VIOLET VECTOR & THE LOVELY LOVELIES	Photo: 2009
Chapel Hill, NC
Band members: Karen Blanco Amanda Brooks Cathleen Keyser Matt Lesperance Alex Maiola
Booking/Contact: thelovelylovelies[at]gmail[dot]com Violet Vector and the Lovely Lovelies PO Box 441 Chapel Hill, NC 27514
Band Website: colorwheelrecords.com
Created in the Sandoz lab under the direction of Dr. Albert Hoffman, Violet Vector and the Lovely Lovelies were the result of an experiment that went very, very right. The details are hazy, but what we *do* know is that it involved members of the Shangri-Las, and romantic interludes with various bands that would later surface on the Nuggets compilation. The Zombies were playing on the Hi-Fi at the time. After an idyllic, technicolor youth, spent picnicking in parks, riding their matching white bicycles around the countryside, and groundbreaking archaeology work, another mysterious occurrence sadly scattered them to various corners of the globe. The only reported connection that occurred during this dark period seems to have been a dream had by all five members, simultaneously. In it, Serge Gainsbourg appeared, waving a kaleidoscope. He told them that the sum of their parts was greater than five, and that they simply must reunite. Various ley line readings suggested that the Chapel Hill/Carrboro region of North Carolina would be ideal. Amanda was the first to know what to do. The idea came to her while she was playing in a Kinks cover band that made frequent visits to Donovan's ashram. She thought, "What if I reconnected with the Sandoz 5, equipped them with lashings of knee socks, copious amounts of velvet, and a smattering of ruffles, then set out on a quest to find the ultimate sunshine pop song?" The five were reunited immediately, and the task was assumed. The expedition was ultimately abandoned, however. It seemed as though the ultimate pop song had not yet been written. After a few false starts, they had an epiphany while attending a secret Raincoats concert held on Sleater-Kinney's lawn. With marching orders in hand, the reenergized Violet Vector and the Lovely Lovelies set out to finally WRITE that perfect sunshine pop song. To make matters even more perfect, an unearthed will revealed that Syd Barrett's estate had bequeathed to them a magic combo organ, complete with rainbow lights, along with a set of equally intriguing hand bells. A cryptic note was attached offering no explanation beyond the fact that they would "know what had to be done" with these treasures. With each attempt to write their penultimate song, they get closer to their goal, and their bond grows stronger. No obstacle can get in their way, though a few bands have tried. As usual, what those challenges actually were are unclear, but for now let's just say that offers made to the Pipettes for an ultimate bar fight have, as of this writing, gone unanswered, even granting them Dressy Bessy as backup.
EP 1 March 2008 [HFQ004]
"What started as a download from some music blog first became a persistent earworm, then turned into a reason for me to commandeer my friends' computers and force them to visit the band's MySpace page to hear the track, and finally became the song that most defined my sorta-absurd, not-as-fun-as-this-song-might-indicate year…[“Can You Dig It?”] has a girly-girl singer and a loping beat and judiciously employed cowbells and a chorus of ebullient voices shouting "yeah!" as if that syllable is the most wonderful one in the world's entire lexicon and a breakdown that sounds like fireworks. Yes, fireworks. Maybe that was a side effect of the whole "falling-in-love-with-it" thing, but I swear to God I saw them on first listen, and I still do on the hundredth.” - Idolator.com [“Can You Dig It?” named #1 on Idolator’s Top 40 Songs of 2007] "You gotta love Violet Vector & the Lovely Lovelies. You just have to…”Can You Dig It" sounds like “Pink Hearts Yellow Moons”-era Dressy Bessy with just a tiny touch more psychedelia and just a dash more Go-Go's. Boiled down to its most simple elements, it's delightfully catchy girl pop — like a non-gimmicky Pipettes.” - youaintnopiccasso.com "It's not often that you can aptly describe a band as both retro and refreshing, but we'll make an exception for this Chapel Hill outfit. Reminiscent of Nikki and the Corvettes, they also reminded me of everything I love about rock'n' roll…Adorable as well as exceedingly tight onstage, Violet Vector and Lovely Lovelies may be the best new band of 2007." - retrolofi.com "Here in Athens, we pride ourselves on growing our own talent, and we've got most of the bases covered. Dirt metal? Got it. Psychedelic rock? Yup. World folk? That too. But we've been in drastically short supply of sweet, girly pop for years. North Carolina's Violet Vector & the Lovely Lovelies, thankfully, swings through Popfest to help us out. The Chapel Hill band's sound evokes mod haircuts and knee-high boots…and offer a smattering of keen organ sounds and handclaps aplenty. Yes." - Flagpole "[‘Can You Dig It’ will] turn whatever room you're in into an ad hoc cheerleading practice." - maura.com