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The Sisterhood of Convoluted Thinkers. Next.

MEMBERS

Rob Christiansen,

Jeannine Durfee

ALSO A MEMBER

Mike Halverson

PERFORMANCE MEMBERS

Mark McAdam,

Jessica Weil

HOMETOWN

Japan

Brooklyn, New York

MOST POPULAR

Better Days, Coming Now
Ume Sour

GREATEST HITS

All You Want To Do Is Make Me Cry
Brown Door, Green Mat
Circles
Someone New

ALSO

SISTERHOOD's own site

DESCRIPTION

The Sisterhood of Convoluted Thinkers started out essentially as a solo project for Eggs veteran Rob Christiansen and quickly turned into a duo with his girlfriend-turned-wife Jeannine Durfee.

The band was based in Japan for a few years.

RELATED ARTISTS

EGGS (Rob)

THE GAZETEERS

STICK INSECT (Jeannine/Rob)

VIVA SATELLITE! (Rob)

Jeannine, Rob [L to R]
keeping off the grass
Photo by Jonas Celebiler

Jeannine, Rob
performing
Photo by [unknown]

Jeannine, Rob, Jessica, Mark
at the beach
Photo by Paul Jansen

Jeannine, Rob
at the B.B.C., England
Photo by Jonas Celebiler

Rob, Jeannine
at the B.B.C., England
Photo by Jennifer Bove

GUEST PLAYERS

David Garland,

John Rickman

BIOGRAPHY

With the release of their new CD 'Better Days, Coming Now' the Sisterhood of Convoluted Thinkers' Rob Christiansen and Jeannine Durfee are back on Mark Robinson's Teen-Beat label, where they have appeared on records by Eggs, Viva Satellite, Phil Krauth, Andrew Beaujon, Grenadine and many others over the past decade. Rob has also been well known in the DC indie-pop scene for playing in Simple Machines bands Tsunami and Liquorice, and recording albums by Labradford, Wimp Factor 14 and others. The Sisterhood previously released two full-length CDs on Darla Records and singles on Stewart Anderson's (Boyracer) 555 Recordings.

The Sisterhood sound has evolved over time, moving from the in-studio experimentation of their self-titled debut (Darla/555 U.K.), toward the smoother-sounding pop of their second record, 2001's 'Ume Sour' (Darla.) All the while they've kept the same off-kilter sense of humor.

The band follows up on their second album which documented their two-year stint in Japan, with an album of human-scale sketches of life in Brooklyn, NY - their current location. While personal, Sisterhood songs hit a universal chord by touching on simple daily rituals. The jingle of "Morning Coffee" rushes us out the door and gentle "Cradle" drags us home bleary-eyed to a welcoming pillow. Quirky lyrics tile a mosaic of intimate details that adds up to a feeling familiar to any listener.

The title track turns a melancholy dirge by Britain's Kyoko into an up tempo anthem of determination and resilience. This is fun music, but its happiness comes in spite of - in defiance of - life's imperfections and harsh realities.

The rest of the new album continues to play with the listener's expectations. A spurned lover pines from the dance floor to the disco rhythms of "All You Want to Do Is Make Me Cry." The catchy melody of "Winners" is undercut by bittersweet memories of lost childhood friendship. The soothing lullaby "Bug Light" mourns an ephemeral, well, pet bug. Even the band's celebration of sex tempers an infectious tune with the coy refrain "You Don't Mind Me."

The Sisterhood make pop music through the looking glass - solid hooks skewed by odd harmonies, unconventional structures and wildly creative concepts. Their off-kilter sense of humor is ever-present, with unexpected nods to the Bee Gees (albeit in 3/4 time) and even Brittany Spears (though composed as a puppet show soundtrack). The intention, says mastermind multi-instrumentalist Rob, is "more musical than ironic."

The live excitement audible on the record will be translated into a high-energy stage show this fall with the addition of drummer Jessica Weil and guitarist/sampler Mark McAdam.

DISCOGRAPHY

SINGLES

King Me
Lunchdate
Help Me Catch this Fly

ALBUMS

I Remember the Day Smarty Marched...
Sisterhood of Convoluted Thinkers
Ume Sour
Better Days, Coming Now

COMPILATIONS

Jiffy Boy Records
Wakefield: Volume 1
Wakefield: The Teen-Beat Boxed Set
Rocker Supernova
The Adventures of Pablo, Circus Boy Compilation
Never Kept a Diary
Ten; Ten
Little Darla Has a Treat For You vol.12
These Are Testing Times
Little Darla Has a Treat For You vol.14
Little Darla Has a Treat For You vol.15
Chihuahuas and Chinese
New Atmosphere for the Future
You Gotta Get More Alive
Number Nine
Hopping on the West Coast
Viva Mobstar
Little Darla Has a Treat For You vol.16
2002 Teenbeat Sampler
555-55
2003 Teenbeat Sampler
Teen-Beat Subscribers' CD, 2003
2004 Teenbeat Sampler
Teen-Beat 20th Commemorative

ALSO

Teen-Beat's 17th Anniversary
Teen-Beat's 19th Anniversary

RELATED

Eggs
Stick Insect
Viva Satellite

SONGS

A Goof Plays on the Roof
A la Teen
Action 98
All You Want to do is Make Me Cry
Ami-chan, Mai-chan
Armstrong Archer
Basketball Club
Be Lonely With Me
Better Days, Coming Now
Brown Door, Green Mat
Bug Light
Cheap Food Duad Circles
Cradle
Darlin' Ellen The Decision You Must Make Between Alcohol and Kissing Me
Decoder Ring
Dedicated Julie
Dolphin Girl (Introduction Music)
Doors and Humming
Flower Girl (Credit Music)
Help Me Catch this Fly
I Will
Indeed I Do
Investor Relations
Just Look At The Building... It Stands
King Me
Klaus McGurdy's Mechanized Clock
Lichetenstein
Lunchdate
Miss America Morning Coffee
Ne Ne, Ami-Chan
Nen Ga Joo
The New Style Poetry
Pablo, Deepsea Aquanautics Mausoleum
Paul McGinnis
Piano 2
Progress
Raaahhh!
The Rainbow
Ramanhat Nbaddah
Regrets Sable
Sakura No Heya
Sayuri
Shiny
Slow, Classic
Someone New
Song for Tony and Ian
Songs Children Can Make with Their Mouths
Swingback Modern
Telephone
These Things Will Keep Me Loving You
Those Qualified for Telephony
Time Piece
Timing is Correct
Tootling the Multitudes
Tottori Made
Warrenton 1
Winners
Yakusoku (A Promise)
You Don't Mind Me