Album Notes

The Jealous Girlfriends – By Brendan J. Coon

The mysterious Holly Miranda met Alex Lipsen in 2004 and something clicked. At the time, Holly was "used to playing solo funky stuff," and Alex was used to being a producer who enjoyed long walks around his studio and talking a lot. They decided to produce Holly's new record together, but that turned into starting a band instead. Working in an intimate studio environment yielded much experimentation and enjoyment, which is obvious upon first listening to Comfortably Uncomfortable. This Scott Norton (Early Man) engineered debut glimmers with songs about unrequited love, as Holly evokes Billie Holiday and even covers The Smiths. One of the albums brightest gems is "Lay Around," recently featured on Showtime's The L Word.

Enter Josh Abbott. Originally hired as a drummer, this redhead quickly branched out to co-singer/songwriter, upping the rock element substantially. Together the new trio found a unique sound, mixing Holly's traditional roots, Alex's trip-hop reveries, and Josh's post-punk sensibilities. Night after night on stage, The Jealous Girlfriends developed a sonic cornucopia that was as appealing as it was poignant. The new songs were powerful, but did not lack fragility. In The Deli Magazine, Maria Schettino wrote "Holly's voice is a subtle rasp with all the elegance of a fine chocolate wrapped in luminous foil. She is arresting."

After a brief tour of the midwest in the summer of 2005, it was time to document the evolution. With Holly on guitars and vocals, Josh singing from behind the drums, and Alex handling the bass and keyboards, they had transformed into a remarkable spectacle. Wisely, they returned to their intimate studio atmosphere, tapping longtime collaborator Dan Long (Fatales) to produce. In the meantime, TJG's had developed a small but strong word-of-mouth following. Soon they were playing Pianos, The Trocadero and The Knitting Factory, opening up for local favorites like Kevin Devine.

With the new record complete, the world must embrace The Jealous Girlfriends. Witness clever melodies that float over harmonious and rhythmic epics like "Machines," recently mixed by Dave Sitek (TV On The Radio). They have mined their influences for only the finest treasures, somehow conjuring up Edith Piaf on a Ouija board at Blur's house. With soaring vocals that scratch your heart like a back, decadent instrumentation and a myriad of emotions, the new album takes chances. With their video for the new song "How Now" available on their website, this band is announcing their arrival. And just in time...