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Rasputina (band)

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Rasputina
Rasputina in 2007. From left to right: Sarah Bowman, Melora Creager, Jonathon TeBeest.
Rasputina in 2007. From left to right: Sarah Bowman, Melora Creager, Jonathon TeBeest.
Background information
OriginBrooklyn, New York, U.S.
Genres
Years active1992–present
Labels
Members
Past members
Websiterasputina.com

Rasputina is an American rock band based in New York City, known for an unconventional music style, as well as a fascination with historical allegories and fashion, especially those pertaining to the Victorian era.

The group is fronted by cellist/vocalist Melora Creager, who writes the music and lyrics and creates art for the band's albums, singles, and website.

History

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In 1989, Creager wrote a manifesto, and placed an ad in The Village Voice seeking women to form an electric cello choir. Julia Kent, then an editor at the Village Voice, was the first respondent. The original group of nine was whittled to three. They named themselves "Rasputina", after one of Creager's songs. The group performed frequently and became a local favorite in New York City.[3]

Columbia Records' A&R representative and producer Jimmy Boyle saw the group perform at a New York festival. He signed the group to the Columbia Records label in 1996. Creager and Boyle produced their first album on Columbia titled Thanks for the Ether. In 1997 the band released Transylvanian Regurgitations, a follow-up EP remixed by Marilyn Manson and Twiggy Ramirez.[4][5]

On their second full-length album, How We Quit the Forest, Rasputina signed on Chris Vrenna (from Nine Inch Nails) as their drummer and producer. He also provided electronic drums and sound effects.[6][7][8]

Rasputina toured with such musicians as Bob Mould,[9] Porno for Pyros,[10] Marilyn Manson,[4][11] Siouxsie Sioux,[12] and Les Claypool.[13][14] Creager played cello with Nirvana for their final tour in Europe, 1994.[3][11] The band appeared as musical guests on Late Night with Conan O'Brien on two occasions, once in 1996 and again in 1998, to promote Thanks for the Ether and How We Quit the Forest respectively.[15][16]

After working first with Columbia and then Instinct Records to produce their first four albums and first four EPs, the band then went on to produce all their subsequent work through Melora Creager's own record label, Filthy Bonnet Recording Co.,[17] starting with their live album A Radical Recital in 2005,[18] and later often selling music at their live shows or through the band's website directly, with no label affiliation, beginning with The Willow Tree Triptych in 2009. These off-label releases have generally been very limited runs, often with only around 100 copies being made available.[19][20]

In summer 2010, a documentary was made about Rasputina called Under the Corset by Dawn Miceli.[21] In January 2011 Melora Creager announced on The Dawn and Drew Show that Dawn Miceli would be playing the drums on the February 2011 tour.[22]

Rasputina released Unknown on April 10, 2015.[23] The record is a concept album that exhibits the band's frontwoman, Melora Creager's, trauma after her computer was hacked into. The album is only available on CD from the band's website so, as Melora states on the site "conceptually... anyone who purchases it is known to me." The entire album was recorded solo by Creager in three weeks.[24] The 2015 "Unknown" lineup is the first in the history of Rasputina to add piano and beat boxing, in place of traditional drums, by Luis Mojica.[25][26]

On June 26, 2015, Rasputina released a compilation of demo recordings from 1991 to 1997 titled "Magnetic Strip" and was only available by digital download on the band's website.[27]

In the fall of 2016, Polly Panic joined Rasputina as the second cellist. The first tour of the line up with Melora, Polly Panic as second cellist/backing vocalist, and Luis Mojica as keyboardist/beat boxer and backing vocalist.[28]

In July 2017, Melora Creager announced a new album, The Feel-Good Hits of 1817. In her email newsletter, she stated that the album would be vinyl-only, and limited in quantity.[29]

The album None but the Lonely Heart was released through the band's website in 2018. The album is a collection of piano covers performed by Creager, including songs by Patti Smith, Duke Ellington, The Smiths, and Carl Sandburg. The title is taken from the Tchaikovsky song of the same name, which also serves as the first track on the album.[30]

In 2019, the album Skin is Living Leather was released on the band's website. It features nine songs, three of which are covers, five new songs written by Creager, and one which was co-written with Creager's daughter Ivy.[31]

Discography

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Albums

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Live albums

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Compilation albums

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Singles and EPs

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Promotional

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  • Transylvanian Concubine/The Vaulted Eel, Lesson#6 – Oculus Records, 1993
  • Three (3) – (promo), 1996
  • Three Lil' Nothin's – (promo), 1996
  • Transylvanian Regurgitations (vinyl promo) – Columbia Records, 1997
  • The Olde Headboard - Maxi Single (promotional distribution) – Columbia Records, 1997

Videos

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  • The Olde Headboard – Music Video, 1998
  • The Olde Headboard (Weathered Mix), 1998
  • My Orphanage Live at the Knitting Factory, 1999
  • Under the Corset – Documentary, 2010
  • Great American Gingerbread – Combination of CD rarities, including a DVD of live performances at The Knitting Factory, 2011

Compilation appearances

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Song inspirations

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Creager is a self-proclaimed history buff and often bases the lyrics for the band on that historical knowledge.

These include:

Outside work

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In 2006, Melora released a solo album, Perplexions, through Filthy Bonnet Recording Co. with then Rasputina bandmate Jonathon Tebeest on piano.[35]

Luis Mojica, former pianist and beat-boxer in the band, released a studio album, "Wholesome", with Melora Creager of Rasputina on cello and Brian Viglione of The Dresden Dolls on drums.[36][37][38]

References

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  1. ^ Plant, Geoffrey (July 22, 2015). "Sonic Reducer: Rasputina, The Plurals and Bedrockk". Weekly Alibi. Carl Petersen. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
  2. ^ Hermann, Andy (April 27, 2004). "RASPUTINA: FRUSTRATION PLANTATION". popmatters. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  3. ^ a b Valcourt, Keith (October 19, 2015). "Rasputina cellist Melora Creager discusses steampunk, goth rock and Nirvana's final shows". The Washington Times. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Marilyn Manson-Rasputina Remix To Creep Into Stores". MTV News. May 29, 1997. Archived from the original on January 18, 2019. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  5. ^ "Transylvanian Regurgitations - Rasputina". AllMusic. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  6. ^ "Vrenna To Produce Rasputina". MTV News. November 12, 1997. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  7. ^ "How We Quit The Forest - Rasputina". AllMusic. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  8. ^ Himes, Geoffrey (January 22, 1999). "RASPUTINA "HOW WE QUIT THE FOREST" COLUMBIA". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  9. ^ "Women in corsets". The Michigan Daily. Vol. 107, no. 6. October 7, 1996. pp. 5a. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  10. ^ Jentzen, Aaron (December 6, 2007). "Rasputina's cello-rock visits the Rex Theatre". Pittsburgh City Paper. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  11. ^ a b Alexander, Jeff (June 27, 2014). "Rasputina: 21st Century Victorians". The Big Takeover. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  12. ^ Michaels, Sean (January 31, 2008). "Siouxsie Sioux, Nick Cave and Vampire Weekend to tour UK". The Guardian. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  13. ^ "Newsbunny". Rasputina. Archived from the original on October 26, 2006. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  14. ^ Reyes-Kulkarni, Saby (December 7, 2006). "No Dispute on Rasputina". Miami New Times. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  15. ^ "Rasputina Filmography". Imdb. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  16. ^ "Rasputina performing 'Leechwife' on Conan". Youtube. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  17. ^ a b c d e f Torem, Lisa (May 18, 2011). "Rasputina - Interview". Penny Black Music. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
  18. ^ "Rasputina - Album Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  19. ^ "Newsbunny". Rasputina: A Division of the Ladies Cello Society. Archived from the original on June 11, 2010.
  20. ^ "Melora's Handicraft Shoppe". Rasputina's Official Website. Archived from the original on April 7, 2010. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  21. ^ "Under the Corset with Rasputina – a documentary by Dawn Miceli". Underthecorset.com. Archived from the original on July 14, 2012. Retrieved December 7, 2012.
  22. ^ "DNDS-953". Thedawnanddrewshow.com. January 25, 2011. Retrieved December 7, 2012.
  23. ^ "Details, details". Melora Creager. meloracreager.space. March 21, 2015. Archived from the original on November 21, 2015. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  24. ^ "About New Rasp Album –". Meloracreager.space. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
  25. ^ "Interview with Melora Creager of Rasputina". Chaoscontrol.com. July 22, 2015. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
  26. ^ Parker, Chris (August 18, 2015). "Rasputina's Melora Creager Replaces Her Stolen Identity". Shepherd Express. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  27. ^ "Magnetic Strip". MeloraCreager.space. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  28. ^ "Rasputina". meloracreager.space. Archived from the original on October 21, 2016. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  29. ^ "Rasputina - New Album- LP Only". Rasputina. Archived from the original on August 22, 2017. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  30. ^ "None but the Lonely Heart - CD". Rasputina. Archived from the original on September 7, 2019. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  31. ^ "Skin is Living Leather CD". Rasputina. Archived from the original on September 7, 2019. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  32. ^ "Various – The Black Bible (CD) at Discogs". discogs. Retrieved December 7, 2012.
  33. ^ "History". Rasputina's Official Website. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  34. ^ "Notes from Sister Kinderhook". Rasputina's Official Website. Archived from the original on October 24, 2011. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  35. ^ "Melora Creager- Perplexions". AllMusic. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  36. ^ Nichols, Sharon. "CD Review: Luis Mojica "Wholesome" in 2016". Chronogram.com. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  37. ^ Evans, Morgan Y. (March 24, 2017). "Kingston After Dark: Adventure time". Hudsonvalleyone.com. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  38. ^ "Wholesome". www.luismojica.com. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
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