SaraLee

pic from facebook

One of the first shows I went to in Boston was a Ride the Snake Records anniversary party where SaraLee was amongst the bands that played that night. And it hit me hard, they were the purest and boldest form of low-fi. The setup is so simple, Sara on guitar and vocals and Lee on drums, but it was so intoxicating. They are my favorite because they were my first, they really showed me that there is so much music out there that is amazing and completely oblivious to me. That was almost a year ago now, and I think they have only played like one or two shows since then, and haven’t released something since 2013, so I am unsure of their status, active wise.

After the show, I went on their Bandcamp and downloaded all of their music and listened to it religiously. The site fairly is bountiful, with 5 releases from February 2011 to the most recent being from September 2013, but their facebook page seemed pretty desolate. Which created a sense of mystery in my mind, because it felt like as soon as I heard them they were already gone.

I’ve seen Lee drumming in Pucker Up more recently. He’s the most intense drummer I’ve ever seen. Pucker Up and SaraLee are obviously very different, but the intensity is the same. At one point it the Pucker Up set, at a part when he wasn’t drumming, Lee got up from his kit, walked around the stage, and then sat back down and started whaling the drums. And I just thought that was the coolest move ever.

Sara’s vocals are so unique and powerful. The music is very natural sounding and reminds me of being in the woods. It’s very calming and strong. The lyrics are simple, deep, and cool. Like on my favorite “So Sorry”, which goes like “I’m so sorry but I can’t go home with you, Things are different, Now they’re new.” The fuzzy guitar balances so well with the resolute drumming. I don’t know if they are going to play or release anything in the near future, but it’s okay because I’m still not over any of their old stuff.