Têtes Noires

Photo by Catherine Settanni Têtes Noires was the first all female rock band from Minneapolis, Minnesota. They gave concerts from 1983 until about 1987, and recorded three albums. The original Têtes were (from left to right), Jennifer Holt, Polly Alexander, Renee Kayon, Angela Frucci, Cynthia Bartell, and Camille Gage. (Photo location: former VIP room of First Avenue, Mpls.)

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Fanzine: Mangled Efforts 3 (Têtes Interview)

Madison, WI: Mangled Efforts, xeroxed leaves stab-stapled into a hand-colored cover. Third issue of mid-80's punk and art fanzine - this issue is notable 4 including the first part of a great interview with legendary zinemaker Lisa Baumgardner of Bikini Girls. Also includes interviews with Tetes Noires and Funeral Oration. 

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Scan - George’s handwritten lyrics for ‘Gopala Krishna’

Scanned from Living in the Material World

The song can be listened to here.

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Steve McClellan talks about the early days of First Avenue

Great pic of Têtes Noires in great article about impresario and legend Steve McClellan of First Avenue in Minneapolis. During Steve's tenure, everyone played the big house: from Prince to Tina Turner, and The Replacements to Hüsker Dü, and everyone else in the musical world!!!

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Têtes Noires getting less normal. 

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Late, great Polly Alexander of Têtes Noires 

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Jim DeRogatis picked Têtes Noires’ True Love as his Desert Island Review from the new reissue and also talked about the Têtes. Listen UP! Têtes part starts 49:56. (#444 Sound Opinions with Warpaint (pictured), Neil Young, Têtes Noires)

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Jay Gabler Talks Têtes 4 Women's History Month

Clever Jay Gabler, we like him a lot. He writes/produces for Minnesota's The Current. Earlier this year, Jay wrote about the Têtes for Women's History Month. Went down memory lane and raked up musical memories. Also, Zuzu's Petals, Pink Mink, Babes in Toyland.

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Two of the best female violinists around: Têtes' Jennifer Holt with Scarlet Rivera. They're holding the Peace Violin. Rivera was part of The Rolling Thunder Revue and played on Dylan's 17th studio album "Desire" in '76.

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Têtes Noires at Folk City 1984

Têtes Noires played with Yo La Tengo and Ben Vaughn Combo at Folk City in 1984.

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Music Blogger Ben Apatoff: What it's Like to Like Têtes Noires

Ben Apatoff is heavy metal master of words, bon vivant of musical lifestyles. He recently discovered the Têtes after Jim DeRogatis covered "The New American Dream" release on Sound Opinions. Read all about it on Ben's blog Apatoff for Destruction.

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Claude VonStroke Signs Têtes' Producer on Dirtybird Label

With a remix of Claude VonStroke's "Califuture" and a video ode to his home state.

George Cochrane (AKA Give In) co-produced and engineered the Têtes release this year. He recently covered the deep house hit “Califuture” by Claude VonStroke. Vice Magazine’s Thump (EDM blog) premiered the cover, and when Claude heard it, he signed it for release on his celebrated label, Dirtybird. 

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Sound Opinions features Têtes Noires, Episode #444

Sound Opinions is the World's only rock and roll talkshow. Co-host, rock critic Jim DeRogatis picked a Têtes song ("True Love") from the new remaster for the Desert Island Jukebox segment. Click here to listen. (Têtes part starts around 50:02)

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Têtes Noires, the six-member, largely a cappella, all-female troupe was for me as beloved as their male Twin Cities peers the Replacements and Hüsker Dü.

Jim DeRogatis (Pop N Stuff), 2014