Parenthetical Girls

Slender Means Society
Slender Means Society
	<img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/38/Slendermeanssocietylogo.jpg" decoding="async" width="180" height="187" class="mw-file-element" data-file-width="170" data-file-height="177">
Founded	2004
Founder	Zac Pennington
Genre	Pop
Country of origin	U.S.
Location	Portland, Oregon
Official website	slendermeanssociety.com

Parenthetical Girls
Parenthetical Girls
Origin	Everett, Washington, United States
Genres	Experimental pop; chamber pop;
Years active	2002–2013
Labels	Slender Means Society, Acuarela Discos, Tomlab
Past members	Zac Pennington; Jherek Bischoff; Amber W. Smith ; Paul Alcott ; Eddy Crichton ; Freddy Ruppert ; Rachael Jensen ; Jeremy Cooper ; Sam Mickens ; Matt Carlson ; Rebecca Carlisle-Healy ; Owen Ashworth; Brenna Murphy

Parenthetical Girls was an experimental pop band formed in Everett, Washington in 2002, and disbanded in 2013.^[1]^{[unreliable source]}

History

Begun by lead singer Zac Pennington, the band originally known as Swastika Girls in 2003.^[2]

Pennington released (((GRRRLS))), the band's vinyl-only debut album on his own Slender Means Society label in 2004. Recorded with the help of Jherek Bischoff and Jamie Stewart (the latter of Xiu Xiu), (((GRRRLS))) featured different mixes of the seven songs on each side of the record.^[3]

Beginning in 2010, the band released a series of limited 12" EPs which would later be compiled into their 2013 album Privilege. The records were sold through Pennington's Slender Means Society label directly to fans, rather than distributed to record stores. At the end of the cycle, the fifth record came packaged with a box to house all the releases. The release was notable as each record was hand-numbered in the blood of the band number featured on the cover.^[4]

Breakup

On June 19, 2017, Pennington announced his new project, Comedienne, which includes Deerhoof's Greg Saunier and longtime collaborator Jherek Bischoff. The announcement came alongside news that Parenthetical Girls is officially defunct.^[5]

As of 2019, Pennington is engaged in a project, entitled Popular Music, alongside Prudence Rees-Lee. They released their first album, a collection of covers from pop culture called Popular Music Plays in Darkness, on November 20, 2020.^[6] Their second album, Minor Works, was released on October 13, 2023.

Discography

Albums

2004 (((GRRRLS)))
2006 Safe as Houses
2008 Entanglements
2013 Privilege (Abridged)

Singles and EPs

2004 Christmas with Parenthetical Girls EP
2006 Twenty Bees 7"
2006 A Parenthetical Girls Family Christmas EP
2007 Parenthetical Girls/The Dead Science split 7-inch|Parenthetical Girls/Dead Science 7" split
2007 Addendum (Safe as Houses European bonus EP)
2008 A David Horvitz Picture Disc with Parenthetical Girls
2008 A Song for Ellie Greenwich
2009 The Scottish Play: Wherein the Group Parenthetical Girls Pay Well-intentioned (If Occasionally Misguided) Tribute to the Works of Ivor Cutler (Mini-Album)
2009 Morrissey/The Smiths 7" split (with Xiu Xiu)
2009 "The Christmas Creep"
2010 Tomlab Alphabet Singles Series Z
2010 Privilege, Pt. I: On Death & Endearments
2010 Privilege, Pt. II: The Past, Imperfect
2011 "Untanglements" (Entanglements Alternate Versions)
2011 Covers. (Rare Cover Versions)
2011 Privilege, Pt. III: Mend & Make Do
2011 Careful Who You Dance With (Remixes EP)
2011 Extra Life/Parenthetical Girls 12" split
2011 "Demos for the Dreaming" (Kate Bush Covers)
2011 Privilege, pt. IV: Sympathy For Spastics
2011 Parenthetical Girls Save Christmas
2012 Privilege, pt. V: Portrait of a Reputation
2012 Good Christian Men Rejoice, It's Parenthetical Girls

Band members

Final members

Zac Pennington – vocals, guitars, glockenspiel, keyboards, other instruments (2002 - 2013)
Jherek Bischoff – percussion, drums, keyboards, production, arrangements (studio: 2003 - 2013, live: 2010 - 2011)
Amber W. Smith – keyboards, backing vocals (2011 - 2013)
Paul Alcott – drums, keyboards, electronic percussion (2011 - 2013)

Former members

Jeremy Cooper – multi-instrumentalist (2002 - 2003?)
E. Scott Yates – unknown instruments, arrangements (2002)
Sam Mickens – guitars, keyboards, percussion, electronics, backing vocals, arrangements (live; 2004 - 2006, studio; 2005 - 2008, 2010)
Rebecca Carlisle-Healy – backing vocals, keyboards, glockenspiel (2004 - 2005)
Kitty Jenson – backing vocals (~2003 - 2004)
Rachael Jenson – keyboards, glockenspiel, violin, backing vocals, percussion (2006 - 2011)
Matt Carlson - keyboards, guitars, backing vocals, arrangements, production (2006 - 2010)
Brenna Murphy - percussion, keyboards (2006)
Eddy Crichton - drums, percussion, keyboards, guitars (2006 - 2010)
Freddy Ruppert - keyboards, electronic percussion, electronics (2010 - 2011)

Timeline

Slender Means Society

Slender Means Society is an independent record label founded in 2004 by Zac Pennington, vocalist for the band Parenthetical Girls. The label's premier release was their debut, "(((GRRRLS)))", in 2004. The label has since released records by the likes of The Blow, Final Fantasy, Thanksgiving, Lucky Dragons, Love Letter Band, The Dead Science, Xiu Xiu, PWRFL POWER, Idol Fodder, and Grouper.

Discography

SMS000 Parenthetical Girls – (((GRRRLS)))
SMS001 The Blow – Poor Aim: Love Songs (co-release with States Rights Records)
SMS002 Thanksgiving – The Ghost & The Eyes w/ Trees in the Ground, Outside the Window (co-release with States Rights Records)
SMS003 Lucky Dragons – Nortenas (co-release with States Rights Records)
SMS004 Love Letter Band – This World Be My Church (co-release with States Rights Records)
SMS005 Parenthetical Girls – Safe as Houses
SMS006 The Dead Science – Crepuscule with the Dead Science
SMS007 Xiu Xiu vs. Grouper – Creepshow (co-release with States Rights Records)
SMS008 Idol Fodder – Bäbytalk (co-release with States Rights Records)
SMS009 PWRFL POWER – PWRFL POWER
SMS010 Parenthetical Girls – Entanglements (co-release with Tomlab)
SMS011 Final Fantasy – Plays To Please
SMS012a Parenthetical Girls – Privilege, pt. I: On Death & Endearments
SMS012b Parenthetical Girls – Privilege, pt. II: The Past, Imperfect

References

Bowers, William. (July 6, 2006) "Parenthetical Girls: Safe As Houses". Retrieved July. 22, 2007.
Unterberger, Richie. (2006) "Allmusic Review - Safe As Houses." Retrieved July. 22, 2007.

Specific

^ "Parenthetical Girls Discography at Discogs". Discogs. 2017-06-20. Retrieved 2017-06-20.
^ "Parenthetical Girls". The New Yorker.
^ "Parenthetical Girls: (((GRRRLS))) EP". Cokemachineglow. 2007-10-30. Retrieved 2017-06-20.
^ "Parenthetical Girls bleed for the end of Privilege". Vice. Retrieved 2017-06-19.
^ "Introducing: "Hideout"". Talkhouse. Retrieved 2017-06-19.
^ "Popular Music Plays In Darkness". Bandcamp. Retrieved 2021-09-29.

External links

Official band site Archived 2014-03-18 at the Wayback Machine
Slender Means Society (record label)

[1] "Parenthetical Girls Discography at Discogs". Discogs. 2017-06-20. Retrieved 2017-06-20.

[2] "Parenthetical Girls". The New Yorker.

[3] "Parenthetical Girls: (((GRRRLS))) EP". Cokemachineglow. 2007-10-30. Retrieved 2017-06-20.

[4] "Parenthetical Girls bleed for the end of Privilege". Vice. Retrieved 2017-06-19.

[5] "Introducing: "Hideout"". Talkhouse. Retrieved 2017-06-19.

[6] "Popular Music Plays In Darkness". Bandcamp. Retrieved 2021-09-29.

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Slender Means Society

Founded	2004 (2004)
Founder	Zac Pennington
Genre	Pop
Country of origin	U.S.
Location	Portland, Oregon
Official website	slendermeanssociety.com