Scarling. was an American
noise pop
Noise pop is a subgenre of alternative and indie rock that developed in the mid-1980s in the United Kingdom and United States. It is defined by its mixture of dissonant noise or feedback with the songcraft more often found in pop music. Shoega ...
band formed in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
in 2001. The band consisted of lead vocalist
Jessicka Addams
Jessicka Addams (born Jessica Fodera on October 23, 1975) is an American visual artist and retired musician. Best known by her stage name Jessicka, she was the frontwoman for the alternative rock band Jack Off Jill, and later for the noise-pop ...
and guitarist
Christian Hejnal
Christian Hejnal Addams (born June 3, 1969) is an American visual effects producer and the guitarist and occasional vocalist of the Los Angeles-based rock band Scarling.
Musical career
In the early 1990s, he played in bands such as Candyhatefu ...
.
Name
The band's name comes from a fictional word created by singer/fine artist Jessicka in 1999. In 2001 the definition appeared on Scarling's website: "Middle English, from Old English scaerlinc, from scar+ -ling, -linc -ling; akin to Old High German von scar, Latin scarnos 1. the smallest mark on your heart left by the healing of a severe injury. 2. he or she who is scarred densely almost emotionless. 3. a mentally challenged/physically handicapped sibling of a normal star. 4. a band from Los Angeles. The "S" in Scarling. is sometimes
lower case
Letter case is the distinction between the letters that are in larger uppercase or capitals (or more formally ''majuscule'') and smaller lowercase (or more formally ''minuscule'') in the written representation of certain languages. The writing ...
and the word itself ends in a full stop or period."
History
Formation & ''Sweet Heart Dealer'' (2002-2004)
Scarling. was formed by singer
Jessicka Fodera
Jessicka Addams (born Jessica Fodera on October 23, 1975) is an American visual artist and retired musician. Best known by her stage name Jessicka, she was the frontwoman for the alternative rock band Jack Off Jill, and later for the Noise pop, ...
(known simply as
Jessicka
Jessicka Addams (born Jessica Fodera on October 23, 1975) is an American visual artist and retired musician. Best known by her stage name Jessicka, she was the frontwoman for the alternative rock band Jack Off Jill, and later for the noise-po ...
) after the dissolution of her band,
Jack Off Jill
Jack Off Jill was an American gothic rock band from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, founded in 1992 by vocalist Jessicka, drummer Tenni Ah-Cha-Cha, bassist/keyboardist Agent Moulder, and guitarist Michelle Inhell. Though these four women were the init ...
, and guitarist
Christian Hejnal
Christian Hejnal Addams (born June 3, 1969) is an American visual effects producer and the guitarist and occasional vocalist of the Los Angeles-based rock band Scarling.
Musical career
In the early 1990s, he played in bands such as Candyhatefu ...
. They were introduced by guitarist Lisa Leveridge, and they began rehearsing and recording in a
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley, known locally as the Valley, is an urbanized valley in Los Angeles County, California. Located to the north of the Los Angeles Basin, it contains a large portion of the City of Los Angeles, as well as unincorporated ar ...
performance space; after the pair had written a number of songs together, they began a search for additional band members and eventually cemented the first and very short-lived lineup of Scarling.
In early 2002, Jessicka was introduced to
Long Gone John
John Edward Mermis (born November 13, 1951), best known by the pseudonym Long Gone John, is an American entrepreneur who is best known for his record label, Sympathy for the Record Industry, and his vinyl toy company, Necessaries Toy Foundation ...
, owner of Sympathy for the Record Industry, by mutual friend
Mark Ryden
Mark Ryden (born January 20, 1963) is an American painter who is considered to be part of the Lowbrow (or Pop Surrealist) art movement.Ken Johnson"Mark Ryden: ‘The Gay 90s: Old Tyme Art Show" ''The New York Times'', May 6, 2010. Retrieved 2013 ...
. On March 19, 2003, Scarling's debut single, "Band Aid Covers the Bullet Hole" (produced by Chris Vrenna), was released on the
Sympathy for the Record Industry
Sympathy for the Record Industry (also known as Sympathy Records or Sympathy 4 the R.I.) is a mainly independent garage rock and punk label formed in 1988 by Long Gone John. The first Sympathy release was the Lazy Cowgirls' ''Radio Cowgirl'' LP ...
label. Its cover featured an illustration called "Wound 39" by Mark Ryden.
In April 2004, Scarling. released their debut album, ''
Sweet Heart Dealer'', a seven-song release again produced by Vrenna and packaged by Ryden. Later that year, Jessicka was featured on the cover of ''
ROCKRGRL'' magazine's vocalist issue. Scarling was then invited to join the lineup of the
Robert Smith-organized
Curiosa Curiosa may refer to:
* Curiosa (erotica), erotica and pornography as discrete, collectable items, usually in published or printed form
* ''Curiosa'' (film), a 2019 French film directed by Lou Jeunet, with actress Amira Casar
* ''Curiosa Festival ...
Festival, performing on select West Coast dates alongside
Interpol
The International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO; french: link=no, Organisation internationale de police criminelle), commonly known as Interpol ( , ), is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and cri ...
,
The Rapture,
Mogwai
Mogwai () are a Scottish post-rock band, formed in 1995 in Glasgow. The band consists of Stuart Braithwaite (guitar, vocals), Barry Burns (guitar, piano, synthesizer, vocals), Dominic Aitchison (bass guitar), and Martin Bulloch (drums). Mogw ...
,
Cursive
Cursive (also known as script, among other names) is any style of penmanship in which characters are written joined in a flowing manner, generally for the purpose of making writing faster, in contrast to block letters. It varies in functionalit ...
,
The Cooper Temple Clause
The Cooper Temple Clause was an English alternative rock band, formed in Wokingham, Berkshire in 1998. The band released three albums before announcing their split on 24 April 2007, following the departure of Daniel Fisher.
After signing a re ...
, and longtime inspirations
The Cure
The Cure are an English Rock music, rock band formed in 1978 in Crawley, Crawley, West Sussex. Throughout numerous lineup changes since the band's formation, guitarist, lead vocalist, and songwriter Robert Smith (musician), Robert Smith has re ...
. Smith described the band's music as "dark, desperate, chaotic, gorgeous pop music, the sound of the end of the world" and nominated ''"Sweet Heart Dealer"'' for the 2004
Shortlist Music Prize
The Shortlist Music Prize, stylized as (shôrt–lĭst), was an annual music award for the best album released in the United States that had sold fewer than 500,000 copies at the time of nomination. First given as a cash prize in 2001 under ...
. While ''Alternative Press Magazine'' said Scarling. sounded like, "being French kissed by the most beautiful beings in the world, really alluring yet massive stuff." Three weeks before joining the Curiosa tour, drummer Garey Snider left and was briefly replaced by
Samantha Maloney
Samantha Maloney (born December 11, 1975) is an American musician best known for playing in the bands Hole and Mötley Crüe. She has also performed live with Eagles of Death Metal and Peaches.
Early career
Maloney received her first drum-kit a ...
in order to perform live at a group art showing at the Copro/Nason Gallery (
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...
). Weeks later they found drummer Beth Gordon, who served as Scarling's permanent replacement. Scarling, with the help of friend and fill-in bassist
Radio Sloan
Radio Sloan is a musician from Olympia, Washington.
She is best known as a guitarist for The Need, the band she formed with Rachel Carns; her other bands include Ce Be Barns Band, The Circuit Side, Fact or Fiction, Grandpa's Ghost Stories; and ...
, continued to play around Los Angeles and
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
at clubs such as The Bottom Of The Hill,
Spaceland
Spaceland was an alternative rock/indie rock nightclub in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, that existed between 1995 and 2011. The club was formerly a popular disco to young locals called Dreams of LA. Spaceland's owner an ...
and
The Troubadour.
On October 21, 2004,
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey (DJ) and radio presenter. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly fr ...
,
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
disc jockey
A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include Radio personality, radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music f ...
and
radio presenter
A radio personality (American English) or radio presenter (British English) is a person who has an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality who hosts a radio show is also known as a radio host, and in India and Pakistan as a rad ...
, invited Robert Smith to stand in for him while he was in Peru as a guest DJ on what turned out to be the last
Peel Session
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey (DJ) and radio presenter. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly fr ...
show. Smith played Scarling's Crispin Glover as one of the tracks in his eclectic set. Scarling. were also chosen by Smith to be part of his Celebrity Playlist on
iTunes
iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
along with
Cocteau Twins
Cocteau Twins was a Scottish rock band active from 1979 to 1997. They were formed in Grangemouth by Robin Guthrie (guitars, drum machine) and Will Heggie (bass), adding Elizabeth Fraser (vocals) in 1981 and replacing Heggie with multi-instrum ...
,
My Bloody Valentine,
Supergrass
Supergrass are an English rock band formed in 1993 in Oxford. For the majority of the band's tenure, the line-up consisted of brothers Gaz (lead vocals, guitar) and Rob Coombes (keyboards), Mick Quinn (bass, backing vocals) and Danny Goffey ( ...
,
Nirvana
( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...
,
Placebo
A placebo ( ) is a substance or treatment which is designed to have no therapeutic value. Common placebos include inert tablets (like sugar pills), inert injections (like Saline (medicine), saline), sham surgery, and other procedures.
In general ...
,
The Psychedelic Furs
The Psychedelic Furs are a post-punk band founded in London in February 1977. Led by lead vocalist Richard Butler and his brother Tim Butler on bass guitar, the Psychedelic Furs are one of the many acts spawned from the British post-punk scene ...
, and several bands that played on the Curiosa tour earlier that year. Smith wrote a quote about each song and wrote "Beautiful shadows" next to the Scarling. track.
''So Long, Scarecrow'' & touring (2005-2007)
After a series of
7-inch single
In music, a single is a type of release, typically a song recording of fewer tracks than an LP record or an album. One can be released for sale to the public in a variety of formats. In most cases, a single is a song that is released separate ...
s on Sympathy, Scarling announced in early 2005 that their second album, ''
So Long, Scarecrow'', would appear later that year; it was preceded by the single "We Are the Music Makers", and was released on August 23, 2005. ''So Long, Scarecrow'' was co-produced by
Rob Campanella
Rob Campanella is a musician, best known as a Los Angeles producer, engineer, and member of The Quarter After.
Music career
Producer and engineer
Campanella has produced and engineered albums for his own band The Quarter After, and for cli ...
, formerly of
The Brian Jonestown Massacre
The Brian Jonestown Massacre is an American musical project and band led and started by Anton Newcombe. It was formed in San Francisco in 1990.
The group was the subject of the 2004 documentary film called '' Dig!'', and have gained media noto ...
, at his studio,
The Committee to Keep Music Evil
Anton Alfred Newcombe (born August 29, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and founder of the music group The Brian Jonestown Massacre.
Newcombe was the subject of the 2004 documentary film '' Dig!'', along ...
headquarters. The critical reception for ''Scarecrow'' was generally strong: ''
Alternative Press
Alternative press may refer to:
Individual publications
* ''Alternative Press'' (magazine), an American music magazine
Alternative journalism
* Alternative media
** Alternative media (U.S. political left)
** Alternative media (U.S. political ri ...
'' gave the album a 5 out of 5 rating. Simon Price from The Independent said, "In contrast to the abrasive JOJ sound, Scarling. work up a wonderfully hazy guitar swirl, reminiscent of post-My Bloody Valentine noise-pop from the Britain of the early Nineties." Chris Beyond from ''No-Fi Magazine'' described ''Scarecrow'' as "somewhere between
Blonde Redhead
Blonde Redhead is an American alternative rock band composed of Kazu Makino (vocals, keys/rhythm guitar) and twin brothers Simone and Amedeo Pace (drums/keys and lead guitar/bass/keys/vocals, respectively) that formed in New York City in 1993. ...
and
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth was an American rock band based in New York City, formed in 1981. Founding members Thurston Moore (guitar, vocals), Kim Gordon (bass, vocals, guitar) and Lee Ranaldo (guitar, vocals) remained together for the entire history of the b ...
and said "there are 13 tracks on this album, but they leave you wanting more." Scarling's was touted as resurrecting goth' by ''Venus'' magazine: "Goth isn’t dead. It’s just evolved into a sweeter version with Scarling’s variety of distorted but, dare I say, gorgeous version of the once-dreary genre. On the band’s full-length debut, So Long, Scarecrow, frontwoman Jessicka’s syrupy yet cautious vocals are quite different than her former angry, self-mutilating persona in the late ’90s Marilyn Manson-esque group Jack off Jill."
In December 2005, Scarling. embarked on its first
UK tour, creating a buzz for themselves and selling out most venues. SLS's first single "City Noise" is featured on the compilation ''Alright, This Time Just the Girls Vol. 2'' and 2006's ''
Staring To The Sun''. The song "Bummer" from ''SLS'' was featured on Showtime's ''
The L Word
''The L Word'' is a television drama that aired on Showtime from January 18, 2004 to March 8, 2009. The series follows the lives of a group of lesbian and bisexual women who live in West Hollywood, California. The premise originated with Ilene Ch ...
'' season 3 episode "Latecomer", as well as an
Urban Outfitters
Urban Outfitters, Inc. (URBN) is a multinational lifestyle retail corporation headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Operating in the U.S., the United Kingdom, Canada, select Western European countries, Poland the United Arab Emirates, Kuw ...
/Filter magazine compilation. An episode of the medical drama ''
Grey's Anatomy
''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into se ...
'' (season 2) is titled "
Band Aid Covers the Bullet Hole
"Band Aid Covers the Bullet Hole" is the first single by Los Angeles, California rock band Scarling. It was released in the USA on 7" vinyl on March 19, 2003, on the Sympathy for the Record Industry label, and on compact disc on December 16.
The ...
".
In 2006, Scarling continued to tour in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
and Europe, embarking on their first co-heading with
UK shoegaze
Shoegaze (originally called shoegazing and sometimes conflated with "dream pop") is a subgenre of indie and alternative rock characterized by its ethereal mixture of obscured vocals, guitar distortion and effects, feedback, and overwhelming volu ...
outfit
Amusement Parks on Fire
Amusement Parks on Fire are a British rock band from Nottingham.
The band was established by Michael Feerick in 2004, who wrote and performed all the instruments for the self-titled debut album.
History
The band began as the solo project of M ...
and opening for
The Wedding Present
The Wedding Present are an English indie rock group originally formed in 1985 in Leeds, England, from the ashes of The Lost Pandas. The band's music has evolved from fast-paced indie rock in the vein of their most obvious influences The Fall, ...
and
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in Basildon, Essex, in 1980. The band currently consists of Dave Gahan (lead vocals and co-songwriting) and Martin Gore (keyboards, guitar, co-lead vocals and main songwriting).
Depeche ...
later in the year.
Hiatus (2007-2013)
Scarling. currently resides in the neighborhood of
Silver Lake, Los Angeles, California
Silver Lake is a residential and commercial neighborhood in the east-central region of Los Angeles, California. Originally home to a small community called Ivanhoe in honor of Sir Walter Scott. In 1907, the Los Angeles Water Department built the ...
. On February 14, 2006 (
Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, throu ...
), while on a break from touring, Jessicka and guitarist Christian Hejnal were engaged. Their wedding took place on October 13, 2007, at the Oviatt Penthouse in Los Angeles. The band was largely on hiatus for six years following their marriage, with Jessicka returning to focus on her art career.
Scarling. performed at the wedding of
Bravo
Bravo(s) or The Bravo(s) may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music Groups and labels
*Bravo (band), a Russian rock band
* Bravo (Spanish group), represented Spain at Eurovision 1984
*Bravo Music, an American concert band music publishing company ...
's
Shear Genius
''Shear Genius'' is an American reality television series on the Bravo network that focuses on hair styling. The show ran for three seasons, from April 2007 to April 2010. It was hosted by actress Jaclyn Smith in seasons one and two and by Brazili ...
finalist
Janine Jarman
Janine Jarman (born April 17, 1981) is an American hairstylist, salon owner, and American television personality. Her participation as a contestant on the television show '' Shear Genius'' led her to style several famous clients including Fergie ...
and Matthew Wolcott at the
Houdini Mansion
The Mansion is a four-bedroom mansion owned by music producer Rick Rubin in the Laurel Canyon area of Los Angeles. Originally built in 1918, the house is famous for the successful bands who have recorded music there. The house was owned by Errol ...
in Hollywood on June 26, 2010.
Return to activity (2013-2014)
Jessicka has stated that, after her art show "Little Grey Secrets", Scarling. would resume.
Scarling. released their single "
Who Wants To Die For Art?" digitally in the US on iTunes October 29, 2013. Jessicka Addams suffered health problems shortly after the release of the songs.
On May 13, 2014, Mark Ryden released an album entitled ''The Gay Nineties Old Tyme Music: Daisy Bell'', that features Scarling along with other artists all giving a different rendition of the same song, "
Daisy Bell (Bicycle Built for Two)
"Daisy Bell (Bicycle Built for Two)" is a song written in 1892 by British songwriter Harry Dacre with the well-known chorus "Daisy, Daisy / Give me your answer, do. / I'm half crazy / all for the love of you", ending with the words "a bicycle bu ...
". The album, printed on 180 g red vinyl, was limited to 999 copies, all hand-numbered and signed by Ryden. Half of the records were sold at the Michael Kohn gallery. The proceeds from the record will benefit
Little Kids Rock, a nonprofit that supports musical education in disadvantaged elementary schools.
Discography
Studio albums
*''
Sweet Heart Dealer'' (2004)
*''
So Long, Scarecrow'' (2005)
Sources
Noreen Sobczyk Interview 2005Filter magazine 2005
References
External links
Official websiteSympathy for the Record IndustryScarling's Facebook Page*
Scarling. Allmusic Guide Page
Scarling. was an American noise pop band formed in Los Angeles in 2001. The band consisted of lead vocalist Jessicka Addams and guitarist Christian Hejnal.
Name
The band's name comes from a fictional word created by singer/fine artist Jessicka ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scarling
Indie rock musical groups from California
American noise rock music groups
Shoegazing musical groups
Sympathy for the Record Industry artists
Musical groups from Los Angeles
Noise pop musical groups
Musical groups established in 2001
Musical groups disestablished in 2014