Jen Schande

As concept records go, 19—Songs for and Inspired by Valencia: Chapter 19 by Jen Schande is among the more interesting ones. A visceral stand-alone soundtrack to the movie, comprised of 21 short films, based on queer writer/activist Michelle Tea’s book Valencia, 19 is at turns raw (“Ghost Power”), clever (“I Really Like Sonic Youth, and I Really Want to Have Sex with You”), tender (“A Different Kind of Stripped Down (A Different Kind of Tease),” and never boring. - OutSmart Magazine

As concept records go, 19—Songs for and Inspired by Valencia: Chapter 19 by Jen Schande is among the more interesting ones. A visceral stand-alone soundtrack to the movie, comprised of 21 short films, based on queer writer/activist Michelle Tea’s book Valencia, 19 is at turns raw (“Ghost Power”), clever (“I Really Like Sonic Youth, and I Really Want to Have Sex with You”), tender (“A Different Kind of Stripped Down (A Different Kind of Tease),” and never boring. - OutSmart

It’s been almost 10 years since Jen Schande first received critical acclaim with her split 7” with The Cribs. Since then, Jen has busied herself with her band Schande, played in former SF-based queer band Boyskout and has a transatlantic recording project This Is Thunder. Her long awaited solo debut full length may be her most ambitious project to date.

For 19: Songs For & Inspired By Valencia Chapter 19, Schande utilizes her full ownership of 1990’s indie rock – where mood, tone and angular guitars weave a narrative of attitude, wandering, wondering, lust and upheaval. Schande’s unwavering attention to musicianship and composition can be heard clearly as every note rings out in pure intention, belying an understanding between writer and subject matter.

In describing her album, Schande reveals, “There was something incredibly liberating about reading Tea’s work – I found her unyielding honesty with owning her experiences explosive. Drawing on my own memories and the ability to be submerged in freedom of expression, creating music in response to Chapter 19 was effortless and this record in many ways wrote itself. Consequently, the songs in part convey Michelle’s experiences, in part recall my own, and in many ways are a tribute to both the bridges and spaces between the two.”

Valencia is now being reworked for the big screen and promises to be an exciting venture, with each chapter filmed by a different director and different casts. Among those involved with the film are Michelle Tea herself, Margaret Cho, Jill Soloway and many others. In addition to scoring Chapter 19, Schande also offers her talents for a song featured in Chapter 10. The film has already gained support by SF Magazine and Curve and is currently being shopped around for Summer 2012 film festivals.
- Brooklyn Rocks

t’s been almost 10 years since Jen Schande first received critical acclaim for her split 7” with The Cribs. Since then, Jen has busied herself with her band Schande, played in former San Francisco-based queer band Boyskout and has a transatlantic recording project This Is Thunder. The July 17th release of 19:Songs For and Inspired By Valencia Chapter 19 is a fairly interesting undertaking.

Here's the back story:
In 2000, author, Michelle Tea, published the novel Valencia. Eleven years later, the book that was named "The Bible of politicized, counter-culture, punk informed LGBT boys, girls and gender queers" is currently being transformed for the pink and silver screen. Valencia follows the tale of one twenty-something queer girl's escapades navigating life and love in San Francisco during the 1990's. Collaboration between twenty-one filmmakers, each translating a chapter of Valencia into five-minute pieces has already begun. Each filmmaker will shoot their portion with their own cast, crew, style, and interpretation of the novel. The completed project will be shown as a cohesive unit, but each individual piece will be able to stand as its own short narrative film. This process creates twenty-one lesbian focused short films unlike anything seen before.

In describing her work on 19, Schande reveals, “There was something incredibly liberating about reading Tea’s work – I found her unyielding honesty with owning her experiences explosive. Drawing on my own memories and the ability to be submerged in freedom of expression, creating music in response to Chapter 19 was effortless and this record in many ways wrote itself. Consequentially, the songs in part convey Michelle’s experiences, in part recall my own, and in many ways are a tribute to both the bridges and spaces between the two.” The result is delightful. Schande has put out an album that evokes fond memories of 90s indie while still sounding current and modern.

This entire Valencia project is a massive undertaking and one that is a well deserved homage to the work of Michelle Tea. They are insanely lucky that Jen Schande is leading the way with a pretty fantastic album. - Viva Indie

Here’s a thought that will cause many of you out there to feel old in an instant: Generation X is looking at 40. Although for a long time the establishment tried to put them down, they managed to buck them every step of the way. But it seems as if the group of people who helped push many facets of the counter-culture into the mainstream now find themselves shuttling the kids to their sporting events and nervously monitoring their 401K’s. Time was able to accomplish what the establishment never could, and the sounds that marked their formative years have been oft-attempted in the time since but never adequately duplicated.

With that said, we should consider it fortunate that Jen Schande gets about as close as anybody ever has to replicating that sound. It’s not a surprise since her music business resume includes a split 7? recorded with the Cribs, a recording project called This Is Thunder, and her work in the bands Schande and Boyskout. Her new album 19: Songs for & Inspired By Valencia Chapter 19 draws it’s influence from Michelle Tea’s counter-culture memoir Valencia, with further amplifies the record’s nostalgic aire. Her song “Nice Fez” is a plesant, pitchy conglomeration of jangly guitars that alternates between a sauntering and trotting pace, borrowing from the sound that brought success to the likes of Liz Phair and Juliana Hatfield. Chances are that from the first chord will have you convinced that it was a product of the mid-90s and not a recent creation. Good nostaglia is one part memory and one part deception, and Jen Schande has been able to use both in order to craft a piece that accomplishes what many have tried but few have achieved. So let’s all get up and dance like it’s the mid-90s all over again…every once in a while it’s the only reasonable thing to do. - Striker Bill

Jen Schande is one of the Bay Area’s most tried-and-true indie workhorses. She’s been at it in one band or another for damn near two decades: she played pre-fame shows with bands ranging from No Doubt to The Gossip, released a long-sold-out split 7? with The Cribs that commands quite a high asking price on eBay, and famously saw PJ Harvey at the Whiskey in 1992. In addition to her prolific DJ work, Jen has her namesake band, Schande, which she began focusing on exclusively after parting ways with Boyskout several years back.

Schande are playing at the Hemlock this Saturday, July 30, along with Bam!Bam! and Silent Pictures. And they have a new 7? out on Future Farmer Recordings, titled Still Returning. Let’s have a listen, shall we?

A four-piece consisting of Jen on vocals and guitar, Will Cline on guitar, Allan Wong on bass, and Dennis Galway on drums, Schande are known around town for having an early ’90s indie throwback sound. And as we all know, that was a damn fine time for music. Better that Schande be associated with early ’90s indie than, say, late ’90s rap-rock. Although Jen has been known to cite Fred Durst as an influence. (No she has not.) Spin.com referred to Jen as an “indie rock princess” who is “cut from the same cloth as Liz Phair and Tanya Donelly.”

And while Schande first rose to local prominence on such fun, jangly cuts as the hook-driven “Out on You,” they’ve evolved over the years into a band that takes their instrumentation very, very seriously. The riffs have gotten longer and heavier, with Jen’s distinctive vocals receding from front-and-center to allow all the prodigious guitar-jamming to step up. The instrumentals sometimes get so epic that Schande seems as if they might go vocals-free altogether.

But as someone who always misses Jen’s vocals when they disappear in their live shows (whether intentionally or otherwise; her gentle, woozy murmurs are easily overwhelmed by the musical force around her), I am very pleased that the two main cuts on Still Returning find Jen and the boys in excellent balance between vocals and instrumentation. And still, they reflect the movement from light to dark that has been evident in Schande’s music in the years of discovery and exploration that followed the “Out on You” era.

The title track, “Still Returning,” is two unrelenting minutes of driving guitars and insistent drums, with Jen’s sardonic vocals suggesting the most kick-ass song Liz Phair never recorded. The B-side, “What Are You Did?”, has an opening guitar hook that will be instantly recognizable to those who’ve seen Schande live, as it has been a previously unrecorded staple of their shows for some time. The track slowly unfolds and urgently builds, simultaneously tapping into ’90s grunge angst and a more moody and dramatic emo sensibility.

The demo mix of “Former Idle” comes closest to approximating the experience of witnessing Schande in concert. It is dreamy, gorgeous, and epic, with Jen’s vocals not making an appearance until nearly three minutes into the six-minute track. And once again we have that exquisite build, that halting climb up the rollercoaster, leading to a crescendo of guitar-jam bliss before a gentle fade-out that seems to say, “Jamming? Who, us?”

You can keep up with Schande on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, or on Jen Schande’s Tumblr. Still Returning is available on vinyl and as a download at iTunes, Amazon.com, and all the other usual suspects. (It is also streaming at Spotify.) Check out Schande playing this Saturday at the Hemlock. Bam!Bam! are also playing, by the way. And they’re quite rad themselves: - Spinning Platters

Jen Schande’s 19: Songs For And Inspired By Valencia: Chapter 19 is a concept record written in respond to Michelle Tea’s novel Valencia. Sonically this record is dripping with ‘90s indie rock and riot grrl influence with Schande adding her own unique voice to and take on the genres. The record has fast aggressive moments (“Intro To A Sinister Smile”), poppy breathy moments (“Nice Fex”), Dirty era Sonic Youth style moments (“Now Is Not The Time For Reticence” and “I Really Like Sonic Youth, And I Really Want To Have Sex With You”), noise pop moments (“Ghost Power”), soft moments (“Sam Vs. The Floor” and “A Different Kind Of Stripped Down (A Different Kind Of Tease)”), and am eight minute long closing number. What makes 19 work is Schande’s passion and the diversity in the songs. Sure this is obviously a ‘90s inspired indie rock record but each song has its own subtle nuances that make the record sound fresh. - Oklahoma Lefty

Even before we knew anything about Jen Schande herself, we knew whatever it was like, we were going to post up a song titled I Really Like Sonic Youth and I Really Want to Have Sex With You. I mean, why wouldn’t you?

So, it is was a bonus to discover she first came to notice on the back of a split 7? with The Cribs almost ten years ago and since then she has busied herself with her band Schande, played in former SF-based queer band Boyskout and has a transatlantic recording project This Is Thunder. Her latest release is 19 (Songs for and Inspired By Valencia Chapter 19) – a musical take on the gritty counter-culture memoir, Valencia, written by Michelle Tea. It is scheduled for a full vinyl and digital release towards the end of this year.

Her sound is steeped in 1990s indie rock with angular, chiming guitar lines over which her fragile vocals add a whole extra layer of vulnerability. Thankfully, the musicianship lives up to the promise of the title and it is an excellent example of the album as a whole. - Mad Mackerel

For those wondering what the hell happened to Liz Phair, keep wondering. For the next logical musical step following Phair’s Matador albums, Jen Schande is here to take up that mantle. 19 is a response to the book Valencia by Michelle Tea, a novel set in the lesbian culture of San Francisco’s Mission District. Unlike Phair’s Exile In Guyville being the feminist response to the Rolling Stones “classic” Exile On Main St., this album is a celebration of the empowering feeling Schande had reading Valencia, in particular, Chapter 19. The tone and tempo shift back and forth throughout the eight song album. Three of the tracks are instrumentals with each reflecting different moods. The album commences with the most aggressive one in “Intro To A Sinister Smile”, a quick and effective single string riff. “Nice Fez,” and “I Really Like Sonic Youth, And I Really Want To Have Sex With You,” (if only such a line actually worked, high school would have been way more fun) are really fun tracks that, with Schande’s voice and deft guitar work, recall the glory days of nineties alterna-pop. “Ghost Power,” is the record’s most riot grrrly moment and is almost Stooge-ian. The album’s penultimate track is primarily an acoustic guitar and xylophone track and is the softest of (and best) of the instrumentals, titled “A Different Kind Of Stripped Down,”. 19 is witty, full of character, and ambitious – one of the best debuts of the year. - The Big Takeover

Fire Note Says: Jen Schande shows her solo stuff on this entertaining mini-album inspired by the writings of Michelle Tea.

Album Review:
The music world is a better place with a free spirited indie troubadour like Jen Schande cranking out alt-rock tunes like it was 1994 all over again. This 8 song outing was inspired by the counter-culture memoir, Valencia, written by Michelle Tea and drives straight at you with its angular guitars, revved up vocal delivery and plenty of cocky attitude.

The best part of 19 is that it never stays in one place for long and shows off many sides of Schande as "Nice Fez" is a solid indie rocker while "Ghost Power" is more in your face with Schande's vocals almost hitting a scream as the music pulses out of control with a catchy guitar riff. The album has several short intro type pieces which add intrigue but then near the end has "A Different Kind Of Stripped Down (A Different Kind Of Tease)" which is a calm and peaceful strumming instrumental track that really ties everything together as Schande showcases a completely different side of her talents.

I am not sure where this solo mini-album will lead Jen Schande but I would really like to see her expand the ideas here into a more realized full length. Her energetic spirit, knack for unique and carefree lyrical expression could lead to something that the indie world totally embraces.

Key Tracks: "Nice Fez", "I Really Like Sonic Youth, And I Really Want To Have Sex With You", "Ghost Power"

Bands With Similar Fire:
Liz Phair
Jenny Owen Youngs
Marnie Stern - The Fire Note

A fierce rocker without words, called “Intro to a Sinister Smile.” A concise document that erupts out of the former, called “Nice Fex.” Can’t really discern what Jen Schande is saying, but her vocals are among the best consonants/vowels I’ve ever heard from a female rocker: They have the snarl of that girl who’s behind the gym scowling and smoking on her first day of junior high (not, of course, that Punk Globe or I endorse that life choice). Ha.

We’re talking about a woman with the guts to intro the next song with precisely spaced electric guitar steps, with some vaguely ominous axe work in the background. And then Schande’s voice, rising from murky depths to bite out the words of “Ghost Power.” Is the playing on 19: Songs for and Inspired by Valencia Chapter 19 an exercise in creative simplicity? You bet. Does it work? Sh*t, yeah. Moreover, Schande has the confidence to follow “Ghost Power” with a distant bell tone, the strum of a lone electric guitar, her voice saying something or other, and another distant bell tone.

I wish people tended to be open-minded enough to want to hear new sounds without any references to other music. But, folks being as they often are, here are some things that would go well with Jen Schande: The Breeders. P.J. Harvey. Cat Power. Sonic Youth. Actually, that sounds pretty amazing. Welcome to one of the coolest girls’ rooms in the world, Jen. With bursts of impassioned sound like “I Really Like Sonic Youth and I Really Want to Have Sex with You,” I think you may have helped paint the walls black in a former lifetime.
If Schande’s name sounds familiar, you might live in San Francisco, have heard the 7” she split with The Cribs, heard something by Boyskout, and/or experienced her own self-titled band. 19… is Schande’s musical rumination on the autobiography of Michelle Tea. Although its official release date is July 17, you can pre-order it on her Bandcamp page:
http://allthingsschande.bandcamp.com, as well as checking out her band’s amusing Facebook profile:
http://www.facebook.com/SchandeMusic - Punk Globe

This is what I wanted. A band that can morph from Bikini Kill to Cat Power in one chord progression. Jen Schande (facebook/twitter) are a band whose album starts with a firecracker and ends in hypnosis.

First track, Intro to a Sinister Smile, sounds like it’s been taken from a fast ‘n’ furious speed scene in a low budget art school film via Blood Red Shoes’ recording studio. It’s 1 minute of simple, menacing guitar that might just get you through those last 60 seconds of your workout.

Straight into Nice Fex, which takes a bit of lo-fi guitar and mixes it with jaded vocals making for a nice little angsty number that will end up being sung in the shower by yours truly by the end of tonight.

Ghost Power ultimately confirms that Jen Schande enjoy the music they make. The devilishly gratifying yelps from lead vocalist, Jen, along with the rest of the band and garage guitars really do make it the best song on the album for sure.

Songs for and Inspired by Valencia: Chapter 19 really does encapsulate something of the Mediterranean. It is only good and proper for Sam Vs. the Floor to be played around a campfire in a crepuscular Spain. It blends acoustic strings with the sound of cicadas so that all you really need to seal the deal is a bottle of tequila, some chums and you’re good to go.

This band leaves you wanting more and hopefully more is what we’ll get. Basically, I want to know what happened in Valencia: Chapters 1-18. And the real truth of the matter is, I want to be Chapter 20. - Blue Walrus

Schandes side is not unlike Cat Power, but the vocals sound even more exotically fragile (in an emotional sense) than Chan Marshalls. But it should be mentioned that the main riff of Dig the Halo is pretty goddamn addictive, so if youre susceptible to this kind of stuff, beware. - Wire Magazine

The kind of American music I lurve. Effortless cool, smart n slinky guitars underpinned with a minimalist rhythm section thats sooo on the money. Now, top all this off with sweetly snarling Voice of the Beehive type pure pop vox and you got yourself a rekkid. Top fucking noise and no mistake. - Unpeeled

This was a band with a big instrumental presence, the kind of textural sonics that Grandaddy does so well, or perhaps a bit like those long and winding intros that The Cure used to do at their peak. As the set progressed, a sort of hypnotic ambience took over, courtesy of the effective instrumentalism, and Jens vocals I would have been perfectly happy to listen to the Schande for the rest of the night.

- Moles Club (www.moles.co.uk)