The Violet Hour
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States | SELF
Music
Press
The blues-punk resurgence first ignited by bands like The White Stripes and The Black Keys continues to smolder across the country, inspiring countless groups to turn their guitars up and let their hair go precariously unwashed. Milwaukee’s The Violet Hour is certainly inspired by that explosion, but it doesn’t let it define its sound. With the help of the nicotine purr of vocalist Karen Muehlbauer, the band manages to combine its many influences (blues, punk, a little bit of psych) and churn out a dirty yet accessible product that wouldn’t be out of place at a chicken-wired juke joint. The Violet Hour’s debut album, Not Haunted, is nine slabs of lean, mean bar rock, and sees its official release at tonight’s show. - AV Club / Matt Wild
Tonight was their debut performance at Linneman's... and they ROCKED. It was awesome. Can't wait to see 'em again. - 91.7 WMSE - Jeff & Debbie Show
Tonight was their debut performance at Linneman's... and they ROCKED. It was awesome. Can't wait to see 'em again. - 91.7 WMSE - Jeff & Debbie Show
Continuously climbing the ReverbNation charts - #8 on the Alternative chart for Milwaukee, WI as of May 7, 2013 - ReverbNation
This is the kind of music that made me want to start listening to music in the first place. - Overheard at the Riverwest Public House
Discography
Not Haunted (August 2013)
Photos
Bio
Spiked punch and sugary birthday cake. It was this particular combination that sparked the idea for Karen and Iggy to start a blues punk band. Or maybe it was just Iggy's love of the blues. Either way, something exciting happened on that summer day in August 2011 at their friends 30th birthday party. Something that would soon become The Violet Hour.
As Karens former band was coming to an end and Ignacio was also looking for a new project, the vocalist and drummer were eager to bring their party-induced vision to life. They quickly wrangled longtime friend Keith Bauer to join them on bass and eventually found the perfect guitarist in Joel Martin.
The foursome known as The Violet Hour now brings together dirty punk guitar with ruthless vocals, unrelenting basslines with artful drumming, to create their blues-infused indie rock. With a love of bands like The Black Keys and Band of Skulls, the music reflects varied influences and tends to live on the dark, shadowy side of rock n roll, while touching on a hint of pop sensibility which is, perhaps, the icing on the cake.
Airplay:
FM 102/1 Milwaukee
91.7 WMSE Milwaukee
WIPZ Kenosha
Bands The Violet Hour has played with:
Howth (Brooklyn)
Little Man (MN)
The Flips (Chicago)
MTVGhosts (w/ members of The Orwells, Chicago)
Mark Waldoch
Heartthrob
The Saltshakers
Polarizer (Chicago)
Resist Her Transistor
Honey and the 45s (Chicago)
The Belle Weather
The 57s
Lion's Mouth (Madison)
JoAnn Reidl
Gold Velvet
Blue Sky Hour
Artists we shared the stage with in previous bands:
Will Hoge (Nashville)
Maritime
Chris Vos of The Record Company (L.A.)
Mike Daum of Roster McCabe (Minneapolis)
Epic Hero (Minneapolis)
Molehill (Chicago)
The August (Nashville)
Band Members
Links
