Mannequin Pussy @ The Bellwether

What a night it was with Mannequin Pussy at The Bellwether in Los Angeles, CA on October 11, 2024. First was Margaritas Podridas, who captivated the audience before the main act.

Margaritas Podridas

The Hermosillo, Mexico-based quartet Margaritas Podridas was born out of admiration for the underground rock landscape of the ‘90s, culling from the distortion-laden songwriting of the grunge scene, the scuzz-coated pop of shoegaze, and the noisy sojourns of that decade’s college rock’s guitar icons. Sonics aside, there’s a political streak and DIY ethic in Margaritas Podridas that recalls the confrontational idealism of their musical forebearers, evidenced in their underage scene building efforts in their hometown, their negation of the English language despite their growing international fanbase, and their penchant for giving the middle finger to sexism in both the music industry and the broader world.

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Mannequin Pussy

They were formed in 2010 by Marisa Dabice (vocals and guitar) and Thanasi Paul (guitar), who had been friends since childhood. The two began making music as a duo in New York, but after moving to Philadelphia as they began refining their sound, they became a trio with the addition of drummer Drew Adler. The band released a debut album in 2013, Gypsy Pervert, also known as GP. Mannequin Pussy hit the road, touring in support of the album, and by the time they were ready to record again, they had a new lineup. Drummer Adler was out, and along with new timekeeper Kaleen Reading, the band also added bassist Colins Regisford, also known as Bear. The four-piece edition of Mannequin Pussy cut a second album, Romantic, which was released by Tiny Engines in October 2016.

The following year they returned to the studio to write and record their third album with producer Will Yip (Quicksand, the Menzingers). Released by Epitaph Records in 2019, the resulting album, Patience, was a more melody-driven effort. By 2021, Paul had left the band to pursue other interests. That same year, the group (working as a three-piece) released an EP, Perfect, which featured the single “Control.” Also included was the song “Pigs Pigs Pigs,” which was the group’s first to feature lead vocals by bassist Regisford. The group toured that year, adding guitarist Maxine Steen and guitarist and keyboardist Carolyn Haynes. Steen ultimately joined the band as a full-time member.

In August 2023, Mannequin Pussy reacquired the rights to their first two masters from their former label, Tiny Engines. Soon after, they launched their own Romantic Records, marking the occasion with a reissue of their sophomore album, Romantic. In March 2024, they returned with their fourth studio-album and second for Epitaph Records, the John Congleton-produced I Got Heaven.

pulled from AllMusic