Music For Girls

ESSAY: MUSIC FOR GIRLS, FICTION BECOMES FOOTNOTE
by Jason Paul

The idea for Music For Girls was hatched sometime in 2002 by Wendy Chin. The band was never intended to actually exist, rather it would be fictional but with all the literature and biography of a real band. Art projects for Music For Girls were undertaken, some with various collaborators. Perhaps sometime at the end of 2003 the Legs McNeil book “Please Kill Me” was found in a trash heap and quickly consumed by Wendy and then myself. We came to the realization that Music For Girls could be a real band, with real songs despite neither of us having any band performance experience. In 2004 we got to work writing as many songs as we could with collaborator Melissa Hsiung. Our first “hit” was a very catchy punk ditty called “Take You” originally done in an electro-punk style, about getting in fights on the NYC subway. With the core band line-up of Wendy on vocals, myself on guitar, Melissa doing a magical bass/keyboard combo and Cecilia Song on drums we began practicing regularly to make ourselves sound like a legitimate band. With our new punk heroes The Ramones, Johnny Thunders and Blondie we knew we didn’t need to be too perfect as long as we had good songs and a whole lot of heart.

In the summer of 2004 Music for Girls played it’s first show at a roof-top art party in Bushwick Brooklyn. Actually, we played our set of five songs twice as we waited for people to show up. Art parties would prove to be our best shows. We went on to play nearly 30 shows over the next two years as we attempted to organize ourselves to record an album. The multi-talented Melissa was unable to continue with the group so Thor Jensen took over bass and Evelyn Lee assumed the synthesizer. Finally in early 2006 we recorded a collection of ten songs nearly live and in just a few takes. By June an “album” was finished, packaged and ready to be released. After two-plus years of playing the same songs around NYC Wendy and I felt that the band had accomplished it’s mission, which was simply to exist. We quietly put Music For Girls on permanent hiatus.

For me, Music For Girls was everything at the time. It was discovery and adventure. It was an escape from the crushing rat-race. It was the absolute best times living side-by-side with the absolute worst. It was the beginning and the end. It was lectures, statements, observations and confessions. It was the mind of a girl. It was so much fun and sometimes it wasn’t fun at all. Music For Girls was Punk. I miss this band, but I realize now that the fiction went farther than it needed to.

At a time when Franz Ferdinand was new, I actually dreamed we could be part of that world. Now I know that it’s not necessary. If you are actually reading this, then it’s mission accomplished. Music For Girls did exist once. Thank you. 

credits

released June 1, 2006

Wendy Chin – vocals
Jason Paul – guitar
Cecilia Song – drums
Evelyn Lee – synth
K. Thor Jensen – bass

Written by Wendy Chin and Jason Paul
“Honey” written by Wendy Chin, Jason Paul and Melissa Hsiung