U.S. Girls

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U.S. Girls
Meg Remy - U.S. Girls - Turf Club - St. Paul - First Avenue - Minneapolis - 4ad (48015188346) (cropped).jpg
Remy in 2019
Background information
Birth nameMeghan Remy
Born1985 (age 37–38)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Genres Art pop
Years active2007–present
Labels
Website yousgirls.com

U.S. Girls is a Toronto-based experimental pop project formed in 2007, consisting solely of American musician and record producer Meghan Remy. [3] She had released music on a variety of independent record labels before signing to 4AD in 2015. [4]

Contents

Half Free , her first record for 4AD, was released the same year. [5] It garnered a Juno Award nomination for Alternative Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2016, [6] and was a shortlisted finalist for the 2016 Polaris Music Prize. [7] Her next records In a Poem Unlimited (2018) [8] and Heavy Light (2020) [9] also received the same accolades.

Remy collaborates with a number of Toronto-based musicians on both songwriting and music production. [10] [11]

Background

Remy grew up in Illinois and attended a Catholic high school. She was raised mostly by her mother. She was in her first punk band as a teenager. She cites riot grrrl and Crass as some of her early influences. [12]

She attended an art college in Oregon, concentrating on paper arts and graphic design. [13]

The name "U.S. Girls" originated from a casual conversation she was having with a friend talking about a European band coming to town. She joked, "Wait 'til they get a look at these U.S. girls!" and the phrase stuck. [14]

Music career

Remy began making music in the mid-2000s, playing in bands in Chicago and Portland. In 2008 she started recording solo at home. [14]

After signing to 4AD in 2015, first album Half Free received critical acclaim from publications including The Quietus . [15] She performed the album at festivals through 2016, including Primavera Sound. [16]

In 2018, Remy's sixth studio album, In a Poem Unlimited, was released on 4AD. [17] and was awarded Pitchfork's Best New Music accolade. [18] She made her Coachella debut in 2019 as part of the album cycle. [19]

2020's Heavy Light was released shortly before the pandemic, preceded by singles "4 American Dollars" and "Overtime".

Her 2023 album Bless This Mess was longlisted for the 2023 Polaris Music Prize. [20]

Writing career

In 2021, Remy released her first book, Begin by Telling, published by Bookhug Press. [21] CBC.ca wrote that " experimental pop sensation Meg Remy spins a web out from her body to myriad corners of American hyper-culture. Through illustrated lyric essays depicting memories from early childhood to present day, Remy paints a stark portrait of a spectacle-driven country." [22]

Personal life

Remy later moved the band to Toronto from Chicago in 2010 after marrying Canadian musician Max "Slim Twig" Turnbull. [23] Alongside Turnbull, she operates record label Calico Corp., and sometimes performs as a guest vocalist with Turnbull's Badge Époque Ensemble. [24]

She is a permanent resident of Canada.

Discography

Studio albums

Split albums

EPs

Live albums

Compilations

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions
TitleYearPeak chart positionsAlbum
US
AAA
[25]
"U.S. Girls Cassingle": Found on the Ground/St Jude Boys Choir [26] 2008—Non-LP singles
"Me + Yoko" [27] 2009—
"Lunar Life" [28] 2010—
"Salt Road"/"Won't Bother I" [29] —
"The Boy Is Mine" (Split single with Deep Purr) [30] 2011—U.S. Girls on Kraak
"The Island Song" [31] —
"Jack" [32] 2012—Gem
"Slim Baby" [33] —
"Rosemary" [34] —
"Damn That Valley" [35] 2015—Half Free
"Woman's Work" [36] —
"Window Shades" [37] —
"M.A.H" [38] 2017—In a Poem Unlimited
"Velvet 4 Sale" [39] —
"Pearly Gates" [40] 2018—
"Rosebud" [41] —
"Overtime" [42] 2020—Heavy Light
"4 American Dollars" [43] 33
"Santa Stay Home" [44] —Non-album single
"Junkyard" [45] 2021— Bills & Aches & Blues (various artists)
"So Typically Now" [46] 2022—Bless This Mess
"Bless This Mess" [47] —
"Futures Bet"2023—
"Tux" [48] —

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References

  1. ↑ Cafolla, Anna. "U.S. Girls: A Fresh Perspective". Crack Magazine. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  2. ↑ Clayton-Lea, Tony (October 2, 2015). "U.S. Girls: Half Free". The Irish Times . Retrieved March 16, 2017.
  3. ↑ "U.S. Girls’ Meg Remy Is an American Badass Living in Canada". Noisey , September 24, 2015.
  4. ↑ "New band of the Week: U.S. Girls". The Guardian , April 17, 2015.
  5. ↑ "U.S. Girls: Soaking It All In". Under the Radar , February 4, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Junos 2016: Complete list of Juno Award nominees". CBC News, February 2, 2016.
  7. ↑ Brophy, Aaron (14 July 2016). "2016 Polaris Music Short List Is Here". Polarismusicprize.ca. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  8. ↑ "Polaris Prize 2018 Long List: Arcade Fire, U.S. Girls, Gord Downie, More". Pitchfork , June 14, 2018
  9. ↑ "The Polaris Prize Shortlist of Nominees Have Been Announced". [Smack Media], July 16, 2020
  10. ↑ Hua, Hsu. "U.S. Girls' Collection of Characters". The New Yorker .
  11. ↑ Berman, Stuart (27 February 2018). "Welcome to the U.S. Girls Universe". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  12. ↑ O'Connell, Sharon (2015-10-19). "US Girls: 'I like to do the opposite of everything that is making money'". The Guardian . Retrieved 2018-03-05.
  13. ↑ "Artist Profile: U.S. Girls". AdHoc.fm. Retrieved 2018-03-05.
  14. 1 2 "Losing the Little Labels | Pitchfork". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved 2018-03-05.
  15. ↑ "Reviews: U.S. Girls - Half Free". The Quietus , October 12, 2015
  16. ↑ / "Primavera 2016". BrooklynVegan , January 21, 2016
  17. ↑ "The official website for independent record label 4AD". 4ad.com. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  18. ↑ "Reviews: U.S. Girls - In a Poem Unlimited". Pitchfork , February 20, 2018
  19. ↑ "All The Women You Need To See On Coachella's Lineup — From The Fields Or Your Couch". Refinery29 , April 11, 2019
  20. ↑ "2023 Polaris Music Prize long list: Feist, Jessie Reyez and more". CBC Music, June 13, 2023.
  21. ↑ "U.S. Girls - Begin by Telling" Bookhug Press, March 16, 2021
  22. ↑ "Begin by Telling". CBC.ca , February 1, 2021
  23. ↑ "U.S. Girls: focusing on the darkness in many women's lives". Now , December 9, 2015.
  24. ↑ Stuart Berman, "Badge Époque Ensemble, Self Help". Pitchfork , November 21, 2020.
  25. ↑ "Adult Alternative Songs - May 30, 2020". Billboard. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  26. ↑ "U.S. Girls - U.S. Girls Cassingle". Discogs.com. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  27. ↑ "U.S. Girls - Me + Yoko 7"". notnotfun.com. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  28. ↑ "U.S. Girls - Lunar Life 7"". Bandcamp.com. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  29. ↑ "Death Bomb Arc Digital Singles Club Year 1 Part 1". Bandcamp.com. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  30. ↑ "U.S. Girls - The Boy Is Mine Track - notes". Bandcamp.com. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  31. ↑ Fitzmaurice, Larry. "Tracks: "The Island Song" - U.S. Girls". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  32. ↑ Zoladz, Lindsay. "Tracks: "Jack" - U.S. Girls". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  33. ↑ "Slim Baby by U.S. Girls on Fatcat Records". fat-cat.co.uk. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  34. ↑ "U.S. Girls - Rosemary/Sed Knife". Discogs.com. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  35. ↑ Berman, Stuart. "Tracks: "Damn that Valley" - U.S. Girls". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  36. ↑ "Tracks: "Woman's Work" - U.S. Girls". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  37. ↑ Pop Matters staff (2 September 2015). "U.S. GIRLS – "WINDOW SHADES" (VIDEO) (SINGLES GOING STEADY)". popmatters.com. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  38. ↑ Lozano, Kevin. "Tracks: "Mad As Hell" - U.S. Girls". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  39. ↑ Geffen, Sasha. "Tracks: "Velvet 4 Sale" - U.S. Girls". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  40. ↑ Rettig, James (10 January 2018). "U.S. Girls - "Pearly Gates" Video". Stereogum.com. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  41. ↑ Torres, Eric. "Tracks: "Rosebud" - U.S. Girls". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  42. ↑ Rettig, James (13 January 2020). "U.S. Girls - "Overtime"". Stereogum.com. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  43. ↑ Rettig, James (10 February 2020). "U.S. Girls - "Four American Dollars"". Stereogum.com. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  44. ↑ Hussey, Alison (30 November 2020). "U.S. Girls Share New Christmas Song "Santa Stay Home": Listen". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  45. ↑ "Junkyard - single - U.S. Girls". music.apple.com. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  46. ↑ Ruiz, Matthew Ismael. "Tracks: "So Typically Now" - U.S. Girls". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  47. ↑ Brodsky, Rachel (25 October 2022). "U.S. Girls - "Bless This Mess"". Stereogum.com. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  48. ↑ Rettig, James. "U.S. Girls - "Tux (Your Body Fills Me, Boo)" - Feb 21, 2023". Stereogum.com. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
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