New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ The Not Dead Yet Records) Not Dead Yet Records is known for their roster of underground bands with a unique sound. The kind of bands you might stumble upon during a late night KCRW broadcast is probably the only way to describe the rich sounds and phenomenal artists that this label brings to the table. This is the music that that doesn't adhere to the status quo and social norms of today's music scene. These are the sounds and lyrics of artists that threaten to defy the genres of today and potentially reinvent the music scene entirely, producing the bands that are currently dominating the underground music scene in Los Angeles, such as Piel, The Big Booty Party, The Dharma Bums and Mahi Gato.
The Not Dead Yet Records family of artists all share one common theme, a decidedly"non indie," in-your-face, sound, unlike anything you've heard before, yet a sound that has a familiarity of sorts. The newest recruit in Not Dead Yet Records Roster is "The Theadora
Kelly Project," sort of the Kid Sister of the labels artists. Theadora Kelly, a petite Korean girl with labels most rambunctious and vulgar lyricist on the label. Her sound is sort of a hybrid of 80's punk rock, 90's grunge and occasionally a soulful sadness, which is surprising, coming from an artist whose lyrics tend to err on the antagonistic and explicit side.
The Theadora
Kelly Project seems to take life as it comes. The recurring themes in these songs seem to be the pitfalls in life, Pop Culture, and in a rare moment, comforting words. The songs vary from titles such as the widely popular "Craigslist Reject" and "Indie Hipster Kid" to the bittersweet "The Sun's Gonna
Shine Today." The former, a satirical jab at the current climate of music and musicians in general, love it or hate it, it's funny because it's true. While "The Sun's Gonna
Shine Today" offers soothing words of encouragement tinged with an almost melancholy feel to the soothing melody as it crescendos into heavy drums and guitar, as if to remind you that as sweet as it is, The Theadora
Kelly Project isn't for wussies.
Theadora Kelly's vocals bend the rules when it comes to the status quo for female singers. Kelly's vocals have been compared to the 90's grunge goddess herself "Courtney Love" and Shirley Manson of Garbage. Her own personal influences include, Brody Dalle formerly of The Distillers, NOFX, Wendy O. Williams of the Plasmatics, and 80's punk.
the lyrics of The Theadora
Kelly Project's songs. The lyrics at face value aren't very deep. It would seem that the content is mostly mindless profanity laced screaming. The Meeting Song in particular seems be an excuse to act out in a frenzied tantrum.
"The Meeting Song actually is about a bad boss picking on you and what went through my mind one day while enduring it." Says Kelly.
"I wrote this song during a meeting when my boss was picking on me so bad I was gritting my teeth, pretending to take notes and trying not to just unload all my anger and rage on him. He had no right to treat me that way, any of us for that matter. But there wasn't much I could do. My options were either lose my job or grin and bear it."
"A few years ago, I was working as a contract and sales liaison for one of the largest manufacturer of components for military and national security applications. Specifically, we manufactured cryogenic coolers for Infrared and detection systems."
Kelly says.
"It was a very corporate environment and I was working very hard and doing the job of a woman 20 years my senior in terms of experience and I adhered to all the stuff you would read in trade publications, about keeping a job and proving your worth, and all that stuff which seems to be a load of crap because it seems to have lost me my job. I was working very hard and doing everything right. However, all that doesn't matter because I worked directly under a boss that was just out for his own agenda I suppose would be the best way I could describe his behavior.
He would call meetings so he could talk for five hours about being productive, while we all sat there dumbfounded by the irony of the time wasted in these meetings. He literally had meetings to discuss upcoming meetings. To make it worse, some days he just liked to single one of us out and belittle and verbally abuse one person. One day that person was me, he was saying stuff like I have mental problems and maybe I should go see a psychiatrist because he couldn't help me."
I just sat there gritting my teeth and really wanting to be insubordinate in the worst way possible, but I needed the job, I needed the money and so instead of acting out, I just nodded and pretended to take notes, while in reality I was writing the lyrics for what would be later known as "the meeting song" Writing exactly what I was feeling at that moment in the form of a song was the only thing I could do to keep my cool. That guy really deserved a punch in the face for the way he treated people but I suppose I should thank him for being the catalyst to one of the most powerful songs on the album. Every time I sing that song I have a flashback to that day. I always start to feel the rage building and I get to relive that day and relieve myself from the anger and frustration my boss inflicted on me that day, every time I sing it. Being able to scream at your boss and say exactly what is on your mind is actually pretty cool if you think about it."
The Theadora
Kelly Project's debut single will be released on
September 26th 2011, and will be available through iTunes on November 2011. For more information, free downloads and upcoming show information, visit The Theadora
Kelly Project at www.reverbnation.com/TKproject or wwww.notdeadyetrecords.com .
Website:https://www.reverbnation.com/tkproject
Music:https://www.reverbnation.com/tunepak/3497324
