vita.mn presents THE ALARMISTS and SICK OF SARAH
THE ALARMISTS
The Alarmists are an indie pop band formed in the fall of 2004 in Minneapolis that incorporate elements of britpop and indie rock in their music. The Alarmists released their first album, A Detail of Soldiers, in early 2006. The album gained critical favor, getting positive reviews from local newspapers, and even earning a spot on The Onion A.V. Club’s ‘Best Local Music of 2006’ list. The band have since released follow-up albums The Ghost and the Hired Gun in 2007 and The Overhead Left in 2009.
SICK OF SARAH
When the girls of Sick of Sarah jumped on the stage of Minneapolis’ prestigious 7th Street Entry on April 7, 2010, the room was shaking with excitement. The sold-out crowd pushed to get closer, waiting for a glimpse of the ladies that had only months earlier departed for a tour across country. After touring behind their self-titled debut LP for most of 2008/2009, Sick of Sarah had built some anticipation for their homecoming, “This was our final Minneapolis show before making the new record, we felt this was the end of the first chapter, and we couldn’t wait to show everyone what was coming next,” says Lead Singer, Abisha Uhl.
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That new chapter, 2205, was recorded in May 2010 at The Sonic Ranch in El Paso, TX, a studio made famous for its indie-rock clientele such as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Conor Oberst, Portugal The Man, Taking Back Sunday, Trail of The Dead and its extensive amp and guitar collection including guitars from the Stevie Ray Vaughan estate. “We were able to just live, breath and sleep this album 24/7, a luxury we didn’t have our first time recording,” says bassist Jamie Holm. “Most of the songs had been demoed before we recorded, but we had to arrange the songs and write lyrics on spot.” Some of those lyrics were inspired by the rumors of ghosts haunting the studios and housing, pet raccoons, and mementos discarded by previous artists. According to Uhl, “Karen O left behind a piece of paper with the number of a therapist and masseuse in a dresser in our bedroom.” The band’s house and rehearsal space, 2205 Grand Ave, has served both as a rotating home for each member of the band over the last few years and as a central creative hub. This location has become such an important symbol to the band’s identity that every member has a tattoo “2205” on their inner wrist. The address now lends its name to the new LP, 2205. With this simple gesture, the band has taken an important part of their own lives in order to present it to old and new fans alike in the form of a wild, raucous, catchy new album. The excited Minneapolis fans at the 7th Street Entry may have given Sick of Sarah a welcome homecoming, but with 2205 the band are welcoming fans into their own home.



