about this album.

SSv: I love how the apparent influences come together. I love the jazzy side and the catchy pop. There seem to be a few different elements that come together. Is that a product of the band having different personalities and bringing that together? Or is that something you guys all love together equally?

Shirli: That’s a good question. I think it is a result of that for sure. When I used to write songs on my own, I think I tended to write more serious or melancholic songs, and when I started collaborating with Austin [Nicholsen], he would bring these more lighthearted chord changes that I would put my dark lyrics on top of. So we would have this combo of dark lyrics with lighthearted melodies, and for some reason it really worked. So I feel like the fact that we all collaborate together makes for that lighthearted feel without being over-the-top happy. There’s depth to it, but it can make you smile at the same time.

I love collaborating. A lot of times I’ll write a song on my own, but then I’ll bring it to the band, everyone will put their two cents in and it will take on a whole new shape. So it’s really fun because you never know where a song is going to go and everyone has their own input.

SSv: What’s your own musical background?

Shirli: I grew up in Israel, born and raised, so I listened to a lot of Israeli music as a child. As a teenager, I loved Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell and a lot of grunge rock, believe it or not. I really didn’t grow up listening to all of these; I’m sure I heard it here and there, but I never truly listened to that stuff. And then after this project started, people started commenting on how it’s nostalgic to them and - stereosubversion.com

One of the things I like about using Rdio is going through the new releases each week. Oftentimes, I’ll go through most albums methodically… but I can usually tell within a few seconds whether the album/artist is something I’d like or not. But when I find something I like, it’s always a delightful surprise – especially if the band name or the album cover isn’t what I expected it to be.

When looking at a band called Leftover Cuties, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. But the first song on their album caught my ear, and each subsequent song kept me listening.

It’s tricky to describe their sound – “throwback” isn’t the right word, but it’s the first word that comes to mind. There’s something about the bare snare drum, brassy horns, bar room piano, and especially the chord changes that make me think of songs from another time. Kind of a Prohibition-era version of Florence and the Machine, if that makes any sense.

So far, I’m liking a lot of the songs on their album The Spark & the Fire. Pretty certain I’ll be setting this album on loop for the next few days.

// Edit: I don’t know the musical term for it, but I like the key change that kicks in at 0:44. It happens throughout the song, and to great effect. I’m positive there’s some kind of term for this, but I for the life of me can’t recall what it is.
- AVoision

Forgotten song spurs change in musical path

BY JOHN WIRT
jwirt@theadvocate.com
September 10, 2013
0 COMMENTS
Shirli McAllen pursued a singer-songwriter career in Los Angeles for years. She wanted to move people, make them weep. But that was before McAllen co-composed “Game Called Life,” a song destined to be the theme song for the Laura Linney-starring Showtime series, The Big C.

“Game Called Life” came to life after McAllen’s ukulele- and bass-playing friend, Austin Nicholsen, brought the smaller of those instruments over to her place one night.

“We didn’t set out to even write a song,” McAllen, lead vocalist for the L.A.-based, touring Leftover Cuties, said last week from upstate New York.

“Austin just came into my house and started playing these chords,” she continued. “I had written some lyrics that night at the bar where I was working, so I started singing over whatever he was playing. We wrote that song and really didn’t think much about it. We were just having fun.”

McAllen and Nicholsen made a quick recording of “Game Called Life” the next day, so they could revisit the song down the line, if they so desired.

McAllen stumbled upon the song in her computer a few years later.

“There was something special about it,” she said. “I played it for some friends. They all really, really liked it. They encouraged us to write more songs like that.”

Inspired, McAllen phoned Nicholsen.

“I said, ‘Austin, come back with your ukulele.’ And we started writing songs very quickly. It’s easier in a way, to do that in the beginning, because you have no songs. It was an incredible time. I never thought it would be so fun and so easy.”

The new songs McAllen wrote with Nicholsen were unlike the melancholic singer-songwriter material she’d been writing. McAllen soon found that making people smile was vastly more satisfying than making them weep.

“At our shows, people smile from ear to ear,” she said. “It’s a really great feeling. People shed tears at our shows, too, because not all of the songs are about happy things. But the majority of the time, people really feel happy when they hear us.”

There was more to come, too, for “Game Called Life,” the song that set McAllen, Nicholsen and Leftover Cuties on their new musical course.

The band made “Game Called Life” the title track for its 2009 EP. About a year later, the music supervisor for The Big C discovered the song.

“She happened to have our EP because we sent it to everybody we knew, or everybody who our friends knew,” McAllen said. “Our song was chosen out of a hundred choices that she gave the producers of The Big C.

“They weed it down to 10 to 20, to the last 10, to the last three. And then you’re left with the one that everybody loves and thinks is the best fit. So that’s how these things pretty much happen.”

Since “Game Called Life,” the song composed so spontaneously, then forgotten about and then rediscovered, became The Big C theme, people throughout the world have contacted Leftover Cuties.

“A lot of viewers of the show told us they’ve made it their own personal theme song,” McAllen said. “That was extremely moving, to have the song do more than you even intended for it to do. It’s the beauty of interpretation.”

The song’s placement in the series also brought Leftover Cuties attention in McAllen’s native Israel.

“My parents are very proud of it,” she said.

Leftover Cuties, on a North American tour following last month’s release of their second album, The Spark & The Fire, is playing its first New Orleans area show Monday at Ruby’s Roadhouse in Mandeville.

The band’s eclectic range, from classic rhythm-and-blues to traditional jazz to ’60s pop, suggests the wide range of styles performed by the tradition-informed young bands of New Orleans.

“We never limit ourselves to a certain thing,” McAllen explained. “More than anything on this new album, we took each song and crafted everything, what we thought was best for that particular song, around it.” - The Advocate

Forgotten song spurs change in musical path

BY JOHN WIRT
jwirt@theadvocate.com
September 10, 2013
0 COMMENTS
Shirli McAllen pursued a singer-songwriter career in Los Angeles for years. She wanted to move people, make them weep. But that was before McAllen co-composed “Game Called Life,” a song destined to be the theme song for the Laura Linney-starring Showtime series, The Big C.

“Game Called Life” came to life after McAllen’s ukulele- and bass-playing friend, Austin Nicholsen, brought the smaller of those instruments over to her place one night.

“We didn’t set out to even write a song,” McAllen, lead vocalist for the L.A.-based, touring Leftover Cuties, said last week from upstate New York.

“Austin just came into my house and started playing these chords,” she continued. “I had written some lyrics that night at the bar where I was working, so I started singing over whatever he was playing. We wrote that song and really didn’t think much about it. We were just having fun.”

McAllen and Nicholsen made a quick recording of “Game Called Life” the next day, so they could revisit the song down the line, if they so desired.

McAllen stumbled upon the song in her computer a few years later.

“There was something special about it,” she said. “I played it for some friends. They all really, really liked it. They encouraged us to write more songs like that.”

Inspired, McAllen phoned Nicholsen.

“I said, ‘Austin, come back with your ukulele.’ And we started writing songs very quickly. It’s easier in a way, to do that in the beginning, because you have no songs. It was an incredible time. I never thought it would be so fun and so easy.”

The new songs McAllen wrote with Nicholsen were unlike the melancholic singer-songwriter material she’d been writing. McAllen soon found that making people smile was vastly more satisfying than making them weep.

“At our shows, people smile from ear to ear,” she said. “It’s a really great feeling. People shed tears at our shows, too, because not all of the songs are about happy things. But the majority of the time, people really feel happy when they hear us.”

There was more to come, too, for “Game Called Life,” the song that set McAllen, Nicholsen and Leftover Cuties on their new musical course.

The band made “Game Called Life” the title track for its 2009 EP. About a year later, the music supervisor for The Big C discovered the song.

“She happened to have our EP because we sent it to everybody we knew, or everybody who our friends knew,” McAllen said. “Our song was chosen out of a hundred choices that she gave the producers of The Big C.

“They weed it down to 10 to 20, to the last 10, to the last three. And then you’re left with the one that everybody loves and thinks is the best fit. So that’s how these things pretty much happen.”

Since “Game Called Life,” the song composed so spontaneously, then forgotten about and then rediscovered, became The Big C theme, people throughout the world have contacted Leftover Cuties.

“A lot of viewers of the show told us they’ve made it their own personal theme song,” McAllen said. “That was extremely moving, to have the song do more than you even intended for it to do. It’s the beauty of interpretation.”

The song’s placement in the series also brought Leftover Cuties attention in McAllen’s native Israel.

“My parents are very proud of it,” she said.

Leftover Cuties, on a North American tour following last month’s release of their second album, The Spark & The Fire, is playing its first New Orleans area show Monday at Ruby’s Roadhouse in Mandeville.

The band’s eclectic range, from classic rhythm-and-blues to traditional jazz to ’60s pop, suggests the wide range of styles performed by the tradition-informed young bands of New Orleans.

“We never limit ourselves to a certain thing,” McAllen explained. “More than anything on this new album, we took each song and crafted everything, what we thought was best for that particular song, around it.” - The Advocate

L.A.’s Leftover Cuties are one of those bands that just has it. The indie-pop quartet, fronted by the beautiful and talented Shirli McAllen, produces a sound that forces you to grab your best Sinatra suit and have a night on the town, inevitably ending with an early-morning beach stroll alongside that significant someone. After an almost overnight success with single “Game Called Life” (the theme for Showtime’s The Big C), the Cuties are set to release sophomore LP, One Heart on July 3. Download the title track below, and thank us later. - See more at: http://www.magnetmagazine.com/2013/06/28/mp3-at-3pm-leftover-cuties/#sthash.qZDrHSDX.dpuf - Magnet Magazine

This summer Los Angeles jazz-pop band Leftover Cuties will release its sophomore album, The Spark & The Fire. Shirli McAllen, the group's ukulele-toting, Israeli-born frontwoman, has a dreamy, sultry quality to her voice -- and it sits so very nicely atop a band that includes upright bass, brushed drums, accordion and brass.

The new album, out on July 23rd, will feature "What's The Matter," a song which McAllen says "was written one night when I was at home and the power went out. There was nothing else to do but pick up the ukulele and spill. Sitting there by myself in the dark, the song just poured out of me from a place of loneliness and longing for harmony." - Sound Check

Your parents’ music, like your parents themselves, is embarrassing, eyeroll-worthy and square beyond belief. Your grandparents’ music, on the other hand, is exotic and exciting, like a fine wine you’ve never tasted. The first time you hear it, you think you’ve unearthed this artifact from ages past that surely no one knows about anymore. “Guys, I just discovered this great new thing! You gotta hear it! It’s called Ella Fitzgerald!” Ah, youth.

Leftover Cuties, despite that they’re mining territory that was stripped bare in the ‘40s, are like a breath of fresh air. Their second self-released album, The Spark & the Fire, does an even better job of recapturing that World War II cabaret sound than Places to Go, their first. And they do it with swing jazz’s sense of fun and light-heartedness coexisting with cooing melancholy fully intact. Leftover Cuties look the part, too, with the girls in fun but modest dresses and the guys in shirts, vests and bowler hats, all four in muted and simple colors.

Opener “Thick and Thin,” as soon as it begins, gets the blood flowing and the toe tapping while lead singer Shirli McAllen sings about a love that’s lost its way but is gonna find it again. It’s so bewitchingly optimistic, and perfectly characterizes the mindset of the post-WWII American. “Thick and Thin” is also where The Spark & the Fire gets its name. First single “One Heart” features a classic swing rhythm and more lovelorn words that are instantly accessible, as is the entire rest of the album. “If Only It Could Be” and “Rise and Shine” have pristine innocence in addition to their sterling melodies. “Blind Man” has a drifting and laconic feel. “Clarity” and “I’ve Been Waiting” are played at a whisper, the latter in particular being like a lover beckoning you to bed to enjoy the softness of sleep.

This type of music is just so charming, and Leftover Cuties have a strong awareness of the power classic jazz has to put a smile on the listeners face. They play that element just right, not coming on too strong because they know that they just have to stand back and let the music work its own magic. The most charming track is “Everyone” with its Christmas office party motif and good-time atmosphere.

Speaking of Christmas, what could better complete this picture of jazzy, slightly tipsy good feeling than a few Christmas songs? Leftover Cuties are happy to oblige. They released a holiday EP last winter of classic Yuletide tunes, including a salsa-fied rendition of “White Christmas” as well as a minor-key, 7/8 version of “Jingle Bells” that’s nigh-unrecognizable.

Just like Michael Bublé is resurrecting crooner music, Leftover Cuties are doing their part to bring back the music of the distant past. And you couldn’t pick a better genre to regenerate than the one Leftover Cuties have chosen. Honestly, the conversation in music is elevated because of the now new presence of classic, classy jazz. After all, “it don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing.” Doo-wat doo-wat doo-wat doo-wat doo-wat doo-wat doo-wat doo-waaaaaat…

Track List:
1. Thick and Thin
2. One Heart
3. Once Again
4. Clarity
5. If Only It Could Be
6. All That Love
7. What’s the Matter?
8. Blind Man
9. Rise and Shine
10. Shame
11. Everyone
12. I’ve Been Waiting

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- See more at: http://inyourspeakers.com/content/review/217-leftover-cuties-spark-fire-08142013#sthash.wV7huUit.dpuf - In Your Speakers

Leftover Cuties lead singer Shirli McAllen sings about the mountain that sits between a man and a woman, early in this session. It signals that there's a significant distance between the two people, that there's a wedge that can't just be circumvented. It can't be scaled easily and it can't be avoided. It is going to take some rigorous effort to get over or around that hulking chunk of rock. It's meant as an observation of the differences between men and women - not just these two characters - but, with the Los Angeles band's leisure, almost ragtime-y ways, this also feels as if it's a wonderful chore. It's filled with gamesmanship and with the pursuits of the happily delirious.

Connecting with that person on the other side of the mountain is not a lost cause. It's something that's attainable. That love affair is equivalent to completing a marathon - when a body has been taxed, but along the way and even after, it experienced all kinds of chemical releases to its pleasure centers, as things got more and more thrilling. It might have been what it was running for all along. It's in the finer print that the marathon is never over in these cases. There's always a 27th, 28th or 100th mile to complete and even then, the finish line tape never comes into view. There are more issues and hardships. Granted, there are more fish in the sea and that's where this mountain between two people becomes so fascinating.

The Leftover Cuties - which also includes bassist Austin Nicholsen, brass player/keyboardist Mike Bolger and drummer Stuart Johnson - create these stories that sound as if they're riding a nice tailwind, letting it push them along, rather than bucking a headwind. The people in these songs have set out to find sturdy love and they are well aware of the circumstances and the great odds. They're going to give the mountain a try and they figure, even if they only get halfway up, they'll have gotten out and had their fill of fresh air and nice weather.
- Daytrotter

Although you may not know this LA band by name, there's a good chance you do know their music. Their song "Game Called Life" was used as the theme for the Showtime series The Big C, and their music has also been used in a few TV commercials as well. Leftover Cuties have recently released their second full-length album, The Spark and The Fire and the band stopped by WFUV to talk about the record and play us some of the songs. [recorded: 08/02/13] - WFUV

Leftover Cuties sing the theme song to Showtime's "The Big C," starring actress Laura Linney. Sony Music and Showtime have teamed with SU2C, with all net profits from soundtrack sales to be donated to SU2C.
- mlb.mlb.com

Leftover Cuties sing the theme song to Showtime's "The Big C," starring actress Laura Linney. Sony Music and Showtime have teamed with SU2C, with all net profits from soundtrack sales to be donated to SU2C.
- mlb.mlb.com

The Leftover Cuties hit it big when Game Called Life was used as the theme tune to The Big C. Last week they released their debut album Place to Go (which they kindly sent me). If you liked Game Called Life, I highly recommend you pick it up. It’s the same winning combination of instant pop melodies and jazzy setting.

My favourite aspect of the album is how comfortably the ukulele sits in the band. All the tracks on the album feature backing of the classic ukulele-upright bass pairing (along with occasional other uke-friendly instruments: brass, accordion and a smattering of stylophone). I think we’re all familiar with records that announce, “Hey, look at me, I’m playing this on a ukulele,” but here it’s used much more naturally and, therefore, pleasingly.

They’re giving away the albums title track. Grab it on this doodad or on their website:



Ukulele Cutie, Austin Nicholsen generously agreed to field a few of my questions:

How did you first get into playing the ukulele? And what made you stick with it?

I had recently purchased an upright bass and thought it would be silly to pick up the smallest string instrument at that point. I thought violin, ukulele…. ukulele it is! I walked around with it for a few days playing and trying make it sound like it was remotely in tune. Then i realized, this thing is beat. Years went by and I picked it up again and that is when it really started to resonate with me. Success! The ukulele is AWESOME! Looking back at my first encounters with the uke i realized i wasn’t ready for the awesome power of this wonderful little instrument yet.

How did you go about building a band around the ukulele? What did you have to consider?

I showed up at my good friend Shirli’s house in the middle of the night with the ukulele. I guess she had never seen one before then and didn’t know what to make of it. I don’t think she even thought it was a real instrument. Anyhow I started playing a chord progression I had been strumming on and Shirli pulled out a napkin that she had earlier wrote some lyrics on while she was working. We recorded a rough demo the next day and then it was buried for a couple of years. Little did we know that this was the beginning of something far greater than we could ever conceive at the time.

Years later Shirli stumbled across that little demo and felt something special within that little song “Game Called Life”. She played it for some friends and family and the reviews came flooding in, people wanted more of this magic. We did some more bootleg demos and people were stoked! Shortly following the band name came and we were off and running. It was time for this little seed to grow. We decided it was time for higher quality recordings. We met with a great man named Ryan Hewitt who recorded and produced our EP and he said you’re going to need drums if you want to sell records. One man came to my mind for this musical adventure, Stuart Johnson. One of the greatest and most musical drummers in the world without a doubt.

Next came the proper low end bass player, Ryan Feves. A great man who in my mind is a world class bassists, amazing feel and tone that warms your insides. The family kept growing, it took a bit before we found the missing piece but it was worth the wait. Mike Bolger, what can’t the guy do. I mean really, he plays piano, accordion, all brass and who knows what else. But get this he can play them at the same time, that’s right piano in left hand, trumpet in right. I believe this guy has been on a million recordings, maybe more. Oh yeah and he really smokes a mean BBQ, grille master extraordinaire! No consideration when it all started because the uke was the foundation.

What’s in your ukulele collection? Any favourites?

My main uke is an old Kamaka pineapple uke, my guess is 1930 or 31, # 5416 9 – maybe someone out there can help determine the year. I hold this uke near and dear to my heart, I have picked up few ukes that can even come close to the tonal quality.

Also have a label free soprano uke with great tone but chunky fretts, still cool though. And an old soprano supertone from Sears Roebuck and Co. from maybe the 40's, very fragile little mahogany uke with a cheerful tone. A cookie tin uke that i frankensteined together using a banjolele neck that would never ever stay in tune no matter what and a holiday cookie tin with a wreath on it. An old May bell banjolele from the early 1930's. A Cigar box uke that I ripped the neck off my first label free Chinese uke for, kind-of dead sounding. A Tahitian uke with fishing line for strings ( a bit bitty ) and last but not least, also not really a ukelele, an old Wurlitzer Tiple made by C.F. Martin from the late 20's.

The pineapple takes the cake!!!!! Every time

As well as a love of ukes, we’re both enthusiastic cap wearers. What do you look for a good cap?

Comfort and versatility.

What can we expect to hear from the Leftover Cuties in the future?

Wh - Uke Hunt

The Leftover Cuties hit it big when Game Called Life was used as the theme tune to The Big C. Last week they released their debut album Place to Go (which they kindly sent me). If you liked Game Called Life, I highly recommend you pick it up. It’s the same winning combination of instant pop melodies and jazzy setting.

My favourite aspect of the album is how comfortably the ukulele sits in the band. All the tracks on the album feature backing of the classic ukulele-upright bass pairing (along with occasional other uke-friendly instruments: brass, accordion and a smattering of stylophone). I think we’re all familiar with records that announce, “Hey, look at me, I’m playing this on a ukulele,” but here it’s used much more naturally and, therefore, pleasingly.

They’re giving away the albums title track. Grab it on this doodad or on their website:



Ukulele Cutie, Austin Nicholsen generously agreed to field a few of my questions:

How did you first get into playing the ukulele? And what made you stick with it?

I had recently purchased an upright bass and thought it would be silly to pick up the smallest string instrument at that point. I thought violin, ukulele…. ukulele it is! I walked around with it for a few days playing and trying make it sound like it was remotely in tune. Then i realized, this thing is beat. Years went by and I picked it up again and that is when it really started to resonate with me. Success! The ukulele is AWESOME! Looking back at my first encounters with the uke i realized i wasn’t ready for the awesome power of this wonderful little instrument yet.

How did you go about building a band around the ukulele? What did you have to consider?

I showed up at my good friend Shirli’s house in the middle of the night with the ukulele. I guess she had never seen one before then and didn’t know what to make of it. I don’t think she even thought it was a real instrument. Anyhow I started playing a chord progression I had been strumming on and Shirli pulled out a napkin that she had earlier wrote some lyrics on while she was working. We recorded a rough demo the next day and then it was buried for a couple of years. Little did we know that this was the beginning of something far greater than we could ever conceive at the time.

Years later Shirli stumbled across that little demo and felt something special within that little song “Game Called Life”. She played it for some friends and family and the reviews came flooding in, people wanted more of this magic. We did some more bootleg demos and people were stoked! Shortly following the band name came and we were off and running. It was time for this little seed to grow. We decided it was time for higher quality recordings. We met with a great man named Ryan Hewitt who recorded and produced our EP and he said you’re going to need drums if you want to sell records. One man came to my mind for this musical adventure, Stuart Johnson. One of the greatest and most musical drummers in the world without a doubt.

Next came the proper low end bass player, Ryan Feves. A great man who in my mind is a world class bassists, amazing feel and tone that warms your insides. The family kept growing, it took a bit before we found the missing piece but it was worth the wait. Mike Bolger, what can’t the guy do. I mean really, he plays piano, accordion, all brass and who knows what else. But get this he can play them at the same time, that’s right piano in left hand, trumpet in right. I believe this guy has been on a million recordings, maybe more. Oh yeah and he really smokes a mean BBQ, grille master extraordinaire! No consideration when it all started because the uke was the foundation.

What’s in your ukulele collection? Any favourites?

My main uke is an old Kamaka pineapple uke, my guess is 1930 or 31, # 5416 9 – maybe someone out there can help determine the year. I hold this uke near and dear to my heart, I have picked up few ukes that can even come close to the tonal quality.

Also have a label free soprano uke with great tone but chunky fretts, still cool though. And an old soprano supertone from Sears Roebuck and Co. from maybe the 40's, very fragile little mahogany uke with a cheerful tone. A cookie tin uke that i frankensteined together using a banjolele neck that would never ever stay in tune no matter what and a holiday cookie tin with a wreath on it. An old May bell banjolele from the early 1930's. A Cigar box uke that I ripped the neck off my first label free Chinese uke for, kind-of dead sounding. A Tahitian uke with fishing line for strings ( a bit bitty ) and last but not least, also not really a ukelele, an old Wurlitzer Tiple made by C.F. Martin from the late 20's.

The pineapple takes the cake!!!!! Every time

As well as a love of ukes, we’re both enthusiastic cap wearers. What do you look for a good cap?

Comfort and versatility.

What can we expect to hear from the Leftover Cuties in the future?

Wh - Uke Hunt

I came across The Leftover Cuties on the announcement wall of the Amoeba record store. Their poster was lovely and the name tickled my curiosity. I listened to their single “Game Called Life” and I was hooked. The playfulness and the sultry voice of songstress Shirli McAllen appeased me. The sound reflects the 1940’s.

They have already released their first EP, “Game Called Life,” and are in the process of working on their first full-length album. I can’t wait.

Watched in awe last night at First Friday/Abbot Kinney! Stellar performance! The unique sound of her majestic voice echoed over the crowds and literally blessed the ears of the masses! What a phenomena is her voice! Keep uo the good work! We Want More!! - Life's Elegant Vibrations

Leftover Cuties
Hotel Café
Hollywood, CA


Material: Imagine the voices of Billie Holiday and Peggy Lee with combined vocal style of Mama Cass and you’ll get a feel for sultry songstress Shirli McAllen. Then throw in jazz/folk instrumentation made up of ukuleles, standup bass, luscious harmonies and brush-touched percussion and you’ll get the full sound of the Leftover Cuties. The best songs in the Cuties set are “Game Called Life” and ‘Lost In the Sea” which has a catchy melody and contains appealing harmonies throughout.

Musicianship: McAllen is the focal point of the band and her voice has a unique style, gliding sweetly through the mellow tunes and occasionally singing a melody that displays her powerful technique and range. For such a small instrument, Austin Nicholsen plays a graceful and sophisticated ukulele that ultimately portrays the theme of music these players are aiming for. Ruthie Garibay, the Cuties backup singer, is charming and a perfect fit- with a look, style and voice like old style crooners the Andrew Sisters. Stand up bassist Feves and percussionist Johnson is the backbone of the band with strong performance and dynamic playing.

Performance: The Leftover Cuties gave an endearing performance. The band presented a theatre-like quality to their show with backdrops of antique desks with lamps. McAllen Truly shined as front women while the rest of the Cuties were in full form and appeared to be thoroughly enjoying entertaining the capacity crowd. Further, each member was dressed to reflect a time in the 40’s and 50’s, adding to their nostalgic theme.

Summary: Leftover Cuties are a talented group with a unique sound to call their own, one that separates them from the vast sea of bands on the scene. The Cuties should use this in their favor to develop a niche of devoted followers. – Anne O’neary- Music Connection Magazine
- Music Connection Magazine

A vintage jazz-pop glow exudes from this amiable act, whose hefty helpings of ukulele, standup bass and even whistling spotlight their throwback tendencies. On top of it all is frontwoman Shirli McAllen, whose voice is a pure melodic instrument. "Places To Go" nails the band's ability to be both timeline and modern - thanks mainly to modern sound techniques - like an old-tyme Lilly Allen. No wonder this unique band, a KCRW favorite, stands out from the pack. - Music Connection Magazine

Strolls in the park are so much sweeter with the dulcet melodies of The Leftover Cuties. The duet exudes a sound that transcends our time and travels back to the better days on Pearl Harbor.
Derived from a world of plump floral dresses and tweed cab hats, the style of the Cuties is that of the 1940’s and 1950’s. Their music seems to have been produced in a jazz club with a hint of blues on the side. Their songs feature singer Shirli McAllen’s somber voice which smoothly compliments the up-beat melodies of bassist Austin Nicholson’s ukulele and the rest of the band.
Their tale began as a jam session among friends McAllen and Nicholson. To their delight, the result tickled their fancy and it soon led to the birth of their first song “Game Called Life.”
After the Cuties perfected their craft, they played their first show in late 2008 to a full house. Their debut EP “Game Called Life” soon followed.
I was notified by the group that they are currently working on their forthcoming full-length album which will be released in late 2009. I was also told that they are in the process of doing a cover of Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” which we hope to have up promptly for your listening pleasure. I enjoy when a group can dabble across genres since I feel that some of the best music can, at times, come from such experimentation.
More exciting news, the Cuties just released their first music video yesterday and is available for viewing below along with their “Lost in the Sea” mp3.
The leftover cuties are in the process of booking new shows but if you find yourself in the Los Angeles area, catch them live in Venice on August 7th as a part of the “First Fridays On Abbot Kinney.” - Modern Mystery

Strolls in the park are so much sweeter with the dulcet melodies of The Leftover Cuties. The duet exudes a sound that transcends our time and travels back to the better days on Pearl Harbor.
Derived from a world of plump floral dresses and tweed cab hats, the style of the Cuties is that of the 1940’s and 1950’s. Their music seems to have been produced in a jazz club with a hint of blues on the side. Their songs feature singer Shirli McAllen’s somber voice which smoothly compliments the up-beat melodies of bassist Austin Nicholson’s ukulele and the rest of the band.
Their tale began as a jam session among friends McAllen and Nicholson. To their delight, the result tickled their fancy and it soon led to the birth of their first song “Game Called Life.”
After the Cuties perfected their craft, they played their first show in late 2008 to a full house. Their debut EP “Game Called Life” soon followed.
I was notified by the group that they are currently working on their forthcoming full-length album which will be released in late 2009. I was also told that they are in the process of doing a cover of Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” which we hope to have up promptly for your listening pleasure. I enjoy when a group can dabble across genres since I feel that some of the best music can, at times, come from such experimentation.
More exciting news, the Cuties just released their first music video yesterday and is available for viewing below along with their “Lost in the Sea” mp3.
The leftover cuties are in the process of booking new shows but if you find yourself in the Los Angeles area, catch them live in Venice on August 7th as a part of the “First Fridays On Abbot Kinney.” - Modern Mystery

Recently, I was listening to a Leftover Cuties track when my mother, who barely knows anything about modern music, commented that the track was reminiscent of music from "the past." That blanket statement that might seem rather uninformative initially, but musically disinclined as she is, my mother was quite correct on her assertion. Leftover Cuties immediately bring to mind vintage fashion and jazz clubs circa the '40s and '50s. Their sound is a revitalized take on music from a time that seems more distant than it is -- a time when artists like Billie Holiday and Etta James roamed the musical streets.

The four-piece band's latest disc, Game Called Life, is a charming five track EP that pulls from the past and reminds the public of the great music they've forgotten while moving into the 21st century. At the heart of this sound is the sultry voice of Shirli McAllen, backed by the harmonies of Ruthie Garibay. An underlying blend of ukulele, harmonica, whistle, bass, and light percussion by Austin Nicholsen and Stuart Johnson guarantee a sense of class and playfulness to even the most desperate of Leftover Cuties' tracks.

Having just played their first show in late 2008, the band is anticipating the release of a full-length in late 2009. If promoted correctly, they could make some serious waves. They've developed a sound that seems like much more than just a flash in the pan, and they've got an elegant aesthetic to match. Akin to how bands like DeVotchKa and Gogol Bordello brought gypsy punk to the indie rock masses, a band like Leftover Cuties could start a similar movement, by reminding the indie rock masses of the overlooked jazzy greatness of the near past. - Redefine Magazine

Recently, I was listening to a Leftover Cuties track when my mother, who barely knows anything about modern music, commented that the track was reminiscent of music from "the past." That blanket statement that might seem rather uninformative initially, but musically disinclined as she is, my mother was quite correct on her assertion. Leftover Cuties immediately bring to mind vintage fashion and jazz clubs circa the '40s and '50s. Their sound is a revitalized take on music from a time that seems more distant than it is -- a time when artists like Billie Holiday and Etta James roamed the musical streets.

The four-piece band's latest disc, Game Called Life, is a charming five track EP that pulls from the past and reminds the public of the great music they've forgotten while moving into the 21st century. At the heart of this sound is the sultry voice of Shirli McAllen, backed by the harmonies of Ruthie Garibay. An underlying blend of ukulele, harmonica, whistle, bass, and light percussion by Austin Nicholsen and Stuart Johnson guarantee a sense of class and playfulness to even the most desperate of Leftover Cuties' tracks.

Having just played their first show in late 2008, the band is anticipating the release of a full-length in late 2009. If promoted correctly, they could make some serious waves. They've developed a sound that seems like much more than just a flash in the pan, and they've got an elegant aesthetic to match. Akin to how bands like DeVotchKa and Gogol Bordello brought gypsy punk to the indie rock masses, a band like Leftover Cuties could start a similar movement, by reminding the indie rock masses of the overlooked jazzy greatness of the near past. - Redefine Magazine

The sultry sounds of Leftover Cuties made me stop in my tracks. The beautiful melody was filling the streets as the band seduced the crowd from the front porch of 1524. As I stopped, the wide platform like front steps of this Craftsman Style bungalow drew me closer to the music. I peeked my head inside. WOW, WOW, WOW! I was amazed! I had no idea what I was walking into, but I am so glad I did.

You must check out Leftover Cutie's website, it's new and it is so, so adorable. Seriously I think you'll actually start blowing at the screen, it's that great!! The sound is seductive so be prepared.

- Yolksy

A new Beatles tribute album featuring Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Leftover Cuties and eight other indie rock and folk acts covering songs from the early days of Beatlemania will raise money for Rock n’ Roll Camp For Girls Los Angeles.

The “Beatles Reimagined” collection, due Oct. 1 on the Community Music label, targets John Lennon and Paul McCartneys songs the Beatles recorded in 1963 and 1964, including “I Saw Her Standing There,” which the Magnetic Zeros have recorded, “There’s a Place” (Leftover Cuties”), “She Loves You” (Badwolf), “All My Loving” (the Well Pennies), “Please Please Me” (Adventure Galley) and five others.

TIMELINE: Summer's must see concerts

“The Beatles are the band I think of the most when I’m considering if the music I’m making is good enough,” lead singer Sharpe and main songwriter Alex Ebert said in a statement.

Parameters of the project required that each artist had to be indie, no artists could be born during the Beatles era, new versions could not merely be a straight Beatles cover and all songs had to be drawn from 1963-1964. “There’s nothing left for the Beatles but to be relevant to today's music,” said Herb Jordan, CEO of the Adage Group, which partnered last year with Round Hill Music to acquire North American publishing rights to Beatles songs from 1963-64.

Other acts on the album are Mobley, Feverbody, Night Panther, Jhameel and Doom & Gloom. All net profits from album sales will benefit Rock n’ Roll Camp for Girls Los Angeles, which takes girls through a week of training with female mentors, who teach them about writing original songs, live performance and forming bands.
- LA Times

Los Angeles band Leftover Cuties has announced their sophomore full-length The Spark & The Fire, set for release this summer. The band has performed alongside bands like The Alabama Shakes and Shelby Lynne, and the band has been featured as one of our own Best of What’s Next artists.

The lineup has changed a bit since their inception in 2009, which originally included only vocalist Shirli McAllen on ukelele and upright bassist Austin Nicholson. Now a quartet, Leftover Cuties is continues to produce unique, poppy sound that will surely have fans anxious to hear the new record.

You can listen to the first single from The Spark & The Fire, “One Heart,” in the player below. Leftover Cuties is set to embark on a national tour this month, and you can view upcoming dates here. - Paste Magazine

Leftover Cuties is a self-described noir-pop band from Los Angeles. The quartet released its second LP, The Spark & The Fire, last month, and The A.V. Club has the latest single exclusively right here. “Once Again” is a piano-driven tune that’s as catchy as it is bitter. There’s something about the so-sweetly-sung and sad lyrics combined with up-tempo horns and major cords that really sticks.

Leftover Cuties have also been on tour this summer to promote The Spark & The Fire, and there are still some chances to catch them live. A full list of dates is below the track. - A.V Club

It’s 1958, and the Sadie Hawkins dance is coming to a close. You’re on the dance floor with your sweetheart, locked in an embrace as the DJ announces the last slow dance of the night. He plays the Leftover Cuties‘ “Clarity,” and you begin to sway – at least that’s what this track might make you think.

Equally as suited for a secret jazz club as a school dance, “Clarity” showcases the Cuties’ frontwoman Shirli McAllen’s chops as both a singer and a songwriter. “I wrote ‘Clarity’ on an old 4=string guitar that was lent to me,” says McAllen. “I find that sometimes a new instrument can inspire you to write something different.”

McAllen’s warm, sultry voice is equally as comforting as the lyrics, which offer loving support to a struggling soul. “Someone in my life was losing perspective, and though you can’t always fully understand what a person is going through, you feel the need to reach out,” she says.

Check out the song below. - American Songwriter

Leftover Cuties (We're Talking About The Band)

With a name like Leftover Cuties, your first inclination might be to think some LA douchebag is referring to what he considers to be the remaining ladies (or males - depending on your orientation...or even your gender) at the end of the night. Clever name. I won't be the next Los Angeleno to use the term in public because, one, I'm not a douchebag, and two, someone will be saying it to refer to the band that is playing at The Hotel Cafe tonight in Hollywood, CA.

You may have heard Leftover Cuties on the opening credits of Showtimes's "The Big C" or you might have checked them out over at www.leftovercuties.com or at Casa del Mar Hotel in Santa Monica. Where you should hear them next is kicking off your December 2010 tonight. Why?

As young scenester journalist Lauren Lomma said "the lead singer is a petite but soulful woman full of 1920's Hollywood glamour and pipes comparable to Billie Holiday's. Her voice is sultry, sweet and absolute perfection. ... Leftover Cuties have the kind of sound that will take you straight back into the old days of blues and jive, smoking parlors, and speakeasies."

After seeing them cover songs like "At Last" and "Poker Face" at their weekly gig at Casa del Mar Hotel, the perfect backdrop to their old school, Boardwalk Empire feel - Lomma urged me and all SUPERGOODMUSIC readers to go see them at The Hotel Cafe. The band - despite their laid-back, humble demeanor and old school feel - employ a worldly combination of instruments to back the big bodied vocals, including trumpet, trombone, ukelele, maracas, stand up bass, drums and piano.

So, if you go, thank the Lommabot (@lomfry3) for the recommendation and cheers her with a glass of fine Scotch - SUPERGOOD's suggested drink pairing (we're also music sommeliers). If you can't make it there tonight, then check them out on www.leftovercuties.com.
- http://supergoodmusic.blogspot.com

SESAC affiliates Leftover Cuties will have their song “Game Called Life” featured as the theme song on the anticipated new Showtime series, “The Big C” on August 16. The show stars Academy Award nominated actress Laura Linney as a woman dealing with the realities of a cancer diagnosis.





- SESAC

SESAC affiliates Leftover Cuties will have their song “Game Called Life” featured as the theme song on the anticipated new Showtime series, “The Big C” on August 16. The show stars Academy Award nominated actress Laura Linney as a woman dealing with the realities of a cancer diagnosis.





- SESAC

MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 2010
Billie Holiday + palm-thatched hut in 1940's Waikiki + Hipster Jazz Renaissance = Leftover Cuties


Imagine yourself being thrust back into the 1940's, deep into the bowells of New York, in some underground jazz club. The air is ripe with the smell of smoke, booze is flowing freely, and the sounds of a warm sultry voice cut through the hazy hallway in which you're standing. Is that Etta James singing? Maybe Ella Fitzgerald? Woah-where the hell am I?!?

This is exactly what went through my head last Saturday night while at a house party in Venice, California. The voice was Shirli McAllen, lead singer of Leftover Cuties, and like the sirens call to Odysseus, it was hard not to fall immediately in love with her. Dressed stylishly, as if just coming from Gatsby's house, McAllen and her band are the complete package. Backing her is a blend of ukulele, harmonica, whistle, bass, and light percussion. All of their tunes are rather dreamy, and come across as free spirited jam sessions. Think Amy Winehouse but more jazzy.

They just released a new EP called "Game Called Life." Go buy it, but be forewarned: their deep, yet playful sound is like a drug and in this case everybody will get stoned.

strictlybangers.blogspot.com
- striclybangers.blogpost.com

"Late adds Leftover Cuties transported a packed room to the underground jazz clubs of 1930’s New York" - KCRW Music Blog

Following their 2009 EP, Game Called Life, their new album, Places to Go, carries a fresh course of songs for you to sink your ears into. The album embodies eerie coos, backing vocals and dainty lyrics from the song bell Shirli McAllen. Adding the right touch of sweetness, Ryan Feves and Stuart Johnson provide smoky basslines and vibrant drums to an already charming sound. To round out the happy-go-lucky indie jazz band, vibrant horns, a tickling piano and a smooth accordion are placed throughout the album from Mike Bolger. And with a well-balanced mix of ukulele, from Austin Nicholson, Leftover Cuties produce the perfect bittersweet love album for a warm summer’s day.

Places to Go is a perfect accessory to accompany your summer, and the Leftover Cuties are definitely a band to watch. If you haven’t seen them yet, the band performs live for their album release show June 2 at Bardot.

Grade: A



Places to Go is currently available.
- Campus Circle

Following their 2009 EP, Game Called Life, their new album, Places to Go, carries a fresh course of songs for you to sink your ears into. The album embodies eerie coos, backing vocals and dainty lyrics from the song bell Shirli McAllen. Adding the right touch of sweetness, Ryan Feves and Stuart Johnson provide smoky basslines and vibrant drums to an already charming sound. To round out the happy-go-lucky indie jazz band, vibrant horns, a tickling piano and a smooth accordion are placed throughout the album from Mike Bolger. And with a well-balanced mix of ukulele, from Austin Nicholson, Leftover Cuties produce the perfect bittersweet love album for a warm summer’s day.

Places to Go is a perfect accessory to accompany your summer, and the Leftover Cuties are definitely a band to watch. If you haven’t seen them yet, the band performs live for their album release show June 2 at Bardot.

Grade: A



Places to Go is currently available.
- Campus Circle

Hollywood, CA – In such a personal and intimate setting, one starts to question how all these people will fit. Nevertheless, as the headlining band gets ready to play, the crown swarms. Lining up shoulder to shoulder, against walls, railings, on steps, and even standing on top of the old-themed sofas; all this in hopes to have the best view of one of the most unique sounds in the Los Angeles music scene.

The Leftover Cuties hosted its new album launch show, titled “Places To Go”, at historic Bardot of Hollywood on a Thursday night that sent the audience through a rollercoaster of emotions.

Off their debut EP album “Game Called Life” whose single with the same title garnered the group much acclaim that Showtime’s original series “The Big C” used it as their theme song, the Leftover Cuties launched their second album with the same smooth and serene sounds that made the band popular.



The driving force of the Leftover Cuties’ awe is in large part due to lead singer Shirli McAllen. Sitting, or standing as the case was, within the confines of Bardot, one couldn’t help but be transformed back to the early 20th century by McAllen’s sensual and seductive voice.

Let it be through her rendition of upbeat songs like “Lost At Sea” and “Places To Go”, or through the more somber melodies of “I Miss You” or “I Would”, McAllen’s voice and demeanor is emblematic of the words and the melody each song carries. Simply put, McAllen doesn’t sing; she makes love to the microphone.

Of course the unidentifiable uniqueness that the Leftover Cuties possess would be nothing if not for the other members of the band. Stuart Johnson, Ryan Feves, Mike Bolger, and Austin Nicholsen, are all multi-talented musicians that add depth to the Leftover Cuties.

Let’s be honest folks, how many bands have you seen that integrate a ukulele alongside an accordion? That is the charm of this band.

To enjoy the Leftover Cuties, is to experience them in person, as the crowd at Bardot did Thursday night. With wine or whiskey at hand, closed eyes or in the arms of a loved one, the Leftover Cuties brought out the interior sentimentalist in everyone. They managed to hit a soft spot, wherever it may be, of anyone who listened to their sound.

They transcend music, what they do is magical. Because to be able to allow one to escape reality, forget the troubles of the world, and realize that there is still something beautiful to live for, is to create magic.

And the Leftover Cuties have found the secret. Who would have known it was all underneath a ukulele, an accordion, drums, and an angelic voice.

- Juan Carlos Salas - See Note Music

Hollywood, CA – In such a personal and intimate setting, one starts to question how all these people will fit. Nevertheless, as the headlining band gets ready to play, the crown swarms. Lining up shoulder to shoulder, against walls, railings, on steps, and even standing on top of the old-themed sofas; all this in hopes to have the best view of one of the most unique sounds in the Los Angeles music scene.

The Leftover Cuties hosted its new album launch show, titled “Places To Go”, at historic Bardot of Hollywood on a Thursday night that sent the audience through a rollercoaster of emotions.

Off their debut EP album “Game Called Life” whose single with the same title garnered the group much acclaim that Showtime’s original series “The Big C” used it as their theme song, the Leftover Cuties launched their second album with the same smooth and serene sounds that made the band popular.



The driving force of the Leftover Cuties’ awe is in large part due to lead singer Shirli McAllen. Sitting, or standing as the case was, within the confines of Bardot, one couldn’t help but be transformed back to the early 20th century by McAllen’s sensual and seductive voice.

Let it be through her rendition of upbeat songs like “Lost At Sea” and “Places To Go”, or through the more somber melodies of “I Miss You” or “I Would”, McAllen’s voice and demeanor is emblematic of the words and the melody each song carries. Simply put, McAllen doesn’t sing; she makes love to the microphone.

Of course the unidentifiable uniqueness that the Leftover Cuties possess would be nothing if not for the other members of the band. Stuart Johnson, Ryan Feves, Mike Bolger, and Austin Nicholsen, are all multi-talented musicians that add depth to the Leftover Cuties.

Let’s be honest folks, how many bands have you seen that integrate a ukulele alongside an accordion? That is the charm of this band.

To enjoy the Leftover Cuties, is to experience them in person, as the crowd at Bardot did Thursday night. With wine or whiskey at hand, closed eyes or in the arms of a loved one, the Leftover Cuties brought out the interior sentimentalist in everyone. They managed to hit a soft spot, wherever it may be, of anyone who listened to their sound.

They transcend music, what they do is magical. Because to be able to allow one to escape reality, forget the troubles of the world, and realize that there is still something beautiful to live for, is to create magic.

And the Leftover Cuties have found the secret. Who would have known it was all underneath a ukulele, an accordion, drums, and an angelic voice.

- Juan Carlos Salas - See Note Music

The Leftover Cuties fittingly describes their sound as “noir pop.” Whatever it is, debut LP, Places to Go, spins up super sexy swank full of vintage '40s and '50s pop sounds, with shades of Rachel Goodrich and Gin Wigmore.

The L.A. quintet started out as a duo in 2010 when Israeli native, Shirli McAllen (singer) got together with Austin Nicholsen (ukulele and others) after spending a couple of years trying to make her way through the LA. Club scene. The duo later added Mike Bolger (on keyboards, horns & the accordion) and Ryan Feves (bass), and Stuart Johnson (drums) to form their current lineup and signature big sound. The past year has been fast and furious for the Cuties, with music critics fawning over their debut Game Called Life EP, songs featured on two hit TV shows, and over 100 gigs.

A few songs from the upcoming LP are out and about. The rockin’ title track, “Places to Go,” “Movin’ On,” “Should’ve Left You,” and the fun “Lost in the Sea.” All carried by McAllen’s seductive vocals, and stylized phrasing. If these few tracks are an indication of great things to come, the new album promises to be a gorgeous affair.

We’ve included the video for “Game Called Life” (which was reportedly written on a napkin in about 5 minutes) below. It’s not on the album, but they also do a mean cover of Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face.”

Places to Go is due out on May 31, and is available for pre-order on their website, and Leftover Cuties are planning a U.S. tour in support of the new album, so look for them over the summer in your neck of the woods. - Inyourspeakers.com

The Leftover Cuties fittingly describes their sound as “noir pop.” Whatever it is, debut LP, Places to Go, spins up super sexy swank full of vintage '40s and '50s pop sounds, with shades of Rachel Goodrich and Gin Wigmore.

The L.A. quintet started out as a duo in 2010 when Israeli native, Shirli McAllen (singer) got together with Austin Nicholsen (ukulele and others) after spending a couple of years trying to make her way through the LA. Club scene. The duo later added Mike Bolger (on keyboards, horns & the accordion) and Ryan Feves (bass), and Stuart Johnson (drums) to form their current lineup and signature big sound. The past year has been fast and furious for the Cuties, with music critics fawning over their debut Game Called Life EP, songs featured on two hit TV shows, and over 100 gigs.

A few songs from the upcoming LP are out and about. The rockin’ title track, “Places to Go,” “Movin’ On,” “Should’ve Left You,” and the fun “Lost in the Sea.” All carried by McAllen’s seductive vocals, and stylized phrasing. If these few tracks are an indication of great things to come, the new album promises to be a gorgeous affair.

We’ve included the video for “Game Called Life” (which was reportedly written on a napkin in about 5 minutes) below. It’s not on the album, but they also do a mean cover of Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face.”

Places to Go is due out on May 31, and is available for pre-order on their website, and Leftover Cuties are planning a U.S. tour in support of the new album, so look for them over the summer in your neck of the woods. - Inyourspeakers.com

Leftover Cuties- Places To Go

Talk about making quick work. Though Leftover Cuties have only existed since 2010, the self described ‘noir pop’ band have already played over 100 gigs, released a highly praised EP (Game Called Life) and have seen placement on 2 popular TV shows. Armed with accordions, horns, ukuleles, upright bass and brushed drums, the quickly rising stars have been crafting their signature sound with plenty of nods to 40‘s and 50‘s pop, yet with a style and sophistication that is very contemporary.

Full of carefree, breezy, upbeat arrangements, Leftover Cuties remind us of a time when smoke infested jazz joints were all the rage, utilizing vintage pop melodies, and sultry vocals to create a very distinguished and unique sound. Reminiscent of what you might expect to hear in a 60's Hollywood lounge, the band possess undeniably sexy swagger, and pen fun and soothing gems armed with atypical instruments that seem made for sitting on the beach surrounded by a bonfire. An instantly memorable collection of throwback sounds and quirky pop arrangments that brings to mind prohibition and speakeasies, Places To Go is an undeniably captivating listen.

With the aid of legendary producer Tony Berg (Peter Gabriel, Pete Yorn) a highly polished and feverishly infectious debut LP is born, an excellent example of how to bridge the gap between vintage and modern of a seemingly forgotten genre. Perhaps the most aptly titled disc in recent history, Leftover Cuties, with their charming hooks and frontwoman Shirli McAllen’s unmistakably silky voice, are clearly as far from stagnant as possible and there’s no doubt this young outfit have a lengthy and accomplished career ahead of them. - TheBykeRack

Combining the musical stylings of the 40s and 50s, sultry voice that fits like spandex (in a good way) and a ukulele, Leftover Cuties are a group that are making their mark on the current music scene.



Fronted by singer/songwriter, Shirli McAllen, Leftover Cuties are preparing to release their debut full-length album (produced by Tony Berg) in May.

To get you familiar and excited for the release, we have a free download of the group's tune, "Places To Go," from that forthcoming record. Download it below!
- FILTER Magazine

Combining the musical stylings of the 40s and 50s, sultry voice that fits like spandex (in a good way) and a ukulele, Leftover Cuties are a group that are making their mark on the current music scene.



Fronted by singer/songwriter, Shirli McAllen, Leftover Cuties are preparing to release their debut full-length album (produced by Tony Berg) in May.

To get you familiar and excited for the release, we have a free download of the group's tune, "Places To Go," from that forthcoming record. Download it below!
- FILTER Magazine

Video interview with Leftover Cuties - Music Connection Magazine

Video interview with Leftover Cuties - Music Connection Magazine

Show preview and video posting in "Locals" section of website - 98.7 KYSR Los Angeles

Lead vocalist Shirli McAllen exudes an intoxicating flare of confidence, playing masseuse on your ears and sucking you in with her sugary sweet vocals. Welcoming sounds of the ukulele, upright bass, and horns resurrect antiquated scenes from old jazz clubs. It’s all very refreshing, but simultaneously familiar. - KROQ.com

“We’re influenced by the music of the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s, but [our music] is very modern and original in its own right,” says Shirli McAllen, lead singer of Leftover Cuties. “Out of all the descriptions that I’ve heard, the one that I like the most is ‘pop noire.’”

The label conjures up images of McAllen and the rest of her smartly dressed and well-coiffed band members slinking through steamy back alleys with toy guns that blow bubbles, but the description is apropos. Leftover Cuties aren’t a throwback band, but their sound does pay homage to a time when piano players, brown liquor, and the risqué daughters of former flappers played starring roles in backroom clubs. With their critically hailed Game Of Life EP behind them—whose title tune became the theme to Showtime’s The Big C—and a highly anticipated LP of cover songs on the horizon, Leftover Cuties are poised to breakout big in 2012. We caught up with McAllen just before the band ventured off to South By Southwest to find out what it was like to cover Lady Gaga and sing in front of 30,000 San Diego Padres fans.

FULL INTERVIEW AT LINK - Chinashop Magazine

Leftover Cuties doll up vintage jazz-pop for the speakeasies of 2011, and in their hands it’s easy to hear why this sound never grows old. With her sultry pipes and precise phrasing, singer Shirli McAllen recalls plenty of lounge singers who got too big to play lounges (and also brings to mind Suzanne Santos of L.A. duo HoneyHoney), and abetted by Austin Nicholsen’s ukulele, Ryan Feves’ upright bass, Stuart Johnson on drums and the keys/horn/accordion from Mike Bolger, the results are coy, sexy and smart. The title track to their album “Places to Go” (produced by Tony Berg and out May 31) turns a cliché into a nifty chorus, and the track “Game Called Life” has gained wide exposure as the theme song to the Showtime series “The Big C.” Just add scotch and a cigar. - BuzzBands.LA

Don't let the name fool you -- the Leftover Cuties are anything but stale. The L.A. quintet has been making crowds swoon with their fresh, sultry take on vintage jazz-pop that incorporates everything from horns to ukuleles. Their sound has made them a staple at speakeasies in their hometown, and their tune "Game Called Life" is the theme for the hit Showtime series "The Big C."

Next week, the Cuties head to Texas for their first SXSW showcase, where they'll play two highly anticipated shows (including one curated by Miles Davis' family). But first, they'll stop in Las Vegas for a three-night stint at the Cosmopolitan's Chandelier bar beginning this Thursday at 9 p.m.

I recently spoke with chanteuse Shirli McAllen from her home in L.A., where she weighed in on the upcoming gigs, covering Lady Gaga with a ukulele and the best cocktail to drink with their music. Here's what she had to say: - Las Vegas Sun

Have you ever listened to an album and then wanted to go out and buy and learn an instrument because you were so inspired by its use in the album? Well Places to Go, the debut album from Leftover Cuties, will make you want to buy a ukelele. Within a few minutes of putting the album on, you'll find yourself wondering why more artists and bands don't use one. Give it a few more minutes and you'll come to the conclusion that it's probably because most bands couldn't utilize the ukelele half as well.

Leftover Cuties takes an old-school sound and pumps it full of modern life and energy. The vocals, powerfully produced by Shirli McAllen, are strong yet smooth, with a distinct accent and charm that makes the listener take an interest. The ukelele complements these vocals perfectly, the two sounds dancing around each other masterfully. The brushed drums, upright bass, and accordion all add their own touch to the mix to create a sound that will have listeners tapping their feet and bobbing their heads. It's the kind of music you can play in public and have strangers come up to ask who is making that wonderful noise.

The album's title song, “Places to Go,” combines the entrancing sound of the Leftover Cuties with the kind of feminine independence and strength in its lyrics that will make this song a hit quickly. The other songs also combine the powerful blended sound with lyrics that promise to entice and engross the listener. The album is worth a listen, and this is certainly a band to look out for. - The Celebrity Cafe

Leftover Cuties were featured on Fox's TV morning show "Good Day LA" - Fox 1

Last year PopMatters’ Chris Conaton said of LA’s Leftover Cuties, “If you’re bored with Adele’s retro soul and Mumford and Sons’ take on Americana, Leftover Cuties may have the next throwback sound you’re looking for: 1930s vocal jazz. And like those acts, they do their thing quite well.” Well, I’m a sucker for ‘20s and ‘30s music and vocal jazz and, in fact, it might be just about my favorite era for popular music, so this band hits all my sweet spots. Lead singer Shirli McAllen captures that coy but sexy, sophisticated but a rather saucy style of the ‘20s/‘30s chanteuses, while contemporizing the approach enough to make her a possible indie poster girl.

Following last year’s Places to Go, Leftover Cuties have just released a covers EP, Departures featuring takes on tunes by Etta James, Coldplay, Lady Gaga and more. On the video, we are premiering today, the band performs Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right”, which is also available on the EP.

McAllen says, “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right’ is one of my all-time favorite songs. Bob Dylan is a songwriting god in my book and I always wanted to sing one of his songs. There’s always a little bit of a doubt when you’re about to mess around with a classic song so I was worried about not doing it justice. But the recording process was really magical, and the result is something we are all very proud of. In fact, the song became our favorite track on the EP, so naturally we wanted to make a video for it. We made this beautiful, simple video which I think perfectly fits the tone of the song and lets the lyrics shine as they should.” - Popmatters.com

By Brent Burns
Los Angeles

The Hotel Cafe is one of my favorite venues. Hidden in an alley off the Cahuenga Boulevard strip, the Hotel Cafe originally opened as a coffee shop by Max Mamikunian and Marko Shafer, two aspiring screenwriters, but has quickly earned a reputation as a premier intimate performance space.

Needless to say, this venue was the perfect setting for the heartbreaking and heart-soaring songs of indie pop collective Leftover Cuties, where every note and every breath sounded crystal-clear. Embellished with jazzy horns and a bluesy guitar, the band opened with the title track from their debut album, 2011's Places To Go. The song exemplifies Leftover Cuties' signature sound: polished production qualities, accessible melodies and string accompaniment — blessed with the sonorous vocals of lead singer Shirli McAllen. I could almost feel the sun on my face as the fun sounds made me want to toss Hula-Hoops and surfboards into the car for a sojourn to the beach.

McAllen's voice features variations in pitch, and the speed with which her pitch varies molds everything she sings into a work of art. To know her — or at least to watch her perform — is to love her. She is a natural performer with an emotional depth, accompanied onstage by an impressive and rare combination of creative talents. The upright bass (Ryan Feves), accordion and horns (Mike Bolger), brushed drums (Stuart Johnson), and ukulele (Austin Nicholsen) are a few tricks this band uses to lure its way into your heart and possibly break it. Have you ever loved anyone so dearly that it seems only a song could justify the feeling you have in your heart? McAllen's voice personifies the very sound by which those words flow through my heart and mind.

Leftover Cuties played 15 tracks, rotating between the 11 blustery yet streetwise songs of their Tony Berg-produced Places To Go, and their new EP of cover songs, Departures, which features songs ranging from Regina Spektor's "Fidelity" and Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" to Coldplay's "Trouble." The band even shared a couple songs they're already working on for their new album just to ensure they completely satiated all of our summoned senses for the evening.

Last night's set left me with chills. The way the band's notes slide around, veering on the precipice, like they're about to fall off the cliff, and the way McAllen achieves such emotional depth with such nuance and subtlety from her accompanying bandmates made for an inspiring performance. The crowd stood shoulder-to-shoulder, but that didn't stop the sway of the room. How many bands can capture the sweet sadness of saying farewell to summer love with simple vocals over chugging drums and rich acoustic guitar plucks, while at the same time remind the listener that there are still memories to keep you warm in the fall?

It's clear that Leftover Cuties' journey has just begun, promising a rich and rewarding career, lovingly toying with one heart at a time. - Grammy.com

Los Angeles-based noir-pop quartet Leftover Cuties just released their highly anticipated sophomore full-length album, The Spark & The Fire! A 12-track journey that swings from smoke-filled Bourbon St. speakeasies to quiet island getaways, the LP is now available via the band's webstore, plus iTunes and other prominent digital retailers.

On The Spark & The Fire, Shirli McAllen's silky voice provides the hook as the band's sound pulls you in with upright bass, accordion, piano, brass, brushed drums- and yes, the ukulele. Album cut "Once Again" is a beguiling, deliciously infectious tune filled with Shirli's trademark smoky vocals atop a flurry of bittersweet instrumentation.

Leftover Cuties are currently on a full US tour this summer, giving new fans their first chance to see the Cuties' captivating live show. The band has performed alongside Shelby Lynne, Alabama Shakes, Saint Motel, the Be Good Tanyas and many more.

Catch Leftover Cuties LIVE
8/7: Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506
8/9: Tampa, FL @ Straz Center at Jaeb Theater
8/10: Jacksonville, FL @ Underbelly
8/12: Mandeville, LA @ Ruby's Roadhouse
8/13: Fort Worth, TX @ Live Oak Music Hall
8/14: Austin, TX @ Stubbs Jr.
8/17: Phoenix, AZ @ MIM Music Theater
8/21: Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Bar
9/4: Seattle, WA @ Triple Door
9/5: Portland, OR @ White Eagle Saloon
9/7: Fresno, CA @ The Painted Table
9/8: Larkspur, CA @ Marin Country Mart
9/13: San Diego, CA @ The Griffin
- BWW Music World

By Todd Richard Stevens

Los Angeles-based noir-pop quarter Leftover Cuties are primed to release their sophomore full-length album, The Spark & the Fire, on 7/23. The band just revealed the theatrical video for hit single One Heart. A powerhouse track filled with handclaps & stomping percussion, the Barcelona-filmed video features a brassy jazz-pop orchestra led by sultry Israeli-bred chanteuse Shirli McAllen in a prohibition-era mansion. Leftover Cuties recently embarked on a full US tour, giving new fans their first chance to see the Cuties’ captivating live show.

Leftover Cuties embody all of that goodness on their debut album Places To Go. Produced by Tony Berg (Bob Dylan, Michael Penn, Jesca Hoop), the eleven breezy, sophisticated songs evoke a magic-hour stroll on the beach with a special someone. Who knows what year it is? Who cares when the songs are this sweet?

To call Leftover Cuties retro or throwback would be too easy, and frankly dismissive. Sure, the music fits beside Billie Holiday, but it’s also current in its sex appeal, its sophistication, its confidence. The Cuties’ music – plied with upright bass, accordion, the brushed drums, and yes, ukulele – is not slavishly old-timey, but honors its forebears in the right way. Melody. Sharp playing. Stylized, confident, character-laden singing.

Latest Release
Album: The Spark & the Fire
Release Date: July 23, 2013
Record Label: Independent
Purchase: TBA

Tracklist:
01. Well Wishing
02. Growing Pains
03. Fall
04. Grow
05. Bridges
06. Love, Lust, or Losing It?
07. The Bend
08. Never Have I Ever
09. See
10. Epitaph
11. Where I Belong
12. Golden

Tour Dates:
07/20 – Louisville, KY – Lebowski Fest
07/21 – ST. Louis, MO – Old Rock House
07/22 – Chicago, IL – Schubas
07/23 – Ann Arbor, MI – The Ark
07/25 – Toronto, ON – Rivoli
07/26 – Montreal, QC – Quai Des Brumes
07/28 – Winooski, VT – The Monkey House
07/31 – Boston, MA – Regattabar
08/03 – New York, NY – Rockwood Music Hall
08/04 – Bethlehem, PA – Musikfest
08/06 – Arlington, VA – Iota Club
08/07 – Chapel Hill, NC – Local 506
08/09 – Tampa, FL – Straz Center at Jaeb Theater
08/10 – Jacksonville, FL – Underbelly
08/12 – Mandeville, LA – Ruby’s Roadhouse
08/13 – Fort Worth, TX – Live Oak Music Hall
08/14 – Austin, TX – Stubbs Jr.
08/17 – Phoenix, AZ – MIM Music Theater
08/21 – Los Angeles, CA – Bootleg Bar
09/04 – Seattle, WA – Triple Door
09/05 – Portland, OR – White Eagle Saloon
09/07 – Fresno, CA – The Painted Table
09/08 – Larkspur, CA – Marin Country Mart
09/13 – San Diego, CA – The Griffin - Stage Underground

By Todd Richard Stevens

Los Angeles-based noir-pop quarter Leftover Cuties are primed to release their sophomore full-length album, The Spark & the Fire, on 7/23. The band just revealed the theatrical video for hit single One Heart. A powerhouse track filled with handclaps & stomping percussion, the Barcelona-filmed video features a brassy jazz-pop orchestra led by sultry Israeli-bred chanteuse Shirli McAllen in a prohibition-era mansion. Leftover Cuties recently embarked on a full US tour, giving new fans their first chance to see the Cuties’ captivating live show.

Leftover Cuties embody all of that goodness on their debut album Places To Go. Produced by Tony Berg (Bob Dylan, Michael Penn, Jesca Hoop), the eleven breezy, sophisticated songs evoke a magic-hour stroll on the beach with a special someone. Who knows what year it is? Who cares when the songs are this sweet?

To call Leftover Cuties retro or throwback would be too easy, and frankly dismissive. Sure, the music fits beside Billie Holiday, but it’s also current in its sex appeal, its sophistication, its confidence. The Cuties’ music – plied with upright bass, accordion, the brushed drums, and yes, ukulele – is not slavishly old-timey, but honors its forebears in the right way. Melody. Sharp playing. Stylized, confident, character-laden singing.

Latest Release
Album: The Spark & the Fire
Release Date: July 23, 2013
Record Label: Independent
Purchase: TBA

Tracklist:
01. Well Wishing
02. Growing Pains
03. Fall
04. Grow
05. Bridges
06. Love, Lust, or Losing It?
07. The Bend
08. Never Have I Ever
09. See
10. Epitaph
11. Where I Belong
12. Golden

Tour Dates:
07/20 – Louisville, KY – Lebowski Fest
07/21 – ST. Louis, MO – Old Rock House
07/22 – Chicago, IL – Schubas
07/23 – Ann Arbor, MI – The Ark
07/25 – Toronto, ON – Rivoli
07/26 – Montreal, QC – Quai Des Brumes
07/28 – Winooski, VT – The Monkey House
07/31 – Boston, MA – Regattabar
08/03 – New York, NY – Rockwood Music Hall
08/04 – Bethlehem, PA – Musikfest
08/06 – Arlington, VA – Iota Club
08/07 – Chapel Hill, NC – Local 506
08/09 – Tampa, FL – Straz Center at Jaeb Theater
08/10 – Jacksonville, FL – Underbelly
08/12 – Mandeville, LA – Ruby’s Roadhouse
08/13 – Fort Worth, TX – Live Oak Music Hall
08/14 – Austin, TX – Stubbs Jr.
08/17 – Phoenix, AZ – MIM Music Theater
08/21 – Los Angeles, CA – Bootleg Bar
09/04 – Seattle, WA – Triple Door
09/05 – Portland, OR – White Eagle Saloon
09/07 – Fresno, CA – The Painted Table
09/08 – Larkspur, CA – Marin Country Mart
09/13 – San Diego, CA – The Griffin - Stage Underground

LA's The Leftover Cuties and local act Chris Koza played the Dakota Jazz Club's this Wednesday night.

Chris Koza is an acoustic guitar player and singer. He specializes in songs that tell a story. He opened with "Healer." The highlight of the set was "Handful of Glass" a moody ballad about love and uncertainty singing, "You could love just anyone/oh, but maybe just anyone could love you."

The Leftover Cuties didn't just grace the stage ... they owned it! Bringing in unlikely and whimsical instruments such as the ukulele, an accordion, a French horn, a trumpet - and even a bird call, the quartet enchanted the audience.

Shirli McAllen on vocals sang a sultry, and at times dark, alto. She swayed to each song and requested crowd participation through rhythmic clapping. Her voice is reminiscent of Swedish singer Miss Li. She costars with bassist Austin Nicholsen who plays music with his entire body. He often is pulling faces like a Tex Avery cartoon while strumming and dancing along to the music. Stuart Johnson on drums and miscellaneous percussion (read: bird call, horn, bells etc.) was equally entertaining to watch, while Mike Bolger on piano, trumpet and accordion remained the more serious of the group. He was either engulfed in the moment of the music or serious is just his resting face.

They started off in the Dakota Jazz Club with a quiet and attentive audience, bringing up the old cliche "Minnesota Nice." The second song of the night was a retro, toe-tapping "Places To Go" complete with barbershop-like harmonizing. Off their upcoming album The Spark & The Fire, they played "What's the Matter?" "Thick and Thin," "Clarity" and "One Heart." All of which feature the key elements of great music: relatable lyricism, alluring vocals, and well-timed humor. With the random, and expertly coordinated sound effects - it feels like you're in on some sort of inside joke with the band. The Spark & The Fire will be released July 23, 2013 and is well worth a listen.

Along with new songs, The Leftover Cuties also played three covers. They played a sad, break-up-song-like ballad of the children's nursery song "You Are My Sunshine," a fantastic Regina Spektor cover of "Fidelity" as well as a less synthesized more nostalgic "Pokerface" ala Lady Gaga.

Their more well-known tunes "Smile Baby" from the Samsung Superbowl commercial and the theme to HBO's Big C, "Game Called Life" filled the ears of clubgoers. But, the real standout song of the night was "Sunnyside" which leads you through a rollercoaster of tempo and emotion.

Keep an eye on The Leftover Cuties. July 23, 2013 is the release of The Spark & The Fire. Hopefully their tour will wind back through Minneapolis again, because I'd gladly revisit.

07/18/13 Rochester, MN Peace Plaza
07/21/13 St. Louis, MO Old Rock House
07/22/13 Chicago, IL Schubas Tavern
07/23/13 Ann Arbor, MI The Ark
07/25/13 Toronto, ON Rivoli
07/26/13 Montreal, QC Quai Des Brumes
07/28/13 Winooski, VT Monkey House
07/31/13 Cambridge, MA Regattabar
08/03/13 New York, NY Rockwood Music Hall
08/04/13 Bethlehem, PA Levitt Pavilion
08/06/13 Arlington, VA IOTA Club & Cafe
08/07/13 Chapel Hill, NC Local 506
08/09/13 Tampa, FL David A. Straz Jr
08/10/13 Jacksonville, FL Jax Underbelly
08/12/13 Mandeville, LA Ruby's Roadhouse
08/13/13 Fort Worth, TX Live Oak Music
08/14/13 Austin, TX Stubb's Bar-B-Q
08/17/13 Phoenix, AZ MIM Music Theater
08/21/13 Los Angeles, CA Bootleg Theater
09/04/13 Seattle, WA The Triple Door
09/05/13 Portland, OR McMenamins White Eagle
09/07/13 Fresno, CA Painted Table
09/08/13 Larkspur, CA Marin Country Mart
09/13/13 San Diego, CA The Griffin - We Heart Music

By Eric J. Lawrence

Leftover Cuties have been one of LA’s secret musical weapons of the past couple of years. The quartet play a vaguely retro version of darkly-tinged jazz-pop that travels along similar paths as Pink Martini and the Peach Kings. By that I mean they play ukuleles, accordions, upright bass and the like, with a vibe that sounds tailor-made for a Prohibition-era speakeasy. But that makes them no less contemporary in their pursuit of the heights of the melting pot that is the current music scene where new & old influences work together.

Their sophomore album, The Spark & the Fire, further refines their sonic aesthetic to be easily accessible even to those not expecting or even searching for vintage sounds. We’re just talking about classic pop song structures on songs like “One Heart,” “I’ve Been Waiting” or the She & Him-like “All That Love” that should appeal to any discriminating listener. And then there are those tunes that will tickle the nostalgia button, such as the jump jivey “If Only It Could Be” or the Spector-esque (minus the Wall of Sound production) “What the Matter?” But it all shapes up to be a nifty progressive modern pop album, with thoughtful arrangements, catchy tunes, and singer Shirli McAllen’s sultry croon standing proud above it all. - KCRW

“In less-deft hands, the music could easily fall into cliche, but the Leftover Cuties have added a breath of fresh air to L.A.’s music scene.” – Paste Magazine - Paste Magazine

By Elana Fishman

Fronted by Israeli-bred beauty Shirli McAllen, West Coast jazz-pop group Leftover Cuties combines unconventional instruments—ukelele and accordion, anyone?—to create a unique sound that's equal parts past-era and progressive. The band's sophomore album The Spark & The Fire (pictured at left) drops on July 23, after which we're expecting this under-the-radar quartet won't stay a secret much longer.

Filled to the brim with parasols, pearls and lots of good old-fashioned foot-stomping, the band's brand-new video for "One Heart" has all the trappings of a Prohibition-era barn raising party—and we mean that in the very best sense. Sporting a vintage-y white lace dress, a striking bobbed wig and the most major set of lashes imaginable, McAllen oozes Billie Holiday-esque charm as she winds her way through a pretty plantation-style estate with an equally sharp-looking cast of characters in tow. Check it out below—and if you like what you hear, head over to Leftovercuties.com to download the track for free! - Lucky Magazine

Strolls in the park are so much sweeter with the dulcet melodies of The Leftover Cuties. The duet exudes a sound that transcends our time and travels back to the better days on Pearl Harbor.
Derived from a world of plump floral dresses and tweed cab hats, the style of the Cuties is that of the 1940’s and 1950’s. Their music seems to have been produced in a jazz club with a hint of blues on the side. Their songs feature singer Shirli McAllen’s somber voice which smoothly compliments the up-beat melodies of bassist Austin Nicholson’s ukulele and the rest of the band.
Their tale began as a jam session among friends McAllen and Nicholson. To their delight, the result tickled their fancy and it soon led to the birth of their first song “Game Called Life.”
After the Cuties perfected their craft, they played their first show in late 2008 to a full house. Their debut EP “Game Called Life” soon followed.
I was notified by the group that they are currently working on their forthcoming full-length album which will be released in late 2009. I was also told that they are in the process of doing a cover of Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” which we hope to have up promptly for your listening pleasure. I enjoy when a group can dabble across genres since I feel that some of the best music can, at times, come from such experimentation.
More exciting news, the Cuties just released their first music video yesterday and is available for viewing below along with their “Lost in the Sea” mp3.
The leftover cuties are in the process of booking new shows but if you find yourself in the Los Angeles area, catch them live in Venice on August 7th as a part of the “First Fridays On Abbot Kinney.” - Modern Mystery

Leftover Cuties’ song is theme song for “THE BIG C” from Showtime
Venice-Based Band Leftover Cuties’ song
“Game Called Life” chosen as the theme song for
Showtime’s newest original series “The Big C”




Leftover Cuties
“Game Called Life”
Official Music Video

Los Angeles, CA, Aug 12, 2010 - Leftover Cuties’ song “Game Called Life” has been chosen by Showtime as the theme song for the new SHOWTIME original series “THE BIG C”.

The BIG C features acclaimed actress Laura Linney in the role of Cathy Jamison, a reserved, stifled, Minneapolis schoolteacher who receives life changing news and decides, from that moment on, to make drastic, long-overdue adjustments to the way she is living her life.

THE BIG C premieres on SHOWTIME Monday, August 16th at 10:30PM ET/PT, following the Season Six premiere of WEEDS.

Leftover Cuties will perform Live every Friday night at Hotel Casa del Mar in Santa Monica, from 7-11pm through the end of August as a part of the hotel’s “Live Well Again” artist series.

As part of Hotel Casa del Mar’s “Live Well Again” artist series, Leftover Cuties will be taking the stage in the Lobby of the famed Santa Monica property for an intimate performance and meet and greet.

For more information on Hotel Casa del Mar’s “Live Well Again” artist series please visit:www.hotelcasadelmar.com/?offer=food

About Leftover Cuties

“A band like Leftover Cuties could start a similar movement, by reminding the indie rock masses of the overlooked jazzy greatness of the near past.”

- Redefine Magazine

Imagine Billie Holiday playing ukulele under a palm-thatched hut in 1930’s Waikiki and you’ll get a taste of the soothing sound of Leftover Cuties. A delicate mix of sultry crooning, tender melodies, and bittersweet lyrics, Leftover Cuties harkens back to a simpler age when music was as likely to come from a soup-line or a smoke filled speakeasy as it was from a recording studio.

Shirli McAllen (singer/songwriter) and Austin Nicholsen (bassist/songwriter) began their lives together as Leftover Cuties in 2008. It was, in fact, an impromptu jam session with Austin’s ukulele that led to the creation of the Cuties first song and the title track of their debut EP. Seizing that creative seed, Austin and Shirli began working on Leftover Cuties in earnest; writing songs, recording, and assembling band members. After long months of hard work, the Cuties played their first show at The Hotel Cafe in late 2008 to a packed house, followed by the release of their debut EP “Game Called Life” in early 2009. The EP was co – produced with well-known producer/mixer/engineer Ryan Hewitt (John Frusiante, Cat Power, the Avett Brothers).

Since, the cuties have filmed their first music video for the title track “Game Called Life”, recorded a cover for Lady Gaga’s smash-hit “Poker Face” which has recently gotten over 16,000 views on You Tube due to a mention by Perez Hilton and Lady Gaga on twitter, and are already hard at work on their forthcoming full length album with well known producer Tony Berg (Peter Gabriel, Pete Yorn, Jesca Hoop).
http://leftovercuties.com/

About Hotel Casa del Mar

Originally built in 1926 as the grandest of the opulent beach club hotels and the premier playground for Hollywood ‘A-listers,’ Hotel Casa del Mar re-emerged in October 1999, following a $50 million restoration by Edward Thomas Hotels, as the prime location to “live well again.” True to its indulgent past, Hotel Casa del Mar remains one of the most well-appointed addresses on the West Coast, with luxurious décor evoking the grandeur and elegance of a European coastal experience. Known for its sophisticated accommodations and stylish public spaces, an indulgent and relaxing ambiance and extraordinary service and privacy, the beachfront escape provides 129 beautifully appointed guest rooms, including 17 suites, and panoramic views of the Pacific and Southern California shore. The signature restaurant, Catch Restaurant and Wine Bar, offers innovative cuisine and spectacular vantages of picturesque sunsets in a comfortably elegant setting. Sea Wellness Spa incorporates eco-friendly design, revitalizing and health-benefiting spa treatments, and a variety of fitness programs for mind and body. A member of The Leading Hotels of the World, Hotel Casa del Mar is located at 1910 Ocean Way in Santa Monica, CA, only 20 minutes from Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Los Angeles International Airport and adjacent to the historic Santa Monica Pier.

For reservations or more information, guests of Hotel Casa del Mar can call:
(310) 581-5533
(800) 898-6999,
www.hotelcasadelmar.com.

For more information about The Big C please visit:
http://www.sho.com/site/thebigc/home.do

For media inquiries please contact:

Kelley Coughlan
kelley@ballantinespr.com
Ballantines PR
Tel: +1.310.454.3080
Fax: +1.310.943.1978
www.ballantinespr.com
- Ballentines Blog

Get transported to the underground jazz clubs of 1930’s New York by the sultry crooning, tender melodies, and bittersweet lyrics of Leftover Cuties in one of the many themed rooms at the neo-gothic Park Plaza hotel on Saturday, October 30 during KCRW’s Halloween Ball Masquerade!


Liz MacDonald, KCRW’s Executive Producer of Events, and I ran into this band playing to a cozy crowd in front of a fire at Casa Del Mar a few Fridays ago and they totally caught our attention. We truly felt like we had entered another era and we thought – well, isn’t that what Halloween is about (aside from the ghosts and ghouls, of course).

I’ve always been a fan of reenacting vintage characters and eras over horrific blood and gore when it comes to costuming and Leftover Cuties fit the bill visually and musically. If you recognize their single, it might be because it’s the theme to the Showtime series “The Big C.”

For more on Masquerade, go here! Tickets are on sale and its going to be a fantastic party. I plan on buying my costume today, fingers crossed. - KCRW Blog

Get transported to the underground jazz clubs of 1930’s New York by the sultry crooning, tender melodies, and bittersweet lyrics of Leftover Cuties in one of the many themed rooms at the neo-gothic Park Plaza hotel on Saturday, October 30 during KCRW’s Halloween Ball Masquerade!


Liz MacDonald, KCRW’s Executive Producer of Events, and I ran into this band playing to a cozy crowd in front of a fire at Casa Del Mar a few Fridays ago and they totally caught our attention. We truly felt like we had entered another era and we thought – well, isn’t that what Halloween is about (aside from the ghosts and ghouls, of course).

I’ve always been a fan of reenacting vintage characters and eras over horrific blood and gore when it comes to costuming and Leftover Cuties fit the bill visually and musically. If you recognize their single, it might be because it’s the theme to the Showtime series “The Big C.”

For more on Masquerade, go here! Tickets are on sale and its going to be a fantastic party. I plan on buying my costume today, fingers crossed. - KCRW Blog

FILTER likes music. There's no hiding it. We also like our own opinions a whole bunch, so once a week we give the masses a fleeting glimpse into our selective stereos to let them see firsthand what fuels our endless devotion. We like to think of it as community service. We're selfless like that. So without further ado, here are the official, inarguable, objectively good Filter Weekly Picks. And in case you trust our tastes that much, click on the links below for some sample tracks (not all releases have samples available) from these releases, and even buy it if you feel so inclined. Yeah, we're good at what we do:

Andrew Bird - Useless Creatures

Amusement Parks on Fire - Road Eyes

Mt Desolation - Mt Desolation

El Perro Del Mar - Love is Not Pop

Kings of Leon - Come Around Sundown

Mirrors - Lights & Offerings

Badly Drawn Boy - It's What I'm Thinking: Photographing Snowflakes

Givers - Givers

Leftover Cuties - Game Called Life EP

Atlantic/Pacific - Meet Your New Love
- Filter Magazine

Album review
Leftover Cuties
Game Called Life
Self-Released

Recently, I was listening to a Leftover Cuties track when my mother, who barely knows anything about modern music, commented that the track was reminiscent of music from "the past." That blanket statement that might seem rather uninformative initially, but musically disinclined as she is, my mother was quite correct on her assertion. Leftover Cuties immediately bring to mind vintage fashion and jazz clubs circa the '40s and '50s. Their sound is a revitalized take on music from a time that seems more distant than it is -- a time when artists like Billie Holiday and Etta James roamed the musical streets.

The four-piece band's latest disc, Game Called Life, is a charming five track EP that pulls from the past and reminds the public of the great music they've forgotten while moving into the 21st century. At the heart of this sound is the sultry voice of Shirli McAllen, backed by the harmonies of Ruthie Garibay. An underlying blend of ukulele, harmonica, whistle, bass, and light percussion by Stuart Johnson guarantee a sense of class and playfulness to even the most desperate of Leftover Cuties' tracks.

Having just played their first show in late 2008, the band is anticipating the release of a full-length in late 2009. If promoted correctly, they could make some serious waves. They've developed a sound that seems like much more than just a flash in the pan, and they've got an elegant aesthetic to match. Akin to how bands like DeVotchKa and Gogol Bordello brought gypsy punk to the indie rock masses, a band like Leftover Cuties could start a similar movement, by reminding the indie rock masses of the overlooked jazzy greatness of the near past.

Reviewed by: VIVIAN HUA.
Redefine Magazine
- Redefine Magazine

Venice-Based Band Leftover Cuties’ song
“Game Called Life” chosen as the theme song for
Showtime’s newest original Series “The Big C”






Los Angeles, CA, Aug 9, 2010 - Leftover Cuties’ song "Game Called Life" has been chosen by Showtime as the theme song for the new SHOWTIME original series “THE BIG C”.

The BIG C features acclaimed actress Laura Linney in the role of Cathy Jamison, a reserved, stifled, Minneapolis schoolteacher who receives life changing news and decides, from that moment on, to make drastic, long-overdue adjustments to the way she is living her life.

THE BIG C premieres on SHOWTIME Monday, August 16th at 10:30PM ET/PT, following the Season Six premiere of WEEDS.

Leftover Cuties will perform Live at Hotel Casa del Mar in Santa Monica, CA on Friday, August 13th from 7-11pm.

As part of Hotel Casa del Mar’s “Live Well Again” artist series, Leftover Cuties will be taking the stage in the Lobby of the famed Santa Monica property for an intimate performance and meet and greet.

Leftover Cuties “Game Called Life” Official Music Video:


About Leftover Cuties

"A band like Leftover Cuties could start a similar movement, by reminding the indie rock masses of the overlooked jazzy greatness of the near past."

- Redefine Magazine

Imagine Billie Holiday playing ukulele under a palm-thatched hut in 1930's Waikiki and you'll get a taste of the soothing sound of Leftover Cuties. A delicate mix of sultry crooning, tender melodies, and bittersweet lyrics, Leftover Cuties harkens back to a simpler age when music was as likely to come from a soup-line or a smoke filled speakeasy as it was from a recording studio.

Shirli McAllen (singer/songwriter) and Austin Nicholsen (bassist/songwriter) began their lives together as Leftover Cuties in 2008. It was, in fact, an impromptu jam session with Austin's ukulele that led to the creation of the Cuties first song and the title track of their debut EP. Seizing that creative seed, Austin and Shirli began working on Leftover Cuties in earnest; writing songs, recording, and assembling band members. After long months of hard work, the Cuties played their first show at The Hotel Cafe in late 2008 to a packed house, followed by the release of their debut EP "Game Called Life" in early 2009. The EP was co - produced with well-known producer/mixer/engineer Ryan Hewitt (John Frusiante, Cat Power, the Avett Brothers).

Since, the cuties have filmed their first music video for the title track “Game Called Life”, recorded a cover for Lady Gaga’s smash-hit “Poker Face” which has recently gotten over 16,000 views on You Tube due to a mention by Perez Hilton and Lady Gaga on twitter, and are already hard at work on their forthcoming full length album with well known producer Tony Berg (Peter Gabriel, Pete Yorn, Jesca Hoop). The album is due out in 2010. - Balantines PR