Music Review: Wendy & Lisa’s Girl Bros. (The HiveMind)

I have spent several months purchasing all of Wendy & Lisa’s albums in my quest to earn my musical Ph.D. in their solo work. The Girl Bros. LP is the last album I needed to complete my thesis and graduate from the University of Wendy & Lisa. Now, allow me to present my thesis defense and obtain my doctorate.

Based on what I heard and read online, I knew that the Girl Bros. LP - originally released in 1998 and re-released (digital only) in 2009 - is a more somber sounding album from Wendy & Lisa than previous releases. I have read that the album was part tribute to Wendy’s late brother, Jonathan Melvoin, (touring keyboardist for The Smashing Pumpkins) and was made during the breakup of Wendy & Lisa’s romantic relationship. As a result, I knew that Girl Bros. would be the opposite of Fruit at the Bottom - a fun, exuberant album that often makes me smile when listening to it. However, the somber sounds and lyrics on Girl Bros. are not something that made me long for previous Wendy & Lisa-sounding albums. In fact, I find Girl Bros. the most interesting because it is a clear turning point in their musical careers. Where Eroica started shifting Wendy & Lisa’s sound from their previous two albums, Girl Bros. took an exit off the freeway into a new yet pleasing direction.

To read more, please click here: http://www.writetilt.com/2009/03/31/music-review-wendy-lisas-girl-bros/

Print Interviews: Recent

• Plato, Catherine. "Catching Up With... Wendy and Lisa." Jane and Jane Magazine. March-April 2009, 56-57.

What Had Happened Was: Lisa Coleman and Wendy Melvoin by Vibe Interview Keith Murphy

When talking to keyboardist Lisa Coleman and guitarist Wendy Melvoin about their experiences working with mercurial funk-rock God Prince, the stories are seemingly endless. So much so, that we couldn’t fit the bulk of the duo’s interview into our 51 Best Albums That Never Were package, which highlighted Prince’s now mythical 1986 unreleased project Dream Factory (Paisley Park). These days Wendy and Lisa—the most celebrated members of the Purple One’s classic ‘80s backing band The Revolution—are still making uncompromising music with the release of the latest album White Flags of Winter Chimneys (wendyandlisa.com).

As for Prince, the 50-year-old music icon is as prolific as ever. The superstar is releasing a three-disc CD set, LOtUSFLOW3R, MPLSoUND and third album from protégé Bria Valente through an exclusive deal with retail chain Target on March 29. So what’s it like recording with a prodigious talent who can write a song as easy as “brushing his teeth” as Coleman muses? Read on.

To read more, please click here: http://www.vibe.com/news/online_exclusives/2009/03/what_had_happened_was_lisa_coleman_and_wendy_melvoin/

(site last visited May 17, 2009)

Wendy & Lisa: White Flags Of Winter Chimneys Review by Dan Everett

Some folks may remember Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman from their work with Prince & The Revolution. You can see them in the film ‘Purple Rain’, standing either side of the pint-sized funk flaneur during his climactic performance of the title tune. More than mere accompaniment for Prince’s project, they had a significant influence on his musical direction during that period when he moved from straight disco-funk to…well, Prince. Once their employer found a new direction, Wendy & Lisa seemed to disappear from view. In fact, they have never stopped writing and performing, even touching the charts in the early ’90s with a few hits of their own. They have also been working tirelessly behind the scenes in the music industry, producing and writing for others, and are the creative force behind the music for the TV series ‘Heroes’.
To read more, please click here: http://wearsthetrousers.com/2009/03/08/wendy-lisa-white-flags-of-winter-chimneys-2009/

(site last visited May 17, 2009)

Rock the dub Interview: Wendy & Lisa

I don't know about you, but when I was in high school, I was a huge fan of Prince & The Revolution. For those of you who know the score, you should know who Wendy & Lisa are. Childhood friends, and talented artists, they've been through a lot - they were active in music before The Revolution, arguably made their most famous mark with Prince, helping usher in the "blue eyed soul" sound in the 80s, and when they eventually left his fold, something was definitely missing. They weren't, though, making their own music, as well as collaborating with artists like Seal, Eric Clapton, Liz Phair, Sheryl Crow, among others. In December, the digital release of their latest album, White Flags of Winter Chimneys, was self-released through their website, and I got a chance to speak with them about this, their song-writing and other points of interest...

To read more, please click here: http://www.rockthedub.com/2009/02/rock-dub-interview-wendy-lisa.html

(site last visited May 17, 2009)

Sci-Fi Talk Live Interview

Wendy & Lisa are composers who have a new CD. You'll hear some tracks from their new album White Flags of Winter Chimneys. They will discuss their diverse musical background working with Prince and scoring the hit series, Heroes.

To hear the interview, please click here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Sci-Fi-Talk-Live/2009/02/24/Episode-39-Wendy-And-Lisa

(site last visited May 17, 2009)

Music Review: Wendy & Lisa’s White Flags of Winter Chimneys

It’s been approximately four months since I reconnected with my love of all things Wendy and Lisa. During that time, Wendy and Lisa released White Flags of Winter Chimneys - their first album since 1998’s Girl Bros - through their website on December 9, 2008. For me, White Flags of Winter Chimneys was an exciting and hotly anticipated music release. I’d just began my musical journey with Wendy and Lisa’s solo work with their first album, Wendy and Lisa, in early November 2008. Although I’d heard some music from different phases of their solo career, I was still missing the full spectrum of Wendy and Lisa’s evolution as artists. After hearing Balloon and Invisible - two tracks from their new album - I was intrigued by their musical direction. As a long time fan taking a crash course in Wendy and Lisa’s music, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect with the new album other than an alternative/rock feel. I’d dropped any preconceived notions that Wendy and Lisa needed to sound like The Revolution era long ago, and I was musically open and receptive to what they were doing now. Even though I was still playing catch up at the time, I had a gut instinct that White Flags of Winter Chimneys would be a musical experience to behold. I was glad my instincts were right.

To read more, please click here: http://www.writetilt.com/2009/02/08/music-review-wendy-lisas-white-flags-of-winter-chimneys/

(site last visited May 17, 2009)