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Artist of the day - Thelma and the Sleaze. The Lamborghini of Rock And Roll



Thelma and the Sleaze shake the chandeliers top shelf style.  This four-piece band is a bona fide rock n roll band.  They tour  out of Nashville Tennessee. I would certainly give their latest album drop Fuck. Marry. Kill a 10/10 comparatively speaking. Thelma and the Sleaze have been around the block a few times and they have released a couple albums. Fuck. Marry. Kill is their newest album that was released this year. FMK is by far the best record yet! The candid, comical LG (Lauren Gilbert) fronts the band with slink and slither. She does most of the dirty work herself. There have been close to 15 members in all that have played in this rock group over the past 10 years. During this time LG has never ceased to exist. She is their Rushmore. Consistency and longevity are the two parents of expectation and these ladies have blown past my expectation thus far. 




Everyone is very quick to mention this is an ALL female group. Though that is what makes them unique it is not what makes them extraordinary. (Tina here A band’s a band is a band regardless of sex or sexual orientation.)  The Sleaze come at you with catchy riffs and funky melodies on the keys. These ladies perform with a lust for life attitude. LG and her SG belong together. She shreds the hell out of the baby. “Coochie”, on keys, rips into her parts with middle finger defiance. Her spirited flair is reminiscent of Nickey Barclay, of the great band Fanny. (Read about them in a prior post. I spied similarities.) “Snowflake” should be called “Heatwave”. She looks like she is hardly doing much with her essential style.  Yet, she brings it on to almost perfectly match LG’s sweep picking arpeggio. They use session bass players for their gigs. So each time you may get a different experience. You will want to see them any time you can. Check their site for their tour info. Right now they are not playing any shows. 

Fortunately, I had the pleasure of seeing these outlaw badass ladies up close and in person, in Cleveland. I caught the show then dove deep into their catalog. I don't think any Ohio bands are close to playing with this furious, frenetic energy. I got a chance to meet LG. I fan girled her by telling her she was GREAT. But she shouted us out on Instagram after. It's in the Papi and the Smears "highlights" on our page. I will cherish that forever.

At first I would compare LG’s singing style to that of Janis Joplin. But as I dug deeper I really saw some heavy influence from different artists like Ricky Lee Jones and Tanya Tucker, along with rock, blues, and soul artists. When LG walks into a room she owns it and she knows it. She bleeds excellency and gives off the aroma of pure divinity.

Fuck. Marry. Kill is full of head banging foot stomping hits. “Pain” is a single off the album and really gave fans a great perspective on what the rest of this album holds. My favorite song off the album (though there are many) has to be “Buyin It”. The message of being a strong woman who is not easily mislead is intricately wrapped into this whole record. This album gives us females a voice and Thelma and the Sleaze gives women/girls everywhere hope and new idols, other than prissy pop princesses, to look up too.


Jessica Komyati


My 2 cents – Watching this band before coffee was the jolt of get your ass going that I needed. As said, this is a Genuine. Rock. Band complete with member changes, bikini’s and gas station shorts. There was eve a small altercation of stage. LG had to exit stage left. Coochie finished the job. They possess that soul sister tribe mentality. I also read LG recently moved to Alabama because Nashville is full of posers and copycat bands. Plus, it’ too expensive. Wow it sounds like what happened to New York.  Where should artists go now? Toledo? I have strong thoughts on this. So expect a post. 

 Also I already wrote it in my head but Thelma and the Sleaze reminds of Fanny. 4 ladies in sensible clothes making loaded noise. Also they all play just as good if not better than some of the boys. Ladies on a mission to bring back rock and roll. Personally I don’t think it really left. It’s just once Taylor, Bey, and Justin B hit the airwaves, the authentic music took a back seat. That said, go digging in the dirt of dive bars. The real deals are gigging out there. I know it.  Thank to Jess for your contribution.

http://thelmaandthesleaze.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64GKZL5DRG8

http://niche-appeal.com/tag/papi-and-the-smears/

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