The Jellyhearts

"Did you ask her if she was preggers? She bought a house in a nice neighborhood, with a good school district," asked Miz Lor'n, drum pounder for the band. (I had watched her walking up Main Street toward the office, wearing an enormous red sombrero, with fear in my heart.)

"Well, she said I could dress like a bear at her wedding, if that tells you anything," confirmed Reba Con Queso, who always introduces herself with a hearty handshake and a boisterous cry of, "Hi there! The name's Reba Con Queso! Cheesed to meetcha!"

"Who told you to wear ear plugs?" queried Miz Lor'n.

"You did! You told me it would keep me from going deaf during shows," replied Con Queso. "I think that we've improved our ears," she mused hopefully.

"I think I am deafer now," disagreed Miz Lor'n, "I don't know about you."

After this nonsense, they turned to me, smiling expectantly.



Reba Con Queso and Miz Lor'n of The Jellyhearts

Photo: Christopher Atwood
The Jelly Hearts, when pressed, describe their sound as something like the "delinquent little sisters of the Black Keys, but with no knowledge of scales...or guitars. But I am wearing a Jimi Hendrix shirt," asserted Con Queso. (She was not.)

Like Akron's Black Keys, the pair's sound is necessarily huge and bombastic, rendering moot any traditional need for a bass player. Their bared-teeth enthusiasm and raw, anxious tonal arsenal can't hide the gritty old-soulfulness of Con Queso's voice, simultaneously raspy and lilting. Their presence on stage is characterized by constant broad smiles for each other, as though they share a joke the rest of us aren't really in on.

"Reba has suggestive phobia disorder," said Miz Lo'rn conspiratorially. "So if you tell her she should be afraid of something, within five minutes she will be terrified of it."

"That's not true!" Con Queso protested. "I'm trying to get health insurance." She calmly drew a horrible picture, a face of some kind, on an empty brown paper bag, and placed it over her head. She bade Miz Lor'n apply mascara to her now-paper eyes, and offered a somewhat muffled treatise on the art of the Live Show.

"Ferocious!" she said, echoed immediately by the Lor'n. "We like ferocious people at our shows. Tremendous personalities, spitting beer and knockin' shit over, and getting into the music...We'd rather have five crazies getting into the music than five million guys who just stand around," she concluded.

The Jelly Hearts recently performed a seemingly improvised tour in France, playing five shows in six days.

"We borrowed some gear from England and drove it over in a van that wasn't supposed to leave the country. It might have been stealing," mused Con Queso.

It was in France that they acquired a kind of uniform.

"Our France pants, for prancing, were acquired in Bordeaux," said Miz Lor'n. "They're hot pink with Zebra stripes, kind of sheer, and..." They finished in unison, "Really, really tight."

"I thought it would be funny if we both wore these ridiculous pants," continued Con Queso. "But then I realized no one can see Miz Lor'n's pants, because she sits behind the drums. So I was the only one visibly wearing the damned things."

The girls alluded to the possibility of a new direction, and tried to explain their songwriting process.

"We almost have a new country song," said Con Queso enthusiastically. "It's not done yet."

"It just needs to be put together, by Cracky," confirmed Miz Lor'n.

"They're like little puzzles," she elaborated. "We have little pieces of them layin' all over the place, and we just have to put them together...by Cracky."

"Snake, jake, rake, crake, bake," piped in Con Queso.

"They're like mad libs," finished Miz Lorn. And there they sat, beaming and satisfied.

The Jelly Hearts will play the main stage at Comfest at 12:30 p.m. on June 26.


Originally Published: June 1, 2009
By: David S. Lewis
Link: http://614columbus.com/magazine/06-01-2009/jammin-with-the-jellyhearts
- (614) Magazine

Artist: The Jellyhearts
Song: "Dandy"

Former Cincinnati blues rock duo-turned-Columbus cacophony specialists the Jellyhearts have been getting around lately. Reba Con Queso and Miz Lor'n just got back from touring by the seat of their pants in France. Next up, they'll be making some big homefront appearances this month including a slot at the Taste of Olde Towne festival this Saturday and a main stage gig at ComFest on June 26. Show up to find them playing a raw and ragged combination of The Black Keys and Sleater-Kinney as exemplified in the foreboding minor chords of "Dandy."

Published: June 8, 2009
By: Chris Deville
Link: http://blog.columbusalive.com/Sensory/2009/06/local_love_the_jellyhearts.shtml - Columbus Alive

Interview semi-improvisée pour un groupe coup de cœur car coup de boule scénique. The Jellyhearts , duo féminin de l’Ohio, entament à Marseille leur deuxième date européenne avec une énergie des plus primitives. Face à nous, Mizz Lorn, maltraite gracieusement ses fûts et Reba Con Queso, torture guitare et ampli à grands coups de disto Big Muff que l’on avait pas entendu depuis l’ère noble du grunge (non, non je ne parle pas de Nevermind et autres sous-produits dérivés de cet album).
Je décide donc d’en savoir peu plus sur celles qui ont mis mes tripes à nu.


Pouvez-vous me dire comment tout a commencé pour le groupe ?

Reba : Cela fait environ six ou sept ans que nous faisons de la musique, après je ne sais pas comment ou pourquoi tout a commencé. Nous avons eu l’idée de jouer ensemble lorsqu’un jour nous nous sommes dit « hey, je joue de la guitare et toi tu joues de la batterie, alors allons-y ! »
Mizz Lorn : Aujourd’hui cela fait deux ans que nous jouons ensemble et nous venons de sortir notre premier LP en décembre dernier. ( Lotta tape, Lotta soul )

Vous êtes proche de Detroit, il serait assez tentant de faire référence à des groupes mythiques tels que les MC5 , Rational et autres Stooges , mais je pense surtout à un célèbre duo encensé, j’ai nommé… THE WHITE STRIPES . ( Reba m’ôte les mots de la bouche )
Ma question est la suivante : Quelles sont vos plus grandes influences ?

Mizz Lorn : À vrai dire, tous les groupes mentionnés sont déjà une grosse influence pour nous, nous adorons toute cette vague.
Reba : Je ne sais pas trop, je dirais sans doute la scène punk crade avec Mudhoney .

C’est vrai que vous dégagez une énergie très noisy/ grunge sur scène…

Reba : J’adore Touch me i’m sick (sur l’album Superfuzz Big Muff ) de Mudhoney , ça c’est une grosse influence, mais le vieux blues fait aussi partie de nos sources d’inspiration. Vous savez, c’est génial d’entendre jouer un bluesman seul, surtout lorsque le silence règne autour et qu’on a l’impression que c’est tout un groupe qui joue.
Mizz Lorn : Ouais, c’est vrai, Leadbelly , John Lee Hooker , Hasil Hadkins , on n’oubliera jamais leurs albums, les classiques sont très importants.

Si je comprends bien, vos influences seraient un peu Buzz Osborne (frontman des Melvins ) jouant le bluesman solitaire…

Reba : Oui, on peut dire ça effectivement. (Rires)
Mizz Lorn : Nous sommes les meilleures amies du monde. On joue ensemble, on écoute des trucs ensemble, nos influences respectives font partie d’un tout que l’on rassemble dans le groupe, même nos façons de penser et nos manières de jouer.

Qu’avez-vous appris de l’héritage culturel de votre ville ?

Reba : On ne vient même pas de Detroit à la base, nous venons de l’Ohio qui est l’état juste au sud du Michigan, mais il y a beaucoup d’échanges entre nos deux états grâce à une autoroute qui fait la jonction, ce qui fait qu’avec cette communication, nos scènes respectives partagent la même philosophie de la musique, il y a ce même état d’esprit. Par exemple, il y a ce même engagement contre la guerre du Vietnam dans les années soixante, il y a aussi ce même esprit dans lequel un groupe joue du rock pour aider les gens à se sentir autrement.

À votre avis, le retour du rock minimaliste est-il à l’origine de ce nouvel engouement pour le rock’n’roll ?

Reba : Depuis l’arrivée des nouvelles technologies que ce soit avec internet, les blogs, les ipods, il y a vraiment une effervescence des communautés dont l’intérêt est bien spécifique. Ces nouvelles communautés peuvent se situer aux quatre coins du globe, et il devient de plus en plus facile de supporter un groupe que l’on aime sans forcément bouger loin pour aller les voir ou se procurer leurs albums.
Tout ceci a donné un nouveau sens au mot ‘communauté’, un groupe peut être adulé partout dans le monde sans s’être jamais déplacé ailleurs que dans sa ville.

Pouvez-vous me parler de la scène européenne, comment la voyez vous ?

Mizz Lorn : Je la trouve bien plus réceptive que la scène américaine, d’un point de vue strictement musical, comme si vous aviez une plus grande capacité d’écoute. Ce n’est que notre deuxième show en Europe pour le moment, il faudrait que l’on revienne pour en savoir plus.

Pour finir, quels sont vos projets ?

Reba : Chaque jour apporte son lot de surprises, rien n’est jamais pareil avec nous, chaque concert est complètement différent, donc pour le moment tout reste à faire. Ce qui est sûr, c’est que nous ne voulons pas faire des chansons qui sonnent toutes les mêmes, ça nous ennuierait au bout d’un moment.
Le but serait de faire des chansons qui sonnent toutes aussi bizarres les unes que les autres. Mais tout ça vient aussi grâce au public, c’est lui qui apporte l’énergie.

Published: 03/24/2009
By: Matt
Link: http://www.concertandco.com/interview/interview-ithe-jellyhearts-i/interview-1-26463.htm - Concert AND Co., France

The Jellyhearts Release Debut LP "Lotta Tape, Lotta Soul" on December 12
Two girls' blues-punk outfit proves they have balls to spare

Nov. 22, 2008 – CINCINNATI. Brothers and sisters! The Jellyhearts, a reckless two-piece rock'n'roll band from Cincinnnati, Ohio, traveled to five states over the past year to record their debut LP "Lotta Tape, Lotta Soul" (Rat Palace Records) to be launched December 12 at a special record release party at 9 P.M. at Cafe Bourbon Street (2216 Summit St., Columbus, OH; 614-268-9377) with Cheater Slicks, the Slide Machine and the $undresses.

Nevermind that The Jellyhearts are, technically, women or that they spend their days practicing to practice law and veterinary medicine. When the sun goes down in the Midwest, the Jellies come out swinging. This album is an unlikely, gritty, boot-stomping incantation steeped in the American traditions of blues and punk, balls and drink, distortion and drums. It's a record that preserves the raw urgency of a live Jellyhearts show, an urgency to give audiences a good old-fashioned whooping that keeps them a-spittin' and a-hollerin' for more. At which point the Jellies are proud to spit and holler back.

There are only two Jellyhearts, Mizz Lorn on percussion and Reba Con Queso shredding, shouting and blowing harp. You'll know the one because she's a direct descendent of Betty Page and looks it, the other from an Our Lady of Guadalupe tatoo the size of a newborn on her bicep.

You'll know their sound because it comes to you by way of the Delta (Son House to Sonny Boy) and by way of modern music-box locales like Detroit (MC5, The Gories), Ohio (The Black Keys, Booglaoosa Prayer) and Tennessee (The Black Diamond Heavies). Theirs is a gun-slinging, Gonzo brand of rock'n'roll. It's coming your way soon on a Jamaican bobsled team of a winter tour. Cool runnings! Jellyhearts! Amen!

For more on the band, including tour dates, or to order records, visit myspace.com/prospectors. - Louis Mattei

New On Disk: Jellyhearts

Duo is low on fidelity,
high on enjoyment
By Rick Allen
Published: Wednesday, December 10, 2008 5:28 PM EST
Two things you can say about the finest examples of the Columbus music scene is that most of them make up for a deficit in technical proficiency with a balls-out energy, and that they are a hell of a lot of fun to listen to.

Such a description fits the Jellyhearts just fine, as you will learn after a spin of their debut album, Lotta Tape, Lotta Soul.

The duo is made up of guitarist and vocalist Reba Con Queso and drummer Mizz Lorn. Their band is barely as old as some of the condiments in your fridge, yet they tear through a tightly wound, live wire of a set with a zest and enthusiasm that belies their rookie-card status.

The album opens with a warm, snarling bundle of hiss in the form of Con Queso’s thick yet porous guitar tone. The trick in a rock duo is for the guitar to fill up enough space to make the bass sound irrelevant, and between Con Queso’s fuzzed-out strumming and Lorn’s drumming, the band spreads out a sound that lacks nothing in its lo-fidelity glory.

The album opens with a warm, snarling bundle of hiss in the form of Con Queso’s thick yet porous guitar tone.

The aforementioned intro is from “Doctor of Soul,” the album’s opener. The song fits in nicely with the primitive blues minimalism that bands ranging from the Gibson Bros. and Cheater Slicks to the twentysomething noiseniks have made a cornerstone of the sounds emanating from High Street hangouts for the past three decades.

What differentiates the Jellyhearts from their current and historical peers is Con Queso’s honey-throated vocals. Such warm and soothing sounds are a jarring surprise, especially accompanying such a furious racket.

You can spend a maddening afternoon trying to place Con Queso’s vocals in the canon of female rock singers, as I did, and still come up snake eyes. A little bit Janis Joplin, a little bit Mary’s Danish? In the end, her voice is all her own.

The vocals are the icing on the cake of a batch of irresistibly catchy and sloppy rock songs that will have you hitting “repeat” on the CD player until you wear the disc out.

As we’re creeping toward Dec. 31, it’s getting to be time to list this year’s favorites. I can’t say definitively this is the best disc I’ve listened to in 2008, but it certainly may be the one I’ve had the most fun listening to.

A Jellyhearts album release show is set for 9 p.m. Friday at Café Bourbon Street, 2216 Summit St. Also on the bill are the Cheater Slicks, the Slide Machines and the Sundresses. - The Other Paper, by Rick Allen

The Jellyhearts “On the Run” - The playing is a little frantic, a little imprecise, and vocals are a little muted, but this kind of energy atones for all. Sounds like Meg White playing with Detroit Cobras if the latter had a firmer belief in the overdrive pedal. - Chris Henderson, for Houston Press

"...girlie-girl blues-garage blowout (more Captain Beefheart than John Lee Hooker) that is the Jellyhearts. This'll be a guaranteed mess." - A.D. Amorosi, for Philadelphia City Paper