L7

L7’s signature sound of a heavy, catchy, mixture of punk, metal, noise and pop helped usher in the era of Grunge. Since their recording career began in 1987, the band has released six studio albums, three live albums, one covers LP, and one greatest hits to date on labels including Epitaph, Sup Pop, Slash, and Warner Brothers.

Founded in Los Angeles in 1985 by Donita Sparks: guitar and vocals, and Suzi Gardner: guitar and vocals, the band features Dee Plakas on drums, and at various times Jennifer Finch, Gail Greenwood, and Janis Tanaka on bass.

While particularly known for their unforgettably raucous live performances, the band also spawned underground and mainstream hits including Shove, Pretend We’re Dead, Shitlist, Andres, Fuel My Fire and more. Their music can be heard in television (ER), video games (Grand Theft Auto, Rock Band 2) and popular films including The Perks Of being a Wallflower, Natural Born Killers and John Water’s classic Serial Mom, in which they also star as fictitious band Camel Lips.

In 1991, the band founded Rock for Choice, a pro-choice organization with the Feminist Majority  Foundation producing nationwide benefit concerts featuring the biggest musical acts of the day from Joan Jett to Nirvana.

In 2001 the band went on an “indefinite hiatus”. After 15 years and at the urging of their fans via social media platforms, L7 reunited in 2015 and performed sold out shows around the globe to rave reviews and accolades from a new generation of music fans.

Their triumphant return continues with two new singles Dispatch from Mar-a-Lago and I Came Back to Bitch, released on Don Giovani Records. The latter, released in February of 2018 kicks off a US Tour in April in addition to tours of South America, Mexico, and Europe this summer.

A documentary on the band L7: Pretend We’re Dead was released in 2017 to critical acclaim and demonstrates L7’s contribution and legacy in the pantheon of rock.

Minneapolis’ VIAL magically met each other through a Tinder post in 2019, brought together by a shared love of 90’s punk, indie, and grunge. Launching into their home scene with their debut Grow Up they quickly became local favorites with everyone from The Current to Music In Minnesota.  Signing to LA’s Get Better Records in 2021, their follow up full length, Loudmouth, was an evolution of their indie-pop and alt-rock beginnings but began to hint at other leanings, especially in the tracks Ego Death and the fan-favorite Piss Punk.  A little less reflection on the past and a little more anger at the future.

Even though their third release, Burnout, retained the whimsy, the fiercer side of things kept creeping in. Tales of betrayal and teen drama were also being matched by a hardness reflective of our fractured society. 

With their 4th record, HELLHOUND, the gloves have come completely off. There’s a wee trace of the jovial in the LP’s title track/interlude but the rest of the record is one shredder after another - deceit, revenge, frustration and vitriol are nailed incessantly into the tracks from start to finish. Produced by Martin Cooke (Death Cab For Cutie, Of Monsters And Men, Destroy Boys), the LP is a powerhouse that draws from vintage punk, classic metal and all in between. Anyone who’s crossed them is a target and asking to get cut. First single CREEP SMOOTHIE pulls no punches in calling out disrespect from the worst kinds of men and would-be’s alike.  IDLE HANDS channels the rage inward. Overall the record is a culmination of influences and experience and an explosive chapter in VIAL’s life.

Behind everything they do is an underlying dedication to causes ranging from gender equality and abortion rights to supporting indigenous arts and refugee aid. The band constantly helps on a material level, funneling income directly to these groups. Many artists pay lip service to making the world a better place. VIAL put their money where their mouths are and their steel toes where the sun don’t shine.