Screaming Females (USA)

New Jersey’s Screaming Females combine scorching guitars, straightforward but melodic tunes, and a clever approach to dynamics with a firmly D.I.Y. approach to create their own brand of punk-infused indie rock. Mixing equal parts Dinosaur Jr. and Sleater-Kinney, the Brunswick trio of Marissa Paternoster (guitar/vocals), Michael Abbate (bass), and Jarrett Dougherty (drums) strive to embody the spirit of indie rock in its purest form; Screaming Females book their own shows and self-release many of their own records to bring their guitar-driven rock to the people without compromise. The straightforward swagger of their first album, 2007’s Baby Teeth, would give way to more ambitious structures and greater guitar heroics from Paternoster by the time of 2012’s Ugly, and 2018’s All at Once showed that trickier song structures and more full-bodied production didn’t sap their passion and energy.
Forming in 2005, Screaming Females fired their first salvo in 2007, self-releasing their debut full-length, Baby Teeth, as well as the “Arm Over Arm” b/w “Zoo of Death” 7″ single. The band quickly followed up with their sophomore album, What If Someone Is Watching Their T.V.?, which was also self-released. The group focused on collaborative releases in 2008, including a split 7″ with Full of Fancy on Let’s Pretend Records and another split 7″, this one consisting of Neil Young covers, with Hunchback. The Females got some more exposure in 2009 after a series of jaw-dropping performances at New York’s CMJ and a tour with Dead Weather. That same year, the band made the jump to a label, releasing Power Move through the principled independent imprint Don Giovanni, which would become their long-term recording home and would reissue Baby Teeth and What If Someone Is Watching Their T.V.?