Fresh Cuts: Grass Widow "Past Time"
Tap It!
By Emily Kropp
in Culture Features
on August 31, 2010
This San Francisco-based girl group are taking lo-fi surfer-rock to new heights with their latest release, "Past Time."
Drawing inspiration from The Kinks, and all-girl punk/post-punk bands such as The Neo Boys and Kleenex, Grass Widow make music with lush melodies and spare instrumentals, achieving a polished but lo-fi sound that’s easy to drift away on.
The group formed in 2007, and band mates Hannah Lew, Lillian Maring and Raven Mahon chose the name Grass Widow for its multiple meanings: in the 17th century, "grass widow" referred to a woman whose husband was absent, but still alive, whether at sea, war, or elsewhere; Lew says it refers “to elements of the unknown or the subconscious, things not in plain sight.” They draw upon this same metaphor when writing lyrics about personal, intimate subjects, and the result is a streamlined – if sometimes to a fault – album that ranks them solidly among indie girl groups like Vivian Girls and will undoubtedly draw comparisons to the ultimate girl rockers, Sleater Kinney. Grass Widow is one to watch.
What are you listening to now?
