NYC based Ridiculous Bitch is the most memorable outfit we’ve come across in recent memory – living up to their audacious name with a musical style that is equal parts punk, NYC grunge and glamorous rock ‘n’ roll. Their latest offering is GRANADA, an ambitious full-length album featuring the drumming talents of Brian Viglione (The World / Inferno Friendship Society, Violent Femmes, The Dresden Dolls) on select songs alongside Ridiculous Bitch’s founding duo Karen Xerri and Jimmie Marlowe.
GRANADA is chock full of the sort of bombastic rock that might be familiar to fans of The New York Dolls, The Raconteurs, David Bowie and Foxy Shazam, with impressive production that blurs the line between DIY and big studio sound. The 10 song album includes a raucous cover of Refused’s anthemic “New Noise” and a clever interpretation of The Electric Prunes’ “I Had Too Much Too Dream (Last Night)”. Official videos for focus tracks “Johnny 5”, “Blackout” and “America” showcase Xerri and Marlowe’s keen sense of visual creativity and add a third dimension to an already compelling release. We strongly suggest checking out the band’s YouTube channel here.
“After we moved back to my old neighbourhood in the village last year, we had begun to realize that this wasn’t just a project to pass the time at home in the Chelsea studio during the NYC lockdown.” says Xerri.
“I took stock and realized what we had actually created. Which, was essentially, something that -for once in my career -once in my life -was made with only one purpose in mind- it wasn’t to draw- it wasn’t to get paid- I unabashedly presented my twisted and frankly disturbing inner psyche, the stories that made me cringe, the complete and total societal and cultural devastation we were all collectively experiencing in this bizarre isolation state that was- as it turns out- conducive to making some seriously phenomenally groundbreaking and accessible glampunk rock/music!”
“I know full-well what I’ve been doing.” adds Xerri about the freewheeling creative process behind the album “And when I’m at my most truthful…when I’m slamming the core of my being against a proverbial wall because everything around me needs to numb out until I have no choice but to plug into that outlet in order to just exist daily- that’s when I created the most relatable material (which, by the way, IS sad and disturbing BUT HAS been one of the only constants in human existence) – I’ve only done one thing, and it’s create without thought of repercussions or consequence.”
The band has plans to begin touring in late 2023, with a spectacular NYC album release party planned for June 1st. Tickets are still available here (albeit not for long). You can stream GRANADA and purchase vinyl and merchandise on Bandcamp here – be on the lookout for the release on all streaming platforms this week!
