Music Scene International: Bell

Bell band pic

[Andy]  [Vanessa]  [Sue]  [Damon]

The year and a half since the summer 1996 release of the critically acclaimed debut CD A Clear Sense Of Beauty (Y records) has found Bell extraordinarily busy, what with two tours of the west coast, the mountain states and a trip to Austin for SXSW. During the last year their album has charted on west coast college radio, as well as in The Rocket magazine's "Northwest top twenty" listing for regional sales. Their sound has been described by one critic as "devastatingly convincing" and stands out for its emotional intensity. Lead singer/songwriter Vanessa Veselka projects a powerful and engaging stage presence and the band is capable of shifting from soft textures to full on cacophony often within one song. Their ability to play whisper-quiet ballads is juxtaposed with sharply defined rock music that draws on a wide range of inspirations. All of this serves to present Veselka's versatility as a lead vocalist, from Nick Cave-like grounding lows to soaring highs reminiscent of singers as diverse as P J Harvey, David Bowie or Mark Lanegan.

Already There 7" cover Already diverse in stylistic output, the band has spent the last year experimenting and exploring new territory. Aided by new bass player Susan Larsen's clear, high vocals and Bell stalwarts Damon Romero and Andy Miller, Veselka has created new music that pushes the boundaries of Bell's sound while emphasizing the band's core strengths. The current 7-inch, Already There/Overwhelming serves as a sample of Bell's new material and as a vinyl precursor to the upcoming March release of a new Bell EP.

Released Nov. 8, the single was added in heavy rotation on Seattle's KCMU with other stations following.

Already There/Overwhelming (7") is available through the K catalog and from NAlL distribution. A Clear Sense of Beauty is also available through NAIL.

Press notes:

"Communicating real emotion far more effectively than contemporary angst'n'whine merchants for whom a bad day in class equals a song, Veselka is as devastatingly convincing as Paul Westerberg..."
- Fred Mills, Magnet Magazine

"...the intermingling of (Patsy) Cline-like delicacy and Helmet-like head-banging continue to define their style."
- Dave Liljengren, The Stranger

"Vanessa Veselka is an intriguing combination of poet, rock-goddess and girl-next-door, weilding a flame-orange Gretsch guitar with the skill of a fenching master brandsihing an epee."
- Tucson Lifestyle magazine

"During a show at KISW's "Pain in the Grass" summer series at Seattle Center's Mural Ampetheater, Vanessa's bandmates conspire to give Bell the same ragged glory the Stones mastered in their heyday."
- Dan Johnson, The Rocket

Professsional Contacts:
LEE WEINBERG/SOUND MGMT.
(310)285-8087 email: sndmgmt1@aol.com

or write to us @

BELL
4756 University Village PI. NE
Box #360
Seattle, WA 98105

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