I first heard of Sharp Violet a couple of years ago from bassist, Marie Tornetto. When I hit up the band on Bandcamp and noticed the tags: alternative, grunge, punk rock, riot grrrl, Long Island punk, that immediately got my attention. As a fan of Long Island punk, I was surprised that I’ve never heard of the band. Nonetheless, I listened to their music and placed them on my radar for new material.
Sharp Violet is a feminist punk band from Lindenhurst, New York. They have 5 singles on Bandcamp. Their first single, “New York”, was released in 2016, with members Liz Meehan (Vocals), Jessica Benenati (Guitar), and Jasmine Fuentes (Bass). The next 2 releases, “Black Widow” and “These Are The Rules Boys”, includes Tala DiBenedetto on Drums. Back in September, the band released “Domino Effect”, with members Marie Tornetto (Rhythm Guitar) and Allison Sondergard (Bass) joining the fold, while Jasmine Fuentes moved to Drums.
“She’s So Strange” is the latest single from Sharp Violet, it dropped on March 1st. Same line-up as in “Domino Effect”, but Marie and Allison switch instruments. On Bandcamp, the band describes the song as, “She's So Strange is about how everyone has a different perception of you. We think strange is beautiful”, followed by a Charles Addams quote “Normal is an illusion. What is normal for the spider is chaos for the fly".
“She’s So Strange” kicks off with a slow steady groove, hypnotic guitar riff, and soft seductive vocals. Once the band has your attention, a distorted guitar leads into a faster groove that would get any dance floor moving. Sharp Violet hits hard with great lyrics and music to back it up. “She's So Strange! In proportion to obscurity, draining my money and my sanity”. My best analogy for “She’s So Strange”, it’s a crossover between the Go-Gos and Sonic Youth. An interesting mix that Sharp Violet does very well.
Sharp Violet deliver their own brand of music. If you like music from X-Ray Spex, to The Lunachicks, to The Breeders, you will surely appreciate Sharp Violet. Their sound is laid back with good rhythms and vocals that get you singing along. Personally, I really like the Sharp Violet. I think they are one of the many quality bands coming out of the Long Island music scene right now.
