Vivian Girls

There’s been no shortage whatsoever of lo-fi fuzz-pop bands these past few years, but to be fair to Vivian Girls, they were very much ahead of the curve. The Brooklyn trio burst onto the scene back in 2008 with a self-titled debut that was at once both gloriously scuzzy from a sonic point of view and yet obviously melodic; it signalled the start of a new trend in indie pop songwriting, one that the likes of Dum Dum Girls and Best Coast would go on to follow. Their live shows, too, would share the DIY punk attitude that permeated pretty much every aspect of the way in which they went about their business; straightforward, quickfire sets, just guitar, a rhythm section and Cassie Ramone’s washed-out vocals. By the time they dropped their second, slightly more polished effort, Everything Goes Wrong, it was evident that the individual members’ creative personalities were beginning to come to the fore; Katy Goodman brought genuine groove to her bass-playing, Ramone’s emotional range had clearly been broadened, and Ali Koehler’s energetic turns behind the kit would ultimately land her a spot touring with Best Coast. Earlier this year, with side projects beginning to take up more and more time, Vivian Girls decided to call it a day with a handful of farewell shows; a future reunion, though, has yet to be ruled out.