U.S. Girls

Last updated

U.S. Girls
Meg Remy - U.S. Girls - Turf Club - St. Paul - First Avenue - Minneapolis - 4ad (48015188346) (cropped).jpg
Remy in 2019
Background information
Born
Meghan Remy

1985 (age 39–40)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Genres
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]

Early life and education

Remy grew up in Illinois, raised mostly by her mother. She attended a Catholic high school, followed by an art college in Oregon, concentrating on paper arts and graphic design. [12]

Music career

Remy was in her first punk band as a teenager. She cites riot grrrl and Crass as early influences. [13]

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

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]

Alongside her husband Max "Slim Twig" Turnbull, [21] she operates record label Calico Corp., and sometimes performs as a guest vocalist with Turnbull's Badge Époque Ensemble. [22]

Writing career

In 2021, Remy released her first book, Begin by Telling, published by Bookhug Press. [23] 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." [24]

Personal life

Remy later moved from Chicago to Toronto in 2010 after marrying Canadian musician Turnbull. She has permanent residency status in 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] —

References

  1. ↑ Cafolla, Anna. "U.S. Girls: A Fresh Perspective". Crack Magazine. Retrieved June 13, 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 (July 14, 2016). "2016 Polaris Music Short List Is Here". Polarismusicprize.ca. Retrieved January 15, 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 (February 27, 2018). "Welcome to the U.S. Girls Universe". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  12. ↑ "Artist Profile: U.S. Girls". AdHoc.fm. Archived from the original on March 6, 2018. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  13. ↑ O'Connell, Sharon (October 19, 2015). "US Girls: 'I like to do the opposite of everything that is making money'". The Guardian . Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  14. 1 2 "Losing the Little Labels | Pitchfork". Pitchfork.com. May 14, 2010. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  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: focusing on the darkness in many women's lives". Now , December 9, 2015.
  22. ↑ Stuart Berman, "Badge Époque Ensemble, Self Help". Pitchfork , November 21, 2020.
  23. ↑ "U.S. Girls - Begin by Telling" Bookhug Press, March 16, 2021
  24. ↑ "Begin by Telling". CBC.ca , February 1, 2021
  25. ↑ "Adult Alternative Songs - May 30, 2020". Billboard. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  26. ↑ "U.S. Girls - U.S. Girls Cassingle". Discogs.com. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  27. ↑ "U.S. Girls - Me + Yoko 7". notnotfun.com. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  28. ↑ "U.S. Girls - Lunar Life 7". Bandcamp.com. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  29. ↑ "Death Bomb Arc Digital Singles Club Year 1 Part 1". Bandcamp.com. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  30. ↑ "U.S. Girls - The Boy Is Mine Track - notes". Bandcamp.com. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  31. ↑ Fitzmaurice, Larry. "Tracks: "The Island Song" - U.S. Girls". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  32. ↑ Zoladz, Lindsay. "Tracks: "Jack" - U.S. Girls". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  33. ↑ "Slim Baby by U.S. Girls on Fatcat Records". fat-cat.co.uk. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  34. ↑ "U.S. Girls - Rosemary/Sed Knife". Discogs.com. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  35. ↑ Berman, Stuart. "Tracks: "Damn that Valley" - U.S. Girls". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  36. ↑ "Tracks: "Woman's Work" - U.S. Girls". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  37. ↑ Pop Matters staff (September 2, 2015). "U.S. GIRLS – "WINDOW SHADES" (VIDEO) (SINGLES GOING STEADY)". popmatters.com. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  38. ↑ Lozano, Kevin. "Tracks: "Mad As Hell" - U.S. Girls". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  39. ↑ Geffen, Sasha. "Tracks: "Velvet 4 Sale" - U.S. Girls". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  40. ↑ Rettig, James (January 10, 2018). "U.S. Girls - "Pearly Gates" Video". Stereogum.com. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  41. ↑ Torres, Eric. "Tracks: "Rosebud" - U.S. Girls". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  42. ↑ Rettig, James (January 13, 2020). "U.S. Girls - "Overtime"". Stereogum.com. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  43. ↑ Rettig, James (February 10, 2020). "U.S. Girls - "Four American Dollars"". Stereogum.com. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  44. ↑ Hussey, Alison (November 30, 2020). "U.S. Girls Share New Christmas Song "Santa Stay Home": Listen". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  45. ↑ "Junkyard - single - U.S. Girls". music.apple.com. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  46. ↑ Ruiz, Matthew Ismael. "Tracks: "So Typically Now" - U.S. Girls". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  47. ↑ Brodsky, Rachel (October 25, 2022). "U.S. Girls - "Bless This Mess"". Stereogum.com. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  48. ↑ Rettig, James (February 21, 2023). "U.S. Girls - "Tux (Your Body Fills Me, Boo)" - Feb 21, 2023". Stereogum.com. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
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