VIOLENT MAE

When Becky Kessler wanted to create a debut solo album, she asked Floyd Kellogg to produce and record it. When the duo went into a studio together, the musical sparks flew, and they decided to keep working together as Violent Mae. Kessler’s mellow voice and guitar are highlighted well atop Kellogg’s drums and vocals, giving the album a muted rock’n’roll feel. Violent Mae released their debut self-titled LP in November 2013 and have so far performed from New York City down to Kessler’s hometown in North Carolina. (Photo by Karrie Bulger) - Paste Magazine by Kristen Hill

Are you going to NXNE 2014 in Toronto, Canada? We highly recommend you check a few of these 15 female fronted bands and female singer/songwriters etc..while you are there. Whether you are an artist yourself or just a music lover, we really think you’ll enjoy watching these female artists perform.

There is always so much to see at a festival like this one. NXNE does it’s best to showcase the best upcoming talent and they always include some big name acts as well. Be sure to keep a schedule handy so you don’t miss out on your favorites!

Tell us how the shows were with a comment below. The festival runs from 13th to the 22nd of June and highlights more than just music. There is film, comedy, and art shows too. - Lady Indie - Katie Sevigny

Every day we share some of the Tiny Desk Concert Contest entries that stood out to us. - Bob Boilen, Rachel Horn, Kate Parkinson-Morgan

Connecticut duo Violent Mae has shared a track from its upcoming self-titled debut. On “Hole in My Heart,” Becky Kessler, winner of “Best Singer-Songwriter” at the 2012 Connecticut Music Awards, proffers an enchanting vocal melody and crisp guitar part. Drummer Floyd Kellogg, frontman of fellow New England act You Scream Scream I Scream, adroitly backs her; resulting in a smooth, sultry piece of indie rock. - The Needle Drop - Anthony Fantano

The birth of the band Violent Mae may not have been intentional, but the result has been memorable. This duo met on an organic farm in Connecticut and just released their debut album, recorded in Hartford. Violent Mae joins us in-studio for a live concert on Where We Live. - John Dankosky

Our Year End Poll for Emerging New England Artists was - as usual - a painstaking (and somewhat excruciating) process, but we pulled it off with remarkable flair! - The Deli Staff

Seeing and hearing music in different situations has a big effect on how we consume and react to it. It’s what makes live music such an attractive proposition. It’s also what makes live sessions, in particular, such a rewarding concept; allowing viewers to see music performed in places they themselves may never venture to.

Connecticut’s Violent Mae took this somewhat simple idea and ran with it. In the middle of Winter they headed in to the Connecticut countryside, found themselves a cave, and set to work on a live performance that not only set them outside of the usual musical surroundings but also used “the sound of the cave to produce the track, including water drips and a long/low reverb tail” – well how about that?

All of this would be a pointless exercise, of course, were it not for the fact that the song itself is something of a fiery beast. Rising from a hushed opening couple of minutes, the track builds wonderfully in to something far more excessive as drums pound, walls shake and Becky Kessler’s vocals fill every inch of the cavernous space. Intrepid and magnificent, you can watch the video below. - Gold Flake Paint (UK) - Tom Johnson

From Connecticut and the Outer Banks; Violent Mae premiere their new single “In the Sun” that conveys lemon-auburn beams of pure heavenly pop bliss. Made up of vocalist/guitarist Becky Kessler, and percussionist/backup singer Floyd Kellog—their new album Kid will be available November 20 from Telegraph Recording Company (operated by husband and wife duo Rich Martin & Daphne Lee Martin, who is releasing her new album October 2) perspectives carried over from adolences project and perceive wild eyed wonder to an expanding world of discovery.
“In the Sun” is not only a near perfect song, but perfectly illustrates the synergy between Becky and Floyd where colloquial items and quips from inner monologues and conversations are delivered by Kessler at a tempo kept by Kellogg’s dedicated persistent attention to evocative rhythms. Becky begins “Sun” with her guitar finding the right chords before the two kick into gear with the plethora of thoughts and expressions that roll out in a stream of feelings that are strung around the adjective and replies to the refrain of “how I feel with you.” “In the Sun” is a song that does not step for the world or noone. This is Violent Mae on a tour de force that is cause for anyone who has yet to hear the infectious enamorment of the duo’s sound to discover what many already have. After the following debut listen, check out our interview with Telegraph’s Rich Martin and Violent Mae’s Becky Kessler.
ell us about how Telegraph Recording Co. was first established?

Rich Martin: I launched the label with a compilation release in 1999 called Tea at the Palaz of Hoon that celebrated a DIY space that I ran called Temporary Autonomous Zone with partner David Lewis (of Effect Partners and founder of Riot Act Media). The two CD comp featured Bright Eyes, Elf Power, Ted Leo, Moe Tucker, Dalëk, the One Am Radio and many more who played the space. From there, we started releasing acts from the Connecticut music scene.

Challenges and triumphs of launching an indie imprint?

Rich Martin: I suppose the biggest challenge is helping get notice for our acts out there beyond the immediate locale. We’re sort of lost between New York and Boston here in Connecticut and though we have as vibrant a scene as any in the country we definitely seem to be hanging below the radar a lot of the time. In fact, we lose a great many acts to the great scene sponge that is Brooklyn. Still, things are as active and promising as ever and there is a great deal of potential energy that is ready to blow at any given moment.
How did the Violent Mae project come about?
Becky Kessler: It started with very little ambition. I asked Floyd to record and produce my first album. He added layers from multiple instruments which pulled the music in a beautiful direction, stylistically. It was a kind of break through experience, working together, so it just made sense to become a band.

What were some of the visions and themes at work during the making of Kid?

Becky Kessler: I write a lot from an adolescent perspective so the title track, Kid, is appropriate. But some of the songs, if not all of them, are about having that same adolescent perspective as an adult. It’s not something you grow out of, at least I don’t. We tried to keep the layering scaled down to the duo, so mostly guitars, drums and vocals. Floyd found a bunch of random sounds that totally reflect that youthful theme.

What’s next for Telegraph and Violent Mae?

Becky Kessler: We’re off to play a showcase at CMJ, October 14 at Muchmore’s, and we’re planning a small tour around Mustang Music Festival on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, where I’m from.

Rich Martin: We’re working on a handful of projects including Daphne Lee Martin’s ‘Fall On Your Sword’, Pocket Vinyl’s ‘Tin’, and Quiet Giant’s debut ‘Loom’ and looking forward to a new release in the near from Elison Jackson among others.

Violent Mae’s Kid will be available November 20 from Telegraph Recording Company. - Impose Magazine