Blonde Redhead's noisy, dissonant guitars, alternate tunings, and quiet, stilted lyrics have often been compared to early
Sonic Youth. After randomly meeting at an Italian restaurant in New York, Japanese art students
Kazu Makino and
Maki Takahashi and Italian twin brothers
Simone and
Amedeo Pace formed the band in 1993. The name was taken from a song by the '80s no wave band
DNA. With
Makino and
Amedeo on guitars and vocals,
Simone on drums, and
Takahashi on bass, the band's chaotic, artistic rock caught the attention of
Sonic Youth drummer
Steve Shelley, who produced and released the band's debut album, Blonde Redhead, on his Smells Like Records label. Shortly after the album's release,
Takahashi left the band. The remaining members continued as a trio, releasing a second album in 1995 on
Shelley's label, titled La Mia Vita Violenta. For their 1997 release Fake Can Be Just as Good, recorded on Touch and Go, the trio was joined by guest bass player
Vern Rumsey from
Unwound. By 1998, the band eliminated bass and scaled back to guitars, drums, and vocals for In an Expression of the Inexpressible. Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons and the
Melodie Citronique EP followed two years later. The band's first for 4AD,
Misery Is a Butterfly, was released in spring 2004. For 2007's
23, the group opted for a mix of dream-pop and delicate electronic textures. ~ Tracy Frey, All Music Guide
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