Lovely Socialite, formerly Lovely Socialite Mrs. Thomas W. Phipps, is a Midwest-based six-piece that combines the aesthetics of modern jazz with contemporary classical, driving rock, and hip hop. Lauded for their bold and intricate compositions, the group often draws comparisons to Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention. The band’s original music combines strict notation with moments of improvisation and maintains a healthy balance of dark and heavy rock grooves with quirky jazz obscurities.
While Lovely Socialite’s unusual mix of strings, traditional Chinese instruments, brass, and a jazz rhythm section suggest that the group might be a contemporary music ensemble, it is their use of stomp boxes, vocal processors, and other electronics that makes the group a suitable fit for any rock, hip-hop, or jazz bill. In fact, Lovely Socialite has been privileged to share the stage with such artists as Dessa, of Minneapolis hip-hop collective Doomtree, Dosh, and many more.
Output
Lovely Socialite has released two full length albums (Registers Her Delight and Toxic Consonance) and EP (DoubleShark) over the course of a 10 year career and will continue that output with a third record, The Drift, on 7/30/22. The Drift is the most mature and ambitious recording to date with its 10 tracks well-representing the diverse compositional styles of composers in the band. It will draw you into a soft and reflective layered improvisation before knocking you on your ass with a knuckle-dragging head banger. That’s Socialite.
Quarantine Loops
The band bided time during the pandemic with a project called Quarantine Loops. The idea was hatched when the six members wanted to come up with a way to work creatively with one another without being physically present in each other’s spaces. For each of three Quarantine Loops EPs released during that time, the curator (a different member of the band for each) would choose a tempo and scale or key and the band would fill a folder with recorded loops that fit that description. Then members would have the opportunity to take those assets and construct arrangements from them.
Video
Watch the video for “Glass” (by Joe Ludwig and Tommy Simms) below:
More samples, including video, are available on our Music and Video tab.
Press
From Tone Madison…
…this band is deeply odd in its bones, having sprouted from the intersection of formal musical training and dogged experimentation.
If anything, Toxic Consonance feels like a rediscovery, as if a bit of geographic separation and juggling lots of other projects only pushed the individual members to buckle down harder on their nuanced chemistry and wide-ranging musical tastes.
From the A.V. Club…
[Lovely Socialite] wraps original compositions…in electric cello, double bass, vibraphone, pipa, guitar, and drums to mesmerizing effect. Chuck in the warped effects on each instrument and the live visuals projected behind the performance, and the result is a slack-jawed audience.
From the High Noon Saloon…
Lovely Socialite performs a strict notation at times grooving to free improvisation. Fans of Modern Jazz, Contemporary Classical Music, Rock & Hip-Hop will become captivated by the amazing sound of Lovely Socialite Mrs. Thomas W. Phipps.
From NetMusic Life…
[Lovely Socialite] is a band that casually brings together several influences, from jazz-rock rhythms with hip-hop attitude and very free improvisations. The single, “Brachiosaurus Boogie”, caught me from the first listening…an intro bass line mixed with dirt and carnal vocals and handclaps.
From the Isthmus…
Lovely Socialite’s music benefits from its members’ formal discipline. Still, the group maintains a sense of humor, which is a feat for brainy instrumental music. – See more at the Isthmus.
For more information, please email Corey Murphy at corey@mamrecords.com.
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